Development Of Irrigation Infrastructure Research Articles

Decentralization policies and sustainable rural development: A path to eradicating poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2)

AbstractRural infrastructure development is crucial for achieving sustainable development. It enhances quality of life, improves connectivity, promotes economic growth, and supports food security. Whereas rural infrastructure development is influenced by fiscal decentralization, which enables local administrations to prioritize investments and allocate resources based on local needs and priorities. Given this background, this empirical study investigates the impact of devolution reform policy on rural infrastructure development in Pakistan, employing the Stackelberg model. The findings exhibit a positive relationship between subnational government spending through decentralization and the accessibility to transport and communication services, rural development, and development of irrigation infrastructure. The theoretical model proposes that decentralized information permits efficient decision‐making, with local authorities better equipped to deliver public services aligned with local preferences. Increased public utilization of services is expected as a result of decentralization. The combination of empirical analysis and theoretical foundations suggests that the 2001 decentralization policy enhances the accountability of subnational governments. By providing them with more informed and essential benefits for resource allocation according to voter priorities, this policy ultimately increases the efficiency of public expenditures in achieving sustainable development.

Transdisciplinary approach for planning the expansion of irrigation infrastructure at a regional scale

AbstractThe focus on irrigation infrastructure development in countries like India, including a significant allocation of the government's budget, highlights the importance of achieving a high benefit–cost ratio for these projects. However, past reviews have revealed instances where irrigation projects yielded low benefits. To address this issue and ensure a more effective evaluation of future projects, it is crucial to develop multi‐criteria and transdisciplinary approaches. In the context of Telangana, India, a study was conducted to determine cultivable land using a multi‐criteria and transdisciplinary approach. This approach aimed to provide assistance to managers involved in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of irrigation schemes. The study was undertaken as part of the Indian Young Water Professionals (IYWP) training program in 2022. The project followed a journey outlined within this paper as part of the training program. It utilized the Situation Understanding and Improvement Project (SUIP) as an inquiry‐based learning design program. This initiative facilitated the understanding and implementation of transdisciplinary learning approaches learned during the training program. The SUIP project demonstrated the benefits of incorporating a multi‐criteria framework, known as the [I]NSPECT model, into the decision‐making process. The [I]NSPECT model considers various perspectives, including individual, natural, social, political, economic, cultural, and technical factors. By incorporating these perspectives, the decision‐making process becomes more comprehensive and holistic. Overall, this study highlights the importance of adopting multi‐criteria and transdisciplinary approaches for evaluating irrigation projects. By incorporating diverse perspectives and considering various factors, it becomes possible to enhance the effectiveness of decision‐making processes in the realm of irrigation infrastructure development. The study concluded that the absence of transdisciplinary approaches, the inefficient techno‐managerial performance of governmental workplaces, and the non‐use of technological advancements to the fullest are primary reasons for gaps in the irrigation potential created and utilized in the State.

Measuring the crop water demand and satisfied degree using remote sensing data and machine learning method in monsoon climatic region, India.

Supply of water is one of the most significant determinants of regional crop production and human food security. To promote sustainable management of agricultural water, the crop water requirement assessment (CropWRA) model was introduced as a tool for the assessment of satisfied degree of crop water requirements (CWR). Crop combination, water availability for agricultural production, water accessibility, and other indices were calculated considering the DEM, hydrological and climatic data, and crop properties for measuring the agricultural water requirement and satisfied degree in Bansloi River basin using the CropWRA model. Advanced machine learning model random forest was used to calculate the soil moisture considering the atmospheric variable, Landsat indices, and energy balance components for calculating the crop water satisfied degree and water requirement. The average crop water demand is 1.92m, and it ranges from 1.58 to 2.26m. The demand of crop water is more in the western part of the basin than the eastern part. The CropWSD (crop water satisfied degree) ranges from 17 to 116% due to variation in topography, river system, crop combination, land use, water uses, etc. The average crop water satisfied degree is 59%. About 71% of the total area is under 40% to 60% CropWSD level. CropWRA model can be applied for the sustainable water resource management, irrigation infrastructure development, and use of other modern technologies.

