Meeting irrigation demands in a water-challenged environment

Presented at Meeting irrigation demands in a water-challenged environment: SCADA and technology: tools to improve production: a USCID water management conference held on September 28 - October 1, 2010 in Fort Collins, Colorado.Includes bibliographical references.This study focuses on water use efficiency and water user's role in maintenance of the system for sustainable irrigated agriculture. The parameters assessed were water delivery to water users, water distribution, water use efficiency and farmers' role. The relevant data were collected in the field and through a literature survey. Analyses of data indicate that DPR during the season varied from 1.0 to 1.60. The middle reach received slightly more than the head reach, and in the tail reach it varied from 0.6 to 1.80. Furthermore, water distribution among watercourses was also variable. The 7L- head watercourse received 30 to 82 percent more water than its design discharge (Qd). The downstream watercourses (16R and 18AT) also received up to 183 percent more discharge than Qd. However, the mid-reach watercourses (9AR and 13R) received the design share or less, though the flow of water was greater. In spite of unfair distribution there were no complaints from the water users about unequal distribution because there was enough water for everyone. Furthermore, result indicated that total water supply was 6.62 mm/day and the crop water requirement was between 2.54 and 3.56 mm/day in the Rabi (winter) crop season. Thus, the total loss of water was estimated as 46 percent. This was also verified by estimating seepage losses in watercourses and the distributary, which were 4.5 percent and 26 percent, respectively. However, the role of the Water Users Associations (WUA) in the maintenance of the distributary was significant. They collectively desilted the channel at a cost of about US$ 0.25 (Pak Rs. 21) per acre of land, which improved the head-tail water delivery performance ratio from 3.53 to 2.55 (Lashari and Murray-Rust 2002). But the maturity index has indicated that only 12.5 percent of the WUAs were at a sustainable level (Lashari et al. 2009)

Improving equity of water distribution: the challenge for farmer organizations in Sindh, Pakistan

Presented during the USCID water management conference held on October 13-16, 2004 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of the conference was "Water rights and related water supply issues."A major objective of the Pilot Project for Farmer-Managed Irrigation in Sindh has been to help Farmer Organizations (FOs) achieve greater equity of water distribution. By giving full responsibility to water users for both operations and maintenance it is hoped that they will be able to develop water sharing mechanisms that reflect their views of equity rather than have a standardized view of equity imposed upon them by outside authorities. Two elements of equity are considered on the basis of the results collected in the pre-transfer period. External equity issues look at water allocation and delivery between different distributaries. The three sample canals show wide variations in water deliveries, ranging from just under 100% of design to almost 200%. Internal equity issues look at how water is shared between watercourses along a canal. In the two canals with favorable water deliveries at the head there is no noticeable head-tail difference, and all farmers get at least design discharge during the peak of the summer season. The third canal which gets close to design discharge shows a marked disparity between head and tail, with tail enders more or less deprived of reliable water. To help farmers improve internal equity canals have been divided into three reaches more or less equivalent to head, middle and tail sections. Gauges established at each boundary provide farmers with a simple tool to determine whether each reach is taking more or less of its fair share of water. An accompanying table provides water level targets that the Farmer Organization can use as operational guidelines to allocate water between the different sections of the canal. The farmer organizations in the three canals have become constrained because they still do not have legal powers to allocate and distribute water between watercourses, nor to determine the size of outlet structures to watercourses. If the enabling legislation is further delayed then it is likely the organizations will wither and become ineffective.Proceedings sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage

Higher Education Capacity Building in Water Resources Engineering and Management to Support Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal for Water in Pakistan

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires a multi‐pronged approach, with a key element being the development of a trained Community of Practice to sustain the advances in the relevant sectors. The engagement of higher education as a catalyst in the development and capacity building of the next generation of professionals and citizens comprising the Community of Practice is essential to meet the challenges of poverty, climate change, and clean water and to sustain those advances past 2030. This paper describes a capacity building program funded by the United States Agency for International Development to partner the University of Utah, in the United States, with Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, in Pakistan, to create the U.S.‐Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCASW). The USPCASW program includes six core components of Curriculum Reform, Applied Research, Exchanges and Training, Governance, Gender Equity, and Sustainability. This paper describes the project, the activities for each component, and the multi‐level assessment of the program, activities, and impact. The paper also highlights the overarching impact of the program and its alignment with achieving the Sustainable Development Goal for Water. Following the description of the program components and assessment, the paper concludes with a discussion of challenges and lessons learned

Sustainable irrigation water management in Pakistan

Presented at the fifth international conference on irrigation and drainage, Irrigation and drainage for food, energy and the environment on November 3-6, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah.Includes bibliographical references.Sustainable irrigation water management requires a strong relationship among water users. The established Watercourse Associations (WCAs) at the tertiary level canal and Farmer Organization (FO) at the secondary level canal need to develop strong institute. The potential conflicts in water distribution equity among the water users and improvement in reliability of water delivery can be mitigated through appropriate technical and socio economic interventions such as water measuring mechanisms, proper maintenance, and investment on irrigation infrastructure improvements. The Farmer Organization (FO) in the Daulatpur Minor was established in 2000, but the process of social mobilization for forming a Farmer Organization was started in 1999. The present study was carried out for the period from October 2006 to April 2007 (one crop season) for the purpose to assess water delivery to farmers, water use efficiency and farmer's role for sustainable irrigation water management. The results on system performance demonstrate that the Daulatpur Minor received irrigation water for only 69 days out of 168 days allocated for winter crop season, thus the Minor remained closed for 99 days at various time and interval. However, the amount of water delivered to farmers was in excess as deliveries were estimated to be 8307 ac-ft (6.97 mm/day) including losses of the watercourse compared to the required 5056 ac-ft (4.24 mm/day) for the crop and water delivery to farmers along the distributary length was varying up to 95 percent. Consequently, water productivity achieved only Rupees (Rs) 1.10 /m3 which, is equivalent to US$0.018 /m3. In order to manage irrigation water in a sustainable fashion, the Farmer Organizations played a role in maintaining the channels jointly. In all, they contributed labor and equipment while removing over 43,000 cubic meter of sediment. The imputed cost of these contributions was almost Rs. 12 per acre (US$ 0.2 per acre), which is much less when compared to government expenditures on operation and maintenance of channels. Due to removing the sediment, the head-tail water delivery ratio improved from 1.68 to 1.14 (Lashari B and Murry-Rust H.D (2002). Further, the paper suggests that a water committee may be established at a district management level where various stakeholders are involved to further strengthen the newly established organizations for a better and more sustainable management of irrigation water

