scholarly journals Nepal: Food Security, a Localized Institutional Irrigation Perspective on Public Irrigation Systems

Author(s):  
Upendra Gautam

Oriental philosophers have given top priority to food for orderly state affairs as well as personal wellbeing. In past, Nepal had a strong agricultural economy based on indigenous Farmer Managed Irrigation System (FMIS). State policy helped promote these systems. But contemporary Nepal opted for state control on irrigation water by building large scale public irrigation systems. In the last 43 years of planned development (1957-2002), the government has spent 70% of US$1.3 billion on these systems, covering 30% of the irrigated area in the country; the remaining 70% is with the FMIS. Despite the investment, these systems neither promoted themselves as an enterprise nor helped enhance agricultural productivity leading to social insecurity. This social insecurity is reflected in the country's increasing import of food, mass workforce exodus for employment abroad, and added socio-economic vulnerability due to climate change.Donor and government recommendations centered on (i) expansion of irrigated area, (ii) irrigation management transfer, and (iii) agriculture extension seem to have failed in Nepal. These failures asked for alternative institutional development solutions, whereas public irrigation systems are (i) localized to establish system's operational autonomy with ownership and governance, (ii) treated as a rich resource-base with water, land and labor, and (iii) recognized as cooperative enterprise of local stakeholders by law with authorities to enter into joint actions with relevant partners for promoting commercialization and environmental quality of irrigated agriculture.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hn.v11i1.7223 Hydro Nepal Special Issue: Conference Proceedings 2012 pp.95-99

Author(s):  
Zulhadi Lalu

Irrigation facilities is one of the key factors in farming, especially for food crop farming, including rice. A smallscale irrigation system has an area of less than 500 hectares, and it is the backbone of family food security which in turn will lead to national food security. Damage irrigation system networks will threaten food production increase. In the future, irrigation infrastructure must be better managed so that agricultural sector can realize agricultural diversification, conserve wider irrigation system and maintain local wisdom and social capital in irrigation management. The objective of the paper is to analyze performance, problems and solutions of small irrigation systems in Indonesia, including small irrigation concepts and understanding, small irrigation performance and development, small irrigation development policies, factors affecting smallscale irrigation development, investments, and prospects. The paper also compares various performances, problems and solutions of small irrigation systems in other countries. Small scale irrigation performance is often better than large-scale irrigation, in the sense of water availability throughout the year and equitable water distribution for all service areas


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Tri Bastuti Purwantini ◽  
Rita Nur Suhaeti

<p>Irrigation facilities is one of the key factors in farming, especially for food crop farming, including rice. A small-scale irrigation system has an area of less than 500 hectares, and it is the backbone of family food security which in turn will lead to national food security. Damage irrigation system networks will threaten food production increase. In the future, irrigation infrastructure must be better managed so that agricultural sector can realize agricultural diversification, conserve wider irrigation system and maintain local wisdom and social capital in irrigation management. The objective of the paper is to analyze performance, problems and solutions of small irrigation systems in Indonesia, including small irrigation concepts and understanding, small irrigation performance and development, small irrigation development policies, factors affecting smallscale irrigation development, investments, and prospects. The paper also compares various performances, problems and solutions of small irrigation systems in other countries. Small scale irrigation performance is often better than large-scale irrigation, in the sense of water availability throughout the year and equitable water distribution for all service areas.</p><p> </p><p>Abstrak</p><p>Sarana irigasi merupakan faktor penting dalam usaha tani khususnya tanaman pangan. Sistem irigasi kecil dengan luas oncoran kurang dari 500 ha merupakan tulang punggung ketahanan pangan keluarga yang pada gilirannya bermuara pada ketahanan pangan tingkat nasional. Kerusakan jaringan sistem irigasi akan mengancam peningkatan produksi pangan. Di masa yang akan datang, infrastruktur irigasi harus dikelola secara lebih baik agar sektor pertanian dapat mewujudkan diversifikasi pertanian, semakin luasnya konservasi sistem irigasi, serta kearifan lokal dan modal sosial dalam pengelolaan irigasi dapat terpelihara. Tulisan ini bertujuan menganalisis kinerja, masalah dan solusi sistem irigasi kecil di Indonesia, termasuk konsep dan pengertian irigasi kecil, kinerja dan perkembangan irigasi kecil, kebijakan pengembangan irigasi kecil, faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi pengembangan investasi irigasi kecil, dan prospek pengembangan irigasi kecil. Dalam tulisan ini juga dibandingkan berbagai kinerja, masalah dan solusi dari sistem irigasi kecil di negera-negara lain. Kinerja irigasi kecil seringkali lebih baik dari irigasi skala besar, dalam arti ketersediaan air sepanjang tahun dan terdapat keadilan pembagian air untuk seluruh wilayah oncorannya.</p>


2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
Chen Jing ◽  
Kan Shizuan ◽  
Tong Zhihui

AbstractThis paper, based on historical research on irrigation administration in the Dongping area and on-site investigations into its current state, explores the benefits and problems produced by two institutional changes. As a common pool resource situation, irrigation systems’ “provision” and “appropriation” are two separate issues; any institutional change must thus offer two different solutions. The study concludes that the participatory changes undertaken in the Dongping irrigation area failed, in the end, to resolve the problem of irrigation system sustainability. In particular, it proved difficult for collective action to take place around provision, which led to difficulties in operating the irrigation system.


