ABSTRACT
West Africa has witnessed a new post-colonial wave of large-scale land acquisitions, predominantly by foreign investors, for the cultivation of biofuel and food crops. This chapter focuses on the implications of foreign direct investment-induced large-scale biofuel and food crop plantations on green and blue water resources. It presents a conceptual framework for considering the implications of hydrological changes stemming from large-scale cultivation of biofuel and food crops on ecosystem services and livelihoods. The chapter analyses the green and blue water fluxes in large-scale, rain-fed, biofuel and food crop plantations in Ghana and Mali and compare this with those under previous land-use systems. It describes the potential impacts of the green and blue water use of these plantations on local ecosystem services, livelihoods and food security. The chapter offers practical suggestions on green and blue water use that can help to minimise risk and ensure the long-term viability of the large-scale plantations while simultaneously protecting and improving local livelihoods and ecosystems.