Wheat Self-sufficiency in Different Policy Scenarios and Their Likely Impacts on Producers, Consumers, and the Public Exchequer

Every government faces a challenge to select an optimum policy to provide food supplies to the consumers at a reasonable price and maintain a reasonable nutritional standard. The alternative policy options available are an uninterrupted market, imports, input subsidies, price support, combined policy developed by the combination of input subsidy and price support, and investment on research and infrastructure development. This paper analyses the impact of these options on consumers’ and producers’ welfare, tax revenue, and foreign exchange requirement. The import and input subsidy give net return to the society while price support generates net loss. The triple combined policy option generates the highest net return to the society when each import and input subsidy component is combined with price support in the ratio of 40 and 20 percent, respectively. The best policies to provide higher wheat supplies at lower prices and to improve the welfare of consumers and producers were investment on agricultural research and development of irrigation infrastructure in the long run, but for the short run, the first and the second best option were respectively the combined and the input subsidy policy.

Examining land rental markets’ linkages to land and water control in Colombia’s irrigation megaprojects: integrating the political economy of agrarian change and the political ecology of vulnerability

ABSTRACT Land rental markets often accompany irrigation infrastructure development as water availability revalorizes land. Agrarian change scholars critique land rental markets for contributing to capital accumulation. To date, however, this approach has not incorporated the roles of environmental changes induced by irrigation, corresponding social-ecological interactions, and political ecologies of vulnerability. Based on 12 months of research in Colombia’s most expensive land rental market spanning two irrigation megaprojects, this paper demonstrates how land rental markets compound environmental stresses to exclude producers from land- and water-based agricultural livelihoods. The research additionally advances debates of land control, capital’s mobility, and Andean water infrastructure development.

Prediction of Sediment Yield in a Data-Scarce River Catchment at the Sub-Basin Scale Using Gridded Precipitation Datasets

Water-related soil erosion is a major environmental concern for catchments with barren topography in arid and semi-arid regions. With the growing interest in irrigation infrastructure development in arid regions, the current study investigates the runoff and sediment yield for the Gomal River catchment, Pakistan. Data from a precipitation gauge and gridded products (i.e., GPCC, CFSR, and TRMM) were used as input for the SWAT model to simulate runoff and sediment yield. TRMM shows a good agreement with the data of the precipitation gauge (≈1%) during the study period, i.e., 2004–2009. However, model simulations show that the GPCC data predicts runoff better than the other gridded precipitation datasets. Similarly, sediment yield predicted with the GPCC precipitation data was in good agreement with the computed one at the gauging site (only 3% overestimated) for the study period. Moreover, GPCC overestimated the sediment yield during some years despite the underestimation of flows from the catchment. The relationship of sediment yields predicted at the sub-basin level using the gauge and GPCC precipitation datasets revealed a good correlation (R2 = 0.65) and helped identify locations for precipitation gauging sites in the catchment area. The results at the sub-basin level showed that the sub-basin located downstream of the dam site contributes three (3) times more sediment yield (i.e., 4.1%) at the barrage than its corresponding area. The findings of the study show the potential usefulness of the GPCC precipitation data for the computation of sediment yield and its spatial distribution over data-scarce catchments. The computations of sediment yield at a spatial scale provide valuable information for deciding watershed management strategies at the sub-basin level.

Dynamics of rice production among the food crops of Tanzania

Rice is an important crop in Tanzania which contributes significantly to the farmers, consumers, and the government. Recognising this importance, the government has made initiatives to attain rice self-sufficiency. These initiatives are crucial in contributing to regional self-sufficiency, enabling rice market leadership, and injecting productivity through significant improvements in the quality, quantity, and value of rice produced in Tanzania. We investigated the dynamics of rice area, production, and productivity and identified shifts in the land-use patterns in Tanzania. To analyse secondary data collected over a 33-year period from 1986/1987 to 2018/2019, we used compound annual growth rates, Cuddy-Della Valle Index and a first-order Markov chain approach. We found that the growth in the areas under rice cultivation, production and productivity were inconsistent as evidenced by the presence of instabilities. Rice remains the third most stable crop in the country in terms of area under production retention; however, this might decline in the next 2 years. Policies in future must enable strategies to increase productivity as well as promote high-yielding varieties, efficient input usage, and irrigation infrastructure development. Significance: We investigated the spatial and temporal trends in rice area, production, and productivity as well as identified shifts in the crop land-use patterns after a series of government interventions. To achieve sustainability, it is essential to revisit agricultural crop growth strategies regularly at macro- and micro-levels.