1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 93-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elinor Ostrom ◽  
Roy Gardner

Many analysts presume that the appropriators of a common-pool resource are trapped in a Hobbesian state of nature and cannot themselves create rules to counteract the perverse incentives they face in managing the resource. The logical consequence of this view is to recommend that an external authority—"the" government—take over the commons. But considerable empirical evidence from field and experimental settings holds that appropriators frequently do constitute and enforce their own rules, and that these rules work. Our research agenda is to develop a coherent understanding of the set of conditions that enhance or detract from self-organizing capabilities when individuals differ substantially from one another. For the sake of concreteness, this paper focuses on the asymmetry present in most irrigation systems between those who are physically near the source of water (the head-enders) and those who are physically distant from it (the tail-enders). This paper first explores the interaction between head-end and tail-end farmers, particularly their decisions about whether to devote resources to the upkeep of the irrigation system, and how bargaining between the parties can benefit all sides. Finally, we examine empirical evidence from a study of irrigation institutions in Nepal and discuss the broader practical significance of our findings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-32
Author(s):  
Victor V. Lyublinsky

Social issues created by a network/digital transformation of society are coming to the forefront of political relations. Given such conditions, we are witnessing a large-scale renewal of social-professional structure, an escalation of social competition, an increase in social inequality, and a decline in the status of middle-class citizens. In the long run, the technological revolution might lead to a decrease in living standards for a significant part of the population of developed nations. Transformation of employment effectively undermines the current model for social policy, which has traditionally been built around creating new jobs and decreasing unemployment as the main objective of public administration. Since the turn of the century, the former balanced mechanism for developing social policy has been upset, and the equilibrium and stable social model is gradually deteriorating. The current model of a welfare state and social-political relations based on consolidated interests is at risk. All around the world modern advanced society relies on it and cannot adequately evolve without it. And one of the main objectives for a government would be making sure that social activity doesn’t lag behind the occurring changes. However, the current social policy model in a number of countries, including Russia, does not fully correspond with the process of rearrangement, since, given the conditions of a network society, social policy’s target groups tend to change. Forecasts of development within the social-labor realm are unfavorable for large groups of workers, who will have to deal with further polarization in terms of social standing and income, unless the government and society implement a set of effective measures. We are in need of alternative policy, based on coordinating the activities of the main participants of social-political relations. This will require a new political approach, aimed at providing a dynamic social balance, an increase in prosperity, and a decrease in poverty and inequality. Policy based on wider support, a broader resource base and increased opportunity for accomplishing relevant tasks seems to bear the most promise. Meanwhile the government needs to consolidate efforts, while performing an intermediary role in the respective system for making political decisions. Such a political network might result in increased social efficiency.


2019 ◽  
Vol 276 ◽  
pp. 04002
Author(s):  
I Nyoman Norken

Subak as an irrigation system in Bali is estimated to have existed before the IX century and up to now subak has consistently maintained the continuity of traditional irrigation management and operation of the irrigation system. Subak is a socio-agrarian and religious based on the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana rooted in Hindu philosophy. The challenge of subak in general is that the shrinking of the subak area, the farmers are unable to achieve a decent living, the age of the farmers is over 40 years, the financial burden that farmers bear in doing subak activities is very heavy. The condition is also very much felt in the city of Denpasar as the capital of the province of Bali. The Government has determined to preserve subak as a cultural heritage to realize Denpasar as a Heritage City. The conservation effort is carried out through: maintaining the subak area through local regulations as green open space (RTHK), providing various assistance such as: exempting subak areas from taxes and providing insurance assistance in case of crop failure, assistance for ritual implementation, irrigation channel repair assistance, production facilities, agricultural equipment assistance, incentives for subak managers, providing assistance in realizing subak as ecotourism, plan to provide scholarships for the children of subak farmers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Schreiber ◽  
Ananda Scherner ◽  
Joseph H. Massey ◽  
Renato Zanella ◽  
Luis A. Avila

Information on the dissipation of clomazone, imazapyr, and imazapic in paddy water under different irrigation system is not available in the literature. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of two irrigation systems (intermittent (IF) and continuous (CF) flood) on the dissipation of clomazone, imazapyr, and imazapic in paddy water. Imazapic was the least persistent herbicide in paddy water, with DT50-values of approximately 3 and 5d under CF and IF, respectively. Imazapyr required a two-fold increase in time to reach its half-life in water in contrast to imazapic, with DT50-values of approximately 6 and 11d under CF and IF, respectively. Clomazone showed the highest DT50-values, varying between 7 to 21d under CF and IF, respectively. Imazapyr and imazapic dissipation was faster under CF, while clomazone was not affected. This investigation found that the dissipation behaviors of herbicides vary under different rice irrigation regimes. Thus changes in irrigation management, as will be required to produce more rice grain with less water to avoid future scarcity, should consider impacts of flood management on herbicide persistence and environmental behavior.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Popi Rejekiningrum ◽  
Budi Kartiwa

