What changed?
The Impacts and Benefits
Impacts for the Company
The GCU-WACWISA-IWAD AAKTP project has provided IWAD with the opportunity to collaborate with the academics and experts from GCU and WACWISA, UDS to develop practical solutions to the challenges of inefficient water and energy use by our existing irrigation systems. It is the expectation of the company that at the end of the project, we would achieve water savings, drive down our energy cost, improve crop yields and profitability. The project has helped to increase awareness among IWAD staff about the potential of intelligent irrigation scheduling to enhance resource use efficiency, achieve water savings, and yield outcomes. Improved operational efficiency and strategic decision-making through enhanced understanding of water management challenges, supported by insights from continuous field monitoring and assessments. With modern weather/microclimate, soil moisture sensors and irrigation automation equipment, IWAD is able to sustainably expand production to meet demand in the Ghanaian and West African markets within the constraints of water scarcity and increasing threat of climate change.
Impacts for the Academic Team
The GCU-WACWISA-AAKTP project has been of immense benefit to the academic team in several ways. One, it has offered the academic team the opportunity to establish and strengthen effective collaboration between academia and industry for knowledge exchange. Through the collaboration with IWAD, the academic team stands to gain valuable insights into the real-world challenges and needs of the irrigation industry and to apply their expertise in developing effective and practical solutions to these problems. Further, through this collaboration, a model framework for intelligent irrigation applications has been developed to support future research initiatives in Ghana and other countries. Furthermore, the project has offered the academic team the opportunity to enhance their academic careers and gain international recognition through research publications and presentations at international conferences.
Impacts for the KTP Associate
The project has had a lot of beneficial impacts on the KTP Associate. Firstly, the project has given the KTP Associate the rare opportunity, through the online and residential KTP training modules, to gain knowledge on project management, leadership, team development and business strategy and commercial awareness from the prestigious Ashorne Hill Management College in the United Kingdom. Also, the project has enabled the KTP Associate to gain international exposure and build professional networks through the opportunity to attend the residential training modules and international conferences. Further, the collaboration between academia and business has helped to enhance the KTP Associate’s expertise in stakeholder engagement, water management technologies and commercial agricultural practices and challenges. The personal development budget has offered the KTP Associate great opportunities to build his capacity in industrial control and automation processes, data fusion, and machine learning, communication and storytelling for business, and managing a team. Last and most importantly, the project has been of immense benefit to the KTP Associate by enabling him to gain international exposure and recognition through research publications in reputable international journals and also work towards a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering.