Agricultural infrastructure: The forgotten key driving force of crop-related water footprints and virtual water flows in China

Here we identified and evaluated the strengths and spatio-temporal heterogeneities in 12 main socio-economic driving factors of water footprints and inter-provincial virtual water flows related to three staple crops (rice, wheat, and maize) within mainland China for 2000–2017, in consideration of the infrastructure related to irrigation, agricultural electricity and road for the first time. The irrigation, agricultural electricity, and road infrastructures in China expanded by 33.8, 4.5, and 2.4 folds, respectively, throughout the course of this study. The results show that irrigation infrastructure in water-scarce regions was the most critical driver for the effective reduction of the water footprint per unit mass of crops, particularly the blue water footprints (i.e. increasing water efficiency). As the irrigation infrastructure per unit area doubled for 2000–2008, blue water use efficiency and total blue water consumption decreased by 58% and 71%, respectively. However, the development of irrigation infrastructure has led to a larger total water footprint in crop production. Agricultural electricity and road infrastructures had increasing effects on provincial virtual water export, with varied corresponding driving strengths across spaces. The visible effects of agricultural infrastructure on regional water productivity, water consumption, and virtual water patterns should not be neglected. This analysis suggests that investments in agricultural infrastructure should consider the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of these infrastructures on local water productivity and water consumption in addition to the economic benefits.

Pattern and implications of labour migration on technical efficiency of farm households: A study in Bundelkhand region of central India

Labour migration and remittance influence resource use efficiency in agriculture. The present study evaluates the impact of labour migration on crop productivity and technical efficiency in the Bundelkhand region of central India. The study is based on a primary survey of 240 farm households, comprising 120 migrant and 120 non-migrant households during 2016-17.The average yield of selected crops was higher in non-migrant households than that of migrant households. However, there was no variation in the input use intensity between the two categories.Factors such as education, farming experience, and access to extension services significantly reduced technical inefficiency for migrant households.In addition to these factors, access to irrigation significantly reduced technical inefficiency for non-migrant households. Development of irrigation infrastructure and strengthening extension linkage can enhance crop productivity and check distress migration in the Bundelkhand region.

Romanian post-communist agriculture – structural dynamics and challenges

This paper represents an overview on the structural dynamics of Romanian agriculture, and the challenges faced. Describing the main changes over the last three decades, the analysis here should facilitate understanding of how communist-era agriculture of a centralised state might be transformed into something able to operate efficiently under free-market conditions. The specifics of Romania’s agricultural transition connect closely with certain preconditions, among them in particular the high proportion of the national population that is still rural. A privatisation process set in rapidly post-1989, as the old State Farms were dissolved over just two years. The role this economic branch played in the generation of GDP decreased, in a manner suggesting the former level will not be re-achieved, but farmers have worked to improve their basic infrastructure. The main obstacle would now seem to be the excessive fragmentation of agricultural land and the only-slow process of consolidation. Current characteristics of structural dynamics are visible in trends towards specialisation in farming, livestock restructuring, the slow (re-) development of irrigation infrastructure, increased land prices and more typical processes of a “land grab” profile. In this connection, the paper identifies 9 challenges Romanian agriculture faces, presenting these synthetically to ensure a clarification of objectives, with a view to greater upgrading of the country’s huge potential being achieved.

Success Factors of Irrigation Projects Based on A "Public–Private Partnership" Model in A Mountainous Area: A Case Study in the Nujiang River Valley, China

Irrigation systems are critical for food security and drought adaptation in mountainous areas. However, lack of funding and low efficacy of government-funded irrigation projects hinders irrigation infrastructure development. A public–private partnership (PPP) model is recommended for irrigation development, but its application in mountainous areas has not been well-documented and analyzed. Based on a case study of pumping station projects in the Lujiang Flatland in the Nujiang River Valley of Southwestern China, this paper aims to reveal the critical success factors of the PPP model in the development of agricultural irrigation infrastructure in mountainous areas. Results showed that the basic models of PPP projects in the study area can be described as follows: (1) private companies invested in and constructed pumping stations; (2) communities operated the stations; (3) farmers paid for the services; and (4) private companies profited from charging water fees, obtaining policy supports, or utilizing farmlands. The main success factors include: (1) rational project design according to local conditions; (2) multi-centered management mechanisms; (3) balanced cost- and risk-sharing mechanisms; and (4) building mutual trusts among stakeholders. This study offers applicable lessons and useful insights for irrigation water development projects and adaptation to drought in mountainous rural communities.

