Strengthening the capacity of irrigation schemes to cope with flood through improved maintenance: a collaborative approach to analySe the case of Chókwè, Mozambique

Raphaëlle Ducrot,Dominique Rollin,Maira Leite,Sebastião Famba,Celine Gentil,Sami Bouarfa

doi:10.1002/ird.2229

Abstract

AbstractLarge‐scale irrigation schemes, which are often developed in flood plains, overvalue technical expertise and the control of natural hazards and are particularly vulnerable to flooding, but there has been limited study on the impact of floods on irrigation functioning. Using a transdisciplinary approach developed in the Chokwe Irrigation Scheme during the 2013 post‐flood recovery period, we analysed the impact of flooding on the scheme with a focus on maintenance. We argue that the flood crisis provided windows of opportunity to reconsider maintenance procedures by rethinking the relations and responsibilities between actors in this large‐scale irrigation scheme; but the robustness of the system can only be increased if the changes strengthen the collective action capacity. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Highlights

Because of the substantial investment required by their design, construction and maintenance, the ability of large-scale irrigation schemes to maintain their performance in the long term is a key policy issue
While traditional livelihoods of those living on flood plains are adapted to this recurrent risk, the conventional model of large-scale irrigation, which is highly hierarchical, overvalues technical expertise and solutions for the control of natural hazards
Depending on the issue being addressed, separate approaches were adopted with the farmers, technicians and managers of the irrigation scheme and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in post-flood recovery aid (Table I)

Summary

Introduction

Because of the substantial investment required by their design, construction and maintenance, the ability of large-scale irrigation schemes to maintain their performance in the long term is a key policy issue Their capacity to be adapted to a changing environment irrespective of technological shifts, macropolitical economic transformation or climatic change, is crucial. Public institutions have been perceived as the most adequate structures to manage large-scale irrigation systems (Meinzen-Dick, 2007; Ertsen, 2009) From this perspective, the maintenance of irrigation systems is viewed as a set of technical and economic tasks best performed by the centralized bureaucracy in charge of management of the scheme (Murray-Rust et al, 2003). The chosen strategy directly impacts the hydraulic performance and risk of failure of the system and the scheme’s long-term performance

Methods

Results

Conclusion