IWRA Proceedings

AbstractIn recent years, Ethiopia expanded irrigation agriculture with the strategic objective to improve agricultural production, through improved irrigation water use efficiency and agricultural production efficiency. Irrigation systems are expected not only to provide more agricultural outputs, but also to be technically and financially sustainable and address waterlogging problems in irrigated areas. The irrigation area developed up to now forms 6.8% of total irrigation potential area at the country level. Existing schemes show low productivity and performance because of technical problem, poor management and inadequate maintenance. In view of this situation, improving the performance of existing schemes should be more viable strategically than constructing big new schemes, which might well fall onto the same under-performance trap. The research is assessing the technical, social, agricultural, water service and economic issues in representative schemes of the country to develop tool and indicators for optimal use and management, and the monitoring thereof. Primary and secondary are collected on the constituent of irrigation system, and will be mobilised further into the OLYMPE model which will allow for scenario-testing. Different scenarios will be formulated to run the simulation model with typology of farmers existing in the scheme, and ultimately to highlight pathways and best options for sustainable management. A continuous assessment of the irrigation and drainage schemes in a synchronised way will enable us to know whether the targets or objectives of the schemes are fulfilled or not. After the research work on the selected irrigation schemes, the sustainability indicators that are going to be identified will be scaled up to the national irrigation systems.