Hydrological Implications of Supplemental Irrigation in Cocoa Production Using SWAT Model: Insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana

Assefa, Tewodros T.; Gbodji, Kekeli K.; Atampugre, Gerald; Loh, Yvonne S. A.; Bayissa, Yared; Tilahun, Seifu A.

doi:10.3390/w17131841

Open AccessArticle

Hydrological Implications of Supplemental Irrigation in Cocoa Production Using SWAT Model: Insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana

by

Tewodros T. Assefa

^1,*

,

Kekeli K. Gbodji

²

,

Gerald Atampugre

²

,

Yvonne S. A. Loh

³

,

Yared Bayissa

⁴

and

Seifu A. Tilahun

^1,2,*

¹

Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar P.O. Box 26, Ethiopia

²

International Water Management Institute, Airport Residential Area, Accra PMB CT 112, Ghana

³

Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, Accra P.O. Box LG 58, Ghana

⁴

Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Water 2025, 17(13), 1841; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131841

Submission received: 18 April 2025 / Revised: 17 June 2025 / Accepted: 18 June 2025 / Published: 20 June 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Water Management in Agricultural Irrigation)

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Abstract

The cocoa production in Ghana, largely reliant on rainfall and undertaken by smallholder farmers, is increasingly endangered by climate change-induced water scarcity. Although supplemental irrigation has been posited as an adaptive measure, its hydrological impacts remain understudied. This current study seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to evaluate the hydrological and water resource implications of supplemental irrigation within the Upper Offin sub-basin of Ghana. High-resolution spatial data and field survey inputs were used to model dry period baseline and irrigation scenarios for cocoa farms with gentle slopes (2%). The results reveal that supplemental irrigation from the shallow aquifer can sustainably support irrigation for up to 5% of the cocoa area (4760 ha) without adversely affecting groundwater flow. Extending irrigation to 30% of the cocoa area (28,540 ha) is feasible with minimal reduction in catchment water yield. This study’s novelty lies in integrating high-resolution data with localized management practices to provide actionable insights for balancing cocoa productivity and water sustainability. The findings offer practical recommendations for policymakers, emphasizing that through solar-powered irrigation the shallow groundwater is a pathway to enhance climate resilience of cocoa productivity.

Keywords: sustainable water management; irrigated cocoa production; SWAT model; Upper Offin sub-basin

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MDPI and ACS Style

Assefa, T.T.; Gbodji, K.K.; Atampugre, G.; Loh, Y.S.A.; Bayissa, Y.; Tilahun, S.A. Hydrological Implications of Supplemental Irrigation in Cocoa Production Using SWAT Model: Insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana. Water 2025, 17, 1841. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131841

AMA Style

Assefa TT, Gbodji KK, Atampugre G, Loh YSA, Bayissa Y, Tilahun SA. Hydrological Implications of Supplemental Irrigation in Cocoa Production Using SWAT Model: Insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana. Water. 2025; 17(13):1841. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131841

Chicago/Turabian Style

Assefa, Tewodros T., Kekeli K. Gbodji, Gerald Atampugre, Yvonne S. A. Loh, Yared Bayissa, and Seifu A. Tilahun. 2025. "Hydrological Implications of Supplemental Irrigation in Cocoa Production Using SWAT Model: Insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana" Water 17, no. 13: 1841. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131841

APA Style

Assefa, T. T., Gbodji, K. K., Atampugre, G., Loh, Y. S. A., Bayissa, Y., & Tilahun, S. A. (2025). Hydrological Implications of Supplemental Irrigation in Cocoa Production Using SWAT Model: Insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana. Water, 17(13), 1841. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131841

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Hydrological Implications of Supplemental Irrigation in Cocoa Production Using SWAT Model: Insights from the Upper Offin Sub-Basin, Ghana

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