Use of shallow groundwater in water-short period: The case study of Dhoro Naro Minor Nawabshah, Sindh, Pakistan

In GWP; Pakistan Water Partnership, Proceedings of Regional Groundwater Management Seminar, October 9-11, 2000, Islamaba

Sustainability of shallow groundwater tubewells: a case study of Dhoro Naro Minor Command Area of Sindh, Pakistan

In Pakistan Water Partnership. Second South Asia Water Forum, 14-16 December 2002, Islamabad, Pakistan - Proceeding Vol.

Enhancing capacity of farmer organizations in Sindh, Pakistan

In Mirza, Z. I.; Saeed, S. (Comp.), Institutional reforms in irrigation sector of Punjab, Pakistan: Proceedings of Workshop held at Faisalabad Serena on 10-11 February 2000. Lahore, Pakistan: IWMI; Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authorit

Institutional reforms in irrigation sector of Pakistan: an approach towards integrated water resource management

Presented during the USCID water management conference held on October 13-16, 2004 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of the conference was "Water rights and related water supply issues."Includes bibliographical references.Since 1995 the Government of Pakistan has been making efforts to restructuring the century old irrigation system by involving beneficiaries (water users) at various units of the irrigation system management. The main purposes of reforms are: to improve operation and maintenance (O&M) of irrigation system, to make balance in expenditure and revenue, to improve crop production through efficient use of water, maintain affordable drainage system and develop an integrated water resource management (IWRM) approach. In these reforms, the Irrigation Department has been transferred to an autonomous body - Provincial Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA). Under PIDA, Canal Area Water Board at each canal command area and Farmer Organizations at each secondary canal (Distributary/Minor) command area being formed. These all units are now responsible for irrigation, drainage and environment in their jurisdiction. Because of culture, political influence, social and economic set up of Sindh Province of Pakistan; it was argued that the formation of Farmer Organizations would be hard and challenging part of institutional reforms in irrigation sector for any organization. But the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) successfully completed the experience of formation of Farmer Organizations on thirteen distributaries at the time of project. This experience has further resulted in continuous formation of FOs. Until now the formation of FO on one canal command area, having 163 distributaries have been completed. As part of the program, the capacity building activities for members of the organizations being carried out through training and awareness which has subsequently proved that the FOs are holding regular meetings and discussing the issues relating to irrigation and drainage, organization set up, and resource mobilization. The participation of farmer members and management committee members in all events organized at various time and purposes has proved successful as 70-75 percent attendance was observed. For improving the physical system, all farmers contributed voluntarily in cash and kinds, which resulted in improved water distribution by 60 to 70 percent. Paper concludes that the approach adopted for improving water conservation through giving the water rights to the end-users is one of the best tools. However, still it is at initial stage therefore, no concrete result could be made. Further paper gives the impression that without giving due consideration to basic unit organization that is farmer organization (or Bottom-up approach) the result oriented system performance would not be possible.Proceedings sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage

Ground water and surface water under stress

Presented at Ground water and surface water under stress: competition, interaction, solutions: a USCID water management conference on October 25-28, 2006 in Boise, Idaho.Includes bibliographical references.Improvement in canal water management requires the strong and stable relationship and trustworthy among the water users in the command area of Watercourse (Tertiary canal) and Distributary/Minor (Secondary canal) and canal operating agencies. The potential conflicts on water distribution equity among the water users at secondary level canal could be achieved through establishing Farmer Organization (FO) at Distributary and Watercourse Associations at watercourse, training to the farmers, appropriate water measuring mechanisms and proper maintenance. Potho Minor is the secondary canal level network of irrigation system in Pakistan. The Farmer Organization on the minor was established in 2000. However, the process of social mobilization was started in 1999. Present study was carried out to assess the status on water delivery to farmers, water use efficiency and farmer's role for improving water distribution for sustainable irrigated agriculture. Based on data collected and analyzed in command area of the Minor, the status of irrigation water management demonstrates that the water delivery to the farmers along the minor length fluctuates between 25-190 percent, water availability is only 68 days out of 168 days allocated for the crop season, but it is abundant as estimated 5.9 mm/day against the required 2.83 mm/day. This all mismanagement has resulted in 34 percent system efficiency and 10 to 114 percent watercourse-wise efficiency. However, the participation of water users from Watercourse Associations and Farmer Organization in the maintenance of the distributaries/minors for sustainable irrigation management has proved that the cost of maintenance can be significantly minimized and work can be done in time. The maintenance cost estimated was about US$ 0.25 (Pak Rs. 15) per acre of land and the substantial benefit accrued was observed that the head-tail water delivery performance ratio improved significantly, though the head DPR was substantially decreased. Further, paper highlights the lessons learned from the maintenance activities and concerns for the future of Farmer Organizations