Designing Economical Irrigation Architectures for Drought Mitigation in Mali's Agricultural Sectors

Agricultural sectors in Mali are frequently affected by droughts, leading to significant yield losses and economic instability. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining field surveys, expert consultations, and a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate various irrigation system designs. The findings indicate that drip irrigation systems are the most economical option in sandy soils with limited water supply (40% of surveyed areas), while flood irrigation is more suitable for clay soils with higher water retention capacity (60% of surveyed areas). Low-cost irrigation systems, particularly drip and flood irrigation, can be effectively implemented to improve agricultural productivity and resilience in drought-prone regions. Policy recommendations include subsidizing the installation of low-cost irrigation infrastructure and providing training on sustainable water management practices. Irrigation Systems, Drought Mitigation, Mali Agriculture, Low-Cost Solutions The maintenance outcome was modelled as $Y_{it}=\beta_0+\beta_1X_{it}+u_i+\varepsilon_{it}$, with robustness checked using heteroskedasticity-consistent errors.