Potential yield and nutrient requirements of direct-seeded, dry-season rice in Cambodia

AbstractThe area of dry-season rice (Oryza sativa L.) has rapidly increased in Cambodia owing to the large-scale development of irrigation infrastructure. But little is known of potential productivity and adaptive crop management. The objective of our study was to evaluate potential yield and nutrient requirements of dry-season rice in Cambodia, and the economic feasibility of soil-specific management recommended by the government. Field experiments were conducted on four soil types (Bakan, equivalent to Alfisol; Krakor, Inceptisol; Prateah Lang, Plinthustalfs; and Toul Samroung, Endoaqualfs) in four provinces (Battambang, Kampong Thom, Pursat, and Siem Reap) during the 2016 and 2017 dry seasons to compare 14 (2016) and 8 (2017) N-P-K combinations. Grain yield ranged from 1.0 to 5.5 t ha−1 in 2016 and from 1.3 to 6.7 t ha−1 in 2017. Potential yield from the experiments was 6–7 t ha−1 on Toul Samroung soil, 5–6 t ha−1 on Bakan soil, and 3–5 t ha−1 on Prateah Lang and Krakor soils. A rate of 140-60-60 kg ha−1 of N-P2O5-K2O was more than enough to achieve the best yields on any soil group. On the other hand, modest application rates in soil-specific management (44–78 kg ha−1 of N, 23–28 kg ha−1 of P2O5, 0–30 kg ha−1 of K2O) proved reasonable for resource-poor farmers in Cambodia, since the treatment always provided >75 % of the highest economic profit in high-input plots.

Sharing Reasoning Behind Individual Decisions to Invest in Joint Infrastructure

Development of joint irrigation infrastructure increasingly depends on investment decisions made by individual farmers. Farmers base their decisions to invest on their current knowledge and understanding. As irrigation infrastructure development is ultimately a group decision, it is beneficial if individuals have a common understanding of the various values at stake. Sharing the personal reasoning behind individual decisions is a promising approach to build such common understanding. This study demonstrates application of participatory crossover analysis at a workshop in Tasmania, Australia. The workshop gave farmers the opportunity to discuss their broader considerations in investment decisions, beyond just financial or monetary factors. It centered on the question, “In what conditions would you—the individual farmer—invest?” The participants’ willingness to pay, in the form of crossover points, was presented as a set of scenarios to start an explorative discussion between irrigators and non-irrigators. Evaluation feedback indicates that the workshop enabled participants to share new information, improved understanding of differences between neighbors, and generated more respect for others and their decisions. As expected, reasoning went beyond economic concerns, and changed over time. Lifestyle choices, long-term intergenerational planning, perceived risks, and intrinsic motivations emerged as factors influencing water valuation. Simply having a facilitated discussion about the reasons underlying individuals’ willingness to pay seems to be a useful tool for better informed decision-making about joint irrigation infrastructure, and is worth testing in further case studies.

Influence of applied nitrogen on productivity, profitability and resource-use efficiency in winter barley (Hordeum vulgare) under semi–arid conditions of Afghanistan

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the major cereal in majority of global drylands and thus, vital for the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers of such harsh agro-ecologies (Rana et al. 2014). Barley is such an annual cereal crop grown in environments ranging from the deserts of the Middle East to the higher elevation of Himalayas (Hayes et al. 2003). Barley has the ability to replace the wheat as the dominant crop due to its tolerance to drought and salinity in dryland areas (Rana et al. 2014), thus, it is a potential alternate cereal crop for wheat under changing climate scenario. Barley is more productive under adverse environments than other cereals. That's why; the barley is cultivated in all the provinces of Afghanistan in a wide range of agro-climatic conditions. The major barley growing provinces of Afghanistan are Takhar, Balkh, Faryab, Jawzjan and Ghazni (Afghanistan Statistical Yearbook 2016–17). According to Afghanistan Statistical Yearbook (2016–2017), the area, production and productivity of barley is drastically reducing in Afghanistan year after year due to poor productivity of the crop. At present, the area under barley cultivation is 219208 ha with the production of 301856 metric tons and average productivity of 1.38 t ha-1 (Afghanistan Statistical Yearbook 2016–17). The major constraints for low barley productivity in the nation are poor nitrogen (N) management and rainfed agro-ecologies (Omran et al. 2018). Since, the development of irrigation infrastructure needs huge investments in the nation, however, the precise N management strategy may still abridge the production gaps upto some extend and may result in large economic benefits to Afghan farmers. The rate of uptake and partition of N is largely determined by supply and demand during various stages of plant growth. Soil N supply, for example, must be high at tillering, stem elongation, booting, heading and grain filling requiring a greater amount for the development and growth of its reproductive organs and for an enhanced and high accumulation of proteins in the kernel (Choudhary et al. 2010). Moreover, nitrogen is considered as one of the most important factors affecting crop morphology. Thus, keeping in view above facts an investigation was undertaken by in winter barley.

