Irrigation Investment Research Articles

Reducing food insecurity through equitable investments in irrigation: The case of Niger

AbstractWe use Niger as a case study to examine the relationship between irrigation and household food security controlling for the point of crop harvest sales. We use longitudinal household and agriculture data collected by the Living Standards Measurement Study. Using panel fixed effects, we find that irrigation was associated with a 10% decrease in food insecurity, a 9% increase in food consumption expenditure, and improved dietary diversity. Farmers using irrigation experienced higher cash incomes, sold a higher share of the harvest, and had higher crop revenues. Access to irrigation was also positively correlated with the consumption of nutritious food items such as fruits, vegetables, and meat products. Importantly, these effects were found for both farmers using irrigation that primarily sold their harvest locally to neighbors and village shops, as well as for farmers using irrigation who sold in bulk to regional or national traders. Results suggest that investing in irrigation can improve food security, even in areas with limited access to formal markets.

Estimating the effect of a land parcel index using hedonic price analysis

The purpose of this study was to statistically test the effect of a parcel index – consisting of a combination of a soil index, a fertility index and a location index – intended to be used as a price-determining indicator for the sale of agricultural land at farmland markets. In the hedonic price model, the coefficients of the variables representing parcel index, population, gross return and parcel irrigation investment status were positive and statistically significant at a significance level of 0.01. There was a negative relationship between parcel size and sale price, which implied that the selling price per decare tends to decrease as the parcel size increases. In the study area, the prices of farmland with large parcel sizes and irrigation efficiency investments were higher. The population density in the region and gross income from farmlands were the major factors that generated demand for the land. The hedonic price model establishes an important link between the parcel index and the sale price of farmland. Based on this link, parcel index-based pricing can contribute significantly to the creation of a farmland market in Turkey.

Predicting the Impact of Internet of Things on the Value Added for the Agriculture Sector in Iran Using Mathematical Methods

In terms of water resources, Iran has less fresh water than its population demands. Also, due to climate change, inefficient management and excessive consumption of this vital resource, the water shortage situation is becoming more critical day by day. Searching for a solution for sustainable use of water sources, this study proposes utilizing the Internet of things technology in order to implement smart irrigation in agricultural lands in Iran. Investigating the economic impact of the Internet of Things in Iran’s agriculture sector is the purpose of this article. The most important advantages of using smart irrigation are decreasing water consumption and increasing the productivity of agricultural yields (e.g., fruits, vegetables, etc.). This research attempts to predict Iran's economic growth in the event of smart irrigation implementation in agricultural fields and farms. The effect of investment in smart irrigation on water consumption and agricultural production is estimated by regression with cross-sectional data. In the end, by using the information obtained through the mathematical method, Iran's economic growth through GDP growth is estimated in the case if the Internet of things technology is fully implemented and the full benefits of using this technology are gained.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of grain yield at the county level in Shandong Province, China

China’s food security has always been a high priority issue on the political agenda with rapid urbanization affecting agricultural land, and it is challenged by several factors, such as human activities, social politics and policy. Shandong is an important grain-producing province and the second most populous province in China. In this paper, the spatiotemporal characteristics of grain yield and their potential influencing factors were explored at the county level in Shandong by using panel data over a 19-year period. The location Gini coefficient (L-Gini) and exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) were used to study the spatial agglomeration characteristics of grain yield, and spatial regression methods (SRMs) were used to analyse the influencing factors. The results indicated that grain yield increased from 38.3 million metric tons to 53.2 million metric tons in 2000–2018, with a growth rate of approximately 28.0%. The increase in grain yield in Shandong was due to the driving effect of radiation from high-yield counties to surrounding moderate-yield counties. This revealed an upward trend of spatial polarization in Shandong’s grain yield. In 2000–2018, the L-Gini and global Moran’s I increased from 0.330 to 0.479 and from 0.369 to 0.528, respectively. The number of counties in high-high (HH) and low-low (LL) agglomeration areas increased, and the spatial polarization effect was significant. SRMs analysis showed that irrigation investment and non-grain attention have significant positive and negative effects on grain production, respectively. The spatial relationship between grain yield and its influencing factors was explored to provide a reference for formulating scientific and rational agricultural policies.

Investment in Irrigation

Irrigation and DrainageVolume 71, Issue 3 p. 823-826 ICID Investment in Irrigation Ashwin B. Pandya, Ashwin B. Pandya International Commission on Irrigation and DrainageSearch for more papers by this authorPrachi Sharma, Prachi Sharma International Commission on Irrigation and DrainageSearch for more papers by this author Ashwin B. Pandya, Ashwin B. Pandya International Commission on Irrigation and DrainageSearch for more papers by this authorPrachi Sharma, Prachi Sharma International Commission on Irrigation and DrainageSearch for more papers by this author First published: 04 July 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.2737Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume71, Issue3July 2022Pages 823-826 RelatedInformation

