GIDA REVEIVES DIGITAL DASHBOARD to IMPROVE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT

The Bontanga Irrigation Scheme Digital Dashboard is designed to provide GIDA officials with real-time and evidence-based information to improve water allocation, monitor irrigation performance and identify challenges affecting agricultural productivity. Developed under the Digital Innovations for Water-Secure Africa (DIWASA) project, the dashboard brings together data on water availability, demand, supply, crop water consumption and irrigation efficiency to support effective decision-making. At the handover ceremony, the Country Representative of IWMI Ghana, Dr Kehinde Ogunjobi, said the platform must be integrated into GIDA's daily operations and planning processes to ensure its sustainability. He said the dashboard should not become a tool used only for training but must serve as a practical resource for engineers and managers in monitoring irrigation activities and identifying areas requiring improvement. He also called for collaboration among departments to ensure effective data collection, quality assurance and maintenance of the platform. Improving irrigation efficiency The dashboard provides information on the performance of the Bontanga Irrigation Scheme, including water distribution across its left and right banks, canal discharge, seasonal variations and the efficiency of water use. It also features an interactive map, climate information, reservoir storage levels and indicators to assess whether water is distributed equitably among farmers. Dr Ogunjobi stressed the importance of regular data updates and institutional ownership, saying the system would remain useful only when officers consistently fed it with accurate information. The system further allows officials to assess irrigation demand against available water supply and identify underperforming areas for corrective action. It also provides scenario-planning tools to help GIDA evaluate the possibility of expanding the scheme from its current irrigated area of 495 hectares towards its original design capacity of 800 hectares. The scenarios consider different crop combinations, improvements in irrigation efficiency and the effects of farmers drawing water outside the designated scheme. Replicating dashboards across irrigation schemes The Chief Executive Officer of GIDA, Ing. Eric Samuel Adu-Dankwa, said plans were underway for the authority to collaborate with partners and seek funding to replicate the digital dashboard at other irrigation sites under its management. He said extending the initiative to other schemes would enable more officials to benefit from the technology and strengthen the monitoring and management of irrigation systems across the country. He expressed GIDA's commitment to sustaining the platform and integrating it into the authority's operations. Building institutional capacity As part of efforts to ensure the effective use of the platform, GIDA officers underwent a two-day training programme in Tableau Dashboard Development to equip them with skills in data preparation, dashboard design and publishing. The officers are expected to apply the skills acquired to update and maintain the system, while the scheme oversight and planning departments are to include its usage in their quarterly reports. The collaboration is expected to strengthen digital innovation in irrigation management and support efforts towards a more water-secure agricultural sector. Credit: graphic.com.gh