Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN)

Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE)

AEL 633 – Agricultural Water Management

SPECIAL PROJECT

Introduction
The Special Project paper is part of the assessment for the course AEL 633. It
accounts for 20% of the marks to be awarded under the Continuous Assessment
system (please see the course outline). It is an important exercise that should be done
with care, diligence, and professionalism.

The report culminates from work conducted during the semester on a specified topic.
The topics are chosen such that they address the wide scope of water resources
analysis and management – with emphasis on agricultural development. An electronic
version of the report is to be submitted two weeks before the end of the semester
– at the latest. NB: Please note that there are penalties for plagiarism!! And the
instructor will exercise vigilance in this regard.

During the last week of classes, each student will make an oral presentation to
the class. Some members of the faculty will be invited to attend. Details of the
presentation programme and the assessment mechanisms will be communicated
before that period.

Tabulated below are some proposed topics. Students are requested to express
interest in one of these topics. If more than one student chooses a particular topic,
a meeting will be held, and a compromise solution will be reached on mutual allocation.
Similarly, discussions will be allowed on modification of a particular topic. But this must
be done at the onset of selecting a topic.

Proposed Topics

No. Proposed topic Student name

and number
1 The role that water-smart agriculture could play on
food security in your country.
2 Appropriate water development technologies and
practices to enhance community food production.
3 Potential for conflict arising from competition for water
– case of two major rivers (select one in Africa and
another in a different continent).
4 A critical analysis of reuse of wastewater from
domestic, industrial, and mining sources for crop
production in a SADC country.
5 Suitability of models for mitigation of emerging
challenges to water resources planning and
management.
6 “Sustainability and adaptive management of water
resources are crucial to any progress in the attainment
of UN SDG#6: a discussion”.
7 Innovations in irrigation management: cases illustrating
technology developments, organizational structures,
and operational and maintenance functions.
8 Rainwater harvesting and utilization strategies to boost
agricultural production: opportunities and challenges.
9 Groundwater pollution: causes, impacts, and
remediation – experiences of two countries in the
SADC region.
10 Do water and irrigation policies enhance resource
management and agricultural productivity?
11 Salinization and drainage design plans: prerequisites
for good performance and durability of an irrigation
system.
12 Modern technologies and management techniques
ensure sustained irrigation efficiencies.
13 Importance and challenges of implementing IWRM for
agricultural water management.
14 Agricultural water policies and strategies for Botswana
and SADC: are they in alignment?