ON- FIELD WATER MANAGEMENT OF GOLDA SMALL SCALE IRRIGATION SCHEME: THE CASE OF ASSOSA, NORTH-WEST OF ETHIOPIA

Miss management of available water for irrigation, both at system and farm level has led to a range of problems and further aggravated water availability and has reduced the benefits of irrigation investments. To solve irrigation water management problem; appropriate irrigation scheduling practices could lead to increased yields and greater profit for farmers, significant water savings, reduced environmental impacts of irrigation and improved sustainability of irrigated agriculture. This study was conducted for evaluating on-field water management of Golda small scale irrigation scheme which is found at Assosa, North- west of Ethiopia. In this study both secondary and primary data sources were used. Soil samples were collected for the determination of soil moisture, field capacity, and permanent wilting point, soil pH, organic matter content, total nitrogen and available phosphorous. Infiltration rate of the soil, crop water requirement, irrigation requirement and irrigation scheduling were determined. Application efficiency, storage efficiency and distribution uniformity of the system was evaluated. The organic matter content and available phosphorous of the soil were lowbut total nitrogen was high. Farmers were applying the same irrigation interval in each growth stage of the irrigated crop but crops are required different amount of water at different irrigation interval within each growth stage. The Application efficiency, storage efficiency and distribution uniformity were determined and the values were 51.6%, 91.6% and 80.76% respectively. Generally, irrigation users did not have sense of ownership for the scheme; poor irrigation water management was a problem as I have observed.

Impact Assessment of Small-Scale Irrigation Investment on Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of the Municipality of Dabaga in Niger

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, where more than 80% of the population live in rural areas and depend on agriculture. Agricultural production in Niger depends on rainfall which is irregularly distributed in place and time; thus, causing food deficit or food insecurity. To deal with these constraints and find a remedy to the precariousness of food insecurity, the focus is on irrigated agriculture where the purpose of the study is entitled "contribution of small-scale irrigation to reduce poverty". The main objective of this study was to analyse the economic and social impact of small-scale irrigation investment in the reduction of poverty. The municipality of Dabaga in Niger was selected as a case study. The specific objectives were to characterize the cropping systems practised by the farmers; calculate the gross margin of agricultural production (for the main crops grown); draw up the cereal balance sheet and the farm producers' operating account. Thus, surveys were conducted in the study area where 174 farmers were randomly selected. After that, the farmers were classified into two categories according to the main cultivated culture. Descriptive statistics and econometric correlation tests (Pearson method) were used for data analysis. It emerges from this study that this irrigated agriculture, which is of semi-intensive type, is dominated by the practice of polyculture. It involves the entire surveyed population, which had a negative cereal balance sheet but provides, for 82.18% of the farmers, a satisfactory net monetary income, above the country's monetary poverty line.

Does subjective well‐being matter when assessing the impacts of irrigation infrastructure? Empirical evidence from Madhya Pradesh, India

AbstractInvestments to rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure aim to enhance climate resilience and improve farmers' livelihoods in the face of hydrological risks. Studies seeking to assess the impacts from investments in irrigation primarily focus on yield and income‐related poverty measures. This approach provides an incomplete picture of the distributional implications of investments, such as the impact of rehabilitated irrigation infrastructure on the subjective well‐being of farmers. Drawing on data from 707 farmers in Madhya Pradesh, India, we explore whether investments to rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure are associated with changes in subjective well‐being among smallholders. Our findings show a positive relationship between farmers with access to rehabilitated surface irrigation and well‐being improvements. Results reveal that farmers in areas with rehabilitated irrigation canals experience improvements in subjective well‐being which are 20%–30% higher in comparison to farmers in areas without rehabilitated canals. When results are disaggregated, we find a larger positive effect on well‐being for farmers in deficient‐rainfall areas compared to average‐ or high‐rainfall areas. The integration of contextual factors related to subjective well‐being into future assessments of infrastructure investments in India can enhance knowledge of the multidimensional benefits of canal irrigation among diverse farming groups facing differing degrees of hydrological risk.

Adaptation of smallholder farmers to climate risks: Remittances and irrigation investment in the Republic of Moldova

Drought is one of the main limiting factors affecting crop production in many areas in the world. Pressurized irrigation systems enable more efficient use of water compared to surface irrigation systems but are rarely used by small farmers due to higher initial investment and energy costs. The main question investigated in the study is if remittances affect investment in pressurized irrigation (drip or sprinkler irrigation systems). A quantitative questionnaire survey was conducted among 234 small-scale farmers in the Republic of Moldova in 2016. The main result of the binary probit regression model revealed that remittances increased the likelihood of utilization of pressurized irrigation facilities in the study region. This study further contributes to a better understanding of factors that affect farmers’ adoption of pressurized irrigation systems. This knowledge helps policy makers and development organizations shape proper measures to increase the diffusion of this technology and thus the adaptation of smallholder farmers to climate risks. • The use of pressurized irrigation among small farmers is limited in the study area. • High investment and maintenance costs are unaffordable for the majority of farmers. • Remittances facilitate the adoption of pressurized irrigation infrastructure. • Remittances replace a not very well functioning credit market.