Land use and land cover dynamics in the Keleta watershed, Awash River basin, Ethiopia

ABSTRACTUnprecedented pace and magnitude of land use/land cover (LULC) change in the Ethiopian highlands is a key problem threatening the natural ecosystem and creates vulnerability to an environmental hazard. A combination of remote sensing, field observations and focus group discussions were used to analyze the dynamics and drivers of LULC change from 1985 to 2011 in the Keleta watershed, Ethiopia. Supervised image classification was used to map LULC classes. Focus group discussions and ranking were used to explain the drivers and causes linked to the changes. The result showed rapid expansion of farmland and settlement (36%), shrublands cover shrinking by 50%, while the size of degraded land increased by 45%. Rapid population growth, rainfall variability and soil fertility decline, lack of fuelwood and shortage of cultivation land were ranked as the main causes of LULC change in the watershed according to the focus group discussion. Further effort is needed to improve the creation of new job opportunity, promotion of improved technologies to boost productivity and soil fertility, provide credit facility, extra push on irrigation infrastructure development and soil, water and natural ecosystem conservation practices. Generally, better community-based land resource management will need to ensure sustainable rural livelihoods.

EVALUASI DAN PENGEMBANGAN OPERASI DAN PEMELIHARAAN SISTEM IRIGASI TADAH HUJAN DI KECAMATAN PULAU LAUT TIMUR KABUPATEN KOTABARU

The largest production of paddy is produced from rain-fed rice fields scattered in Kecamatan Pulau Laut Timur. With the Operation and Maintenance on rainfed rice field is expected to improve service to local farmers. To evaluate the Operation and Maintenance can be measured by measuring its dimensions in the form of: 1) Facility / physical infrastructure, 2) Supporting facilities, 3) Organization, 4) Documentation, institutional condition, and 5) Productivity cropping. This study aims to determine the level of farmers' perceptions of Operation and Maintenance activities, then provide recommendations for priority development and improvement of Operation and Maintenance management. By using quiz dispersion method for farmer perception and expectation in Kecamatan Pulau Laut Timur. The data were processed by quantitative descriptive analysis, TKi suitability analysis, quadrant analysis to determine the priority order of the improvement of OP. The result of the analysis of the farmers' suitability level was in the dissatisfied category, with the percentage of TKi ≤ 100%. And quadrant analysis: the main improvement priority in quadrant I (one), that is in the low priority, the variable is in (X 1,1 ), where the channel condition is not in line with the farmer's expectation. Evaluation and development of rainfed maintenance and maintenance operations by raising awareness of farmers maintaining and maintaining channels. The need for technical / non-technical irrigation infrastructure development to support the success of agricultural activities. Keywords : Farmers perception, Irigations, Operation and maintenance, Rainfed rice field

Mapping irrigated agriculture in complex landscapes using SPOT6 imagery and object-based image analysis – A case study in the Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia –

Irrigation infrastructure development for smallholder farmers in developing countries increasingly gains attention in the light of domestic food security and poverty alleviation. However, these complex landscapes with small cultivated plots pose a challenge with regard to mapping and monitoring irrigated agriculture. This study presents an object-based approach to map irrigated agriculture in an area in the Central Rift Valley in Ethiopia using SPOT6 imagery. The study is a proof-of-concept that the use of shape, texture, neighbour and location information next to spectral information is beneficial for the classification of irrigated agriculture. The underlying assumption is that the application of irrigation has a positive effect on crop growth throughout the field, following the field's borders, which is detectable in an object-based approach. The type of agricultural system was also mapped, distinguishing smallholder farming and modern large-scale agriculture. Irrigated agriculture was mapped with an overall accuracy of 94% and a kappa coefficient of 0.85. Producer's and user's accuracies were on average 90.6% and 84.2% respectively. The distinction between smallholder farming and large-scale agriculture was identified with an overall accuracy of 95% and a kappa coefficient of 0.88. The classifications were performed at the field level, since the segmentation was able to adequately delineate individual fields. The additional use of object features proved essential for the identification of cropland plots, irrigation period and type of agricultural system. This method is independent of expert knowledge on crop phenology and absolute spectral values. The proposed method is useful for the assessment of spatio-temporal dynamics of irrigated (smallholder) agriculture in complex landscapes and yields a basis for land and water managers on agricultural water use.

