Irrigation – Driving Agricultural Growth

Challenges

Irrigated agriculture plays a vital role in global food supply and economics. However, after almost a century of growth through large investments, mainly in infrastructure, irrigation faces a variety of problems. Low water use efficiency, declining public funding for investment and operation as well as maintenance are the most critical issues. At the same time, irrigation infrastructure is deteriorating continuously. However, enhancing irrigation efficiency and stimulating irrigation productivity is a key element in spurring economic development, alleviating poverty, and enhancing food security.


GFA Intervention Options

Climate change has lead to rising uncertainties and increased risks in rain-fed agriculture. Hence, access to water and irrigation becomes an ever more important determinant of land productivity, the stability of yields and the adaptation to the effects of climate change. GFA’s approach to irrigation reflects the principles of integrated water resource management as well as participatory irrigation management (PIM).

A participatory approach in irrigation projects is the only guarantee of real and effective ownership of irrigation infrastructure by the beneficiaries. Farmers, different from public agents, realize direct and manifold incentives when managing irrigation water in a productive and sustainable manner.

They offer a kind of on-site presence that even the most dedicated off-site agency cannot match. Farmers also know about their fellow irrigators’ attitudes and practices. To GFA, the logic of the PIM approach is that both, governments and farmers, have separate comparative advantages to gain from, and distinct roles to play in sustainable irrigation development.

GFA’s experience demonstrates that today’s irrigation improvement is much determined by the right mix of scaling­-up new irrigation technologies and applying integrated water resources management. Also, our experts emphasize promoting water user organizations and balancing a sus­tainable environment to agriculture in general and irrigation in particular.

Setting the right water tariffs is another crucial issue in develop­ing sustainable irrigation. GFA has carried out a wide range of water tariff studies in major and in minor irrigation schemes. We are convinced that water tariffs have to cover all incurring costs: from resource mobilization via scheme operation to infrastructure maintenance. This is a key ­element to maintain in a sustainable manner the ­economic potential that irrigation is expected to provide.