During 1980-1997, the management of water resources was done with a supply-driven approach.  This approach results in the expensive maintenance of water resources and the disregarded resources utilization of environmental sustainability.  Since 1998, The Government of Indonesia began to reform institutional irrigation with the financing supported by the World Bank. However, the institutional reforms of the irrigation have not yet reflected the exact changes as expected. Therefore, it is necessary to study the process of strengthening the institutional management of irrigation based on the local wisdom through the inventory of history series of irrigation management policy and empowerment of capacity building and institutional program of irrigation management. This paper presents an effort to develop the institutional irrigation management by exploring the local wisdom in the community. It can be used as a guide for future sustainable management of irrigation. Keywords: agriculture, Subak, Ulu-ulu, water resources, farmers’ unionJEL Classification: B30, Q15, Q25


Nativa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-351
Author(s):  
Edgar Nogueira Demarqui ◽  
Lígia Manccini Barros Demarqui

A utilização de técnicas de irrigação visando a produção agrícola tem apresentado crescimento nos últimos anos, sendo que o sistema de irrigação por pivô central (PC) também avançou no quantitativo de unidades implantadas e no total de área abrangida. Isto se deve às características desse tipo de sistema, as quais mostram-se vantajosas para o produtor rural, tais como economia de mão-de-obra e facilidade de operação, entre outras. O formato circular deste tipo de sistema facilita sua identificação através de técnicas de Geoprocessamento aplicadas nas análises de imagens orbitais ou aéreas, permitindo análises quantitativas e de espacialização. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo mapear, por meio de imagens orbitais, as áreas irrigadas por PC no período de 11 anos (2004 a 2015) referente à três regiões que possuem destaque na produção agrícola no Estado de Mato Grosso: Médio Norte, Parecis e Sudeste. A região Médio Norte apresentou taxa média de crescimento anual de 10,96% na sua área irrigada, a região Sudeste 6,75% e a região dos Parecis 4,28%. A evolução média no número de pivôs nestas áreas foi da ordem de 8,07% ao ano, passando de 259 unidades em 2004, para 586 no ano de 2015, totalizando um crescimento de 226,25% no período.Palavras-chave: áreas irrigadas; produção agrícola; geoprocessamento; sensoriamento remoto. SPACE-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF THE OCCURRENCE OF CENTRAL PIVOT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE STATE OF MATO GROSSO ABSTRACT:The use of irrigation techniques in agricultural production has increased in the last years, and the center-pivot irrigation system has advanced in number of implanted units. This system, due to its characteristics such as labor savings and ease of operation, has proved to be advantageous for the rural producer. The circular shape of this system allows it to be identified by Geoprocessing techniques applied to the quantitative and spatial analysis of orbital or aerial images. In this context, the present work aimed to map, through orbital images, the center-pivot irrigated areas, for a period of 11 years (2004 to 2015) referring to three regions of Mato Grosso State, witch that stand out in agricultural production: Middle North, Parecis and Southeast. The Middle North region presented an average annual growth rate of 10.96% in its irrigated area, the Southeast region 6.75% and the Parecis region 4.28%. The average evolution in the number of pivots in these areas was of the order of 8.07% per year, going from 259 units in 2004, to 586 in 2015, totaling a growth of 226.25% in the period.Keywords: irrigated areas; agricultural production; geoprocessing; remote sensing.


1999 ◽  
Vol 38 (4II) ◽  
pp. 629-640
Author(s):  
Waqar A. Jehangir ◽  
M. Mudasser ◽  
Zakir Hussain

Water is a key input of agriculture. In the past, the area under cultivation was small and there was less stress on farmers to grow more and more of each crop. Water was considered a free good. The situation has changed since. The increase in cropping intensity has led to a rise in the demand for irrigation water. Water is not a free good any more. The provision of irrigation water to the farmer’s fields is going to be costlier. The Government of Pakistan is spending heavily on the operation and maintenance of the irrigation system yet shortage of funds is a major reason for deferred maintenance, which threatens the operational integrity of the irrigation system [World Bank (1988) and Haq (1995)]. The shortfall in O&M funding was estimated to be more than 24 percent in 1993 [World Bank (1994)]. As poor O&M has direct effect on the productivity of agriculture, indirectly it affects the whole economy [Carruthers (1981)]. The allocation of funds for the increasing O&M costs is becoming a problem for the Government of Pakistan with every successive year. One logical answer to this problem is to increase abiana1 fees from the users of irrigation water supplies. The revenue collected through abiana may be used for O&M purposes, but it has been reported that the revenue collection is far less than the expenditures incurred. Resultantly the gap has been increasing every year [Chaudhry (1989)].


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