Small Scale Irrigation in Ghana: Challenges and Prospects in the Face of Climate Variability

Smallholder or informal or small scale irrigation is one of the three broad categories into which irrigation is put in Ghana. Faced with climate change and variability resulting in extreme events, irrigation serves as insurance against crop failure and permits all-year-round production. The study was carried out to underscore the challenges and prospects of small scale irrigation in the face of climate variability in Ghana and to propose the way forward. The key source of data for this study was secondary data which were collected mainly by reviewing published reports, policy documents, articles, online sources and official web sites of relevant state and international institutions. A number of challenges confront small scale irrigation development including high cost of energy, encroachment on irrigation lands, illegal mining activities and lack of technological know-how among others. Small scale irrigation has a promising future owing to renewed collaborative spirit GIDA has with major stakeholders. To forestall encroachment on irrigation lands, we recommend amendment of Irrigation Development Authority Act to empower GIDA to exercise absolute control over irrigation lands. It is also recommended that the Authority collaborates with relevant stakeholders to develop effective programmes for building capacity of contractors involved in development of irrigation infrastructure. To overcome the challenge of high cost of energy, it is recommended that government makes long-term investment into conversion of electric and diesel/petrol powered irrigation pumps to solar powered ones.

Contribution of Paddy Production to Household Income in Farmer-Managed Irrigation Scheme Communities in Iringa Rural and Kilombero Districts, Tanzania

Irrigation reduces risks involved in agriculture and enables farming throughout the year. Improved irrigation systems enhance access to irrigation water. However, most smallholder farmers continue to use traditional irrigation schemes as if the difference in water use and crop yields between the two is insignificant. It seems essential to assess the paddy crop yield difference and its contribution to household incomes between traditional and semi-improved Farmer-Managed Irrigation Schemes (FMISs) in Iringa Rural and Kilombero districts in Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design was used in this study involving 48 key informants and 172 randomly selected households. Household survey using a structured questionnaire was the major method for data collection. Data from focus group discussions and key informants supplemented the information collected using household survey. The data were analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS). Results indicate that yield of paddy was higher in semi-improved schemes (2.5-3.6 tons/ha) compared to traditional irrigation schemes (2.2-2.9 tons/ha). This was attributed to the presence of improved water intake structures and existence of main canals, which facilitated an improved water supply to the irrigation fields. In spite of the poor and incomplete irrigation infrastructure, the paddy production contributed very significantly (73-80%) to the total annual household income of smallholder irrigators and somewhat more in the improved system than the traditional system. Other income sources are quite marginal in the study areas. The study recommends that the government should invest in irrigation infrastructure development to increase irrigation water use efficiency and increase agricultural values added.

Spatio-temporal analysis of irrigation infrastructure development and long-term changes in irrigated areas in Upper Kharun catchment, Chhattisgarh, India

The Upper Kharun Catchment (UKC), which is part of the new State Chhattisgarh formed in 2000, features considerable population growth, expansion of urban areas and dynamic changes in irrigation infrastructure as well as irrigation practices (spatial extension, temporal intensification, increasing use of groundwater as source) for meeting the increasing food demand. Water intensive rice is the major crop of the area. UKC has a comprehensive canal irrigation system which provides the link to water supply from reservoirs fed from areas outside the UKC. However, water provision for irrigation via the canal system for irrigation is restricted to only post-monsoon season. As a consequence, groundwater remains the only source of irrigation water in summer and winter seasons. Improved electricity facilities and subsidy on groundwater pumping have triggered an enormous increase in groundwater withdrawals. Remote sensing satellite images along with ground observed data were used in this study to spatially identify the areas with canal and groundwater irrigation. Results reveal that in 2011, around 50% of the area of the UKC benefits from canal irrigation, whereas 29.8% area is irrigated by groundwater. Around 103 villages in the UKC have no canal infrastructures. 216 villages in UKC are considered as ‘hotspot areas’ because of high groundwater withdrawal (irrigated area exceeding 75 ha per village), There has been threefold increase in groundwater irrigated area in UKC between 1991 and 2011. The upward trend of groundwater use indicates an alarming situation towards over-exploitation and creates the need to provide and analyze data on the use of groundwater resources in the area in order to detect past and to estimate future trends referring to groundwater withdrawals. These data are a prerequisite for enabling careful and foresightful management of groundwater resources especially at spatially identified hotspot areas towards ensuring sustainable management of this resource.