The pieces of the smallholder puzzle: The add‐in role of farmers' characteristics in irrigation improvement projects in the old lands of Egypt

AbstractIrrigation development is essential for reducing vulnerability to water resource scarcity, food insecurity, and climate change impacts in Egypt. The centralized irrigation development must, however, overcome the challenges of the diversity of smallholders and the pre‐existing, individualistic irrigation management. The purpose of this paper is to examine the farmers' characteristics that influence the design and success of irrigation improvement programmes in the Old Lands of Egypt. The paper investigates this issue from the perspectives of farmers by analysing farm features, agricultural practices, irrigation practices, and satisfaction with water services. The clustering method is applied to create farmer groups within the geographical area of the programme and seek consistent differences that affect the outcome of irrigation improvement. The results show that farmers are less diverse in their agrotechnology and more heterogenous in terms of capacities, livelihood sources, and land tenure structures. The article argues that grouping methods to deploy improved irrigation infrastructure should give more consideration to the farmers' individual features. Programmes intended to replicate such irrigation development or leverage the existing results should address these particularities to create a socially adaptive environment for future irrigation investment in Egypt.

Development Derailed: Policy Uncertainty and Coordinated Investment

We quantify the sensitivity of investments to policy uncertainty by drawing on the Northern Pacific’s massive land grant and the ensuing political battle that generated significant uncertainty to title from 1879 to 1894. Focusing on irrigation because of its high asset specificity, our analysis exploits the spatially exogenous extent of the grant to identify causal effects on investment, inclusive of spillovers to secure land because coordinated investment is generally necessary to capture the scale economies of irrigation. We find that the uncertainty significantly deterred and delayed irrigation investment in Montana, which lowered the state’s economic activity by up to 5 percent. Large numbers of settlers are occupying such [railroad grant] lands, and it is important to them to know whether they can receive their titles from the United States, or whether they will be required to purchase from the railroad companies. The prevailing uncertainty necessarily retards improvements and impairs values. (Noah C. McFarland, General Land Office Commissioner, US Department of the Interior 1882, p. 11)

Policy Note: Expanding Irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Policymakers in Sub-Saharan Africa have placed considerable emphasis on expanding irrigated agriculture. This is in response to the subcontinent’s growing population pressure, coupled with production risks associated with declining and variable rainfall. Irrigation is viewed as an important strategy to improve food security and protect rural livelihoods, with small-scale irrigation identified as the preferred strategy. And yet, adoption of irrigation has been slow, and irrigation investments are often underutilized. Expanding irrigated agriculture through increases in cultivated area alone will not be sufficient for greater food security; land and water productivity of irrigated agriculture needs to be increased, and this may in fact help accelerate the adoption of irrigation. Shared irrigation investments among small farmers are going to be challenging to sustain as smallholder households diversify their livelihoods, and do not cultivate field crops every season. For individual irrigation technologies, many barriers exist in their adoption, especially the risks and ambiguities such as pestilence and borehole installation failures; and governments will have to invest significantly more than they currently do in research and extension efforts to ease these barriers. Finally, the expansion of irrigation, especially individual irrigation, will likely create environmental challenges such as aquifer depletion, water pollution, and soil degradation, which governments would also have to manage by coordinating the actions of individual smallholders. This paper identifies the kind of institutional infrastructure and policy support that African agriculture will need to have in place to expand irrigation beyond its current status.

STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT DURING PROJECT INITIATION: A SUSTAINABILITY FACTOR OF SMALLHOLDER DONOR-FUNDED IRRIGATION PROJECTS IN ZVIMBA DISTRICT, ZIMBABWE

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the involvement of stakeholders during initiation of donor-funded smallholder irrigation projects in Zvimba district, Zimbabwe, was a critical sustainability factor. Donor-funded smallholder irrigation projects investments enhance water security for agricultural production and improve peasant farmers’ livelihoods in the face of climate change induced risks. While these donor-funded smallholder irrigation investments have historically empowered local communities, ensured food security and contributed to economic growth, we have an incomplete understanding of why they collapse after the withdrawal of the donors. This paper addresses this gap by adopting the pragmatism philosophy which prompted the use of whatever works to explore how involvement of stakeholders during initiation of irrigation investments influences its sustainability. To do so, stratified and purposive sampling techniques were used to select a population of 360 people who included donor-funded irrigation project beneficiaries, community, local leaders and Agritex officers for a Zvimba district case study. The results advance that collapses of investments are consequences of non-involvement of beneficiaries in initiation of donor-funded smallholder irrigation projects. The findings highlight that in the context of irrigation projects in Zvimba district, donors, government officials and political actors were the only participants during needs assessment, stakeholder identification and project designing phases. Project beneficiaries from the communities and suppliers of irrigation equipments and inputs only came on board during the project construction phases. While findings remain contextual to the Zvimba district study area, the study concludes that non-involvement of beneficiaries, inputs suppliers, buyers, interest groups in the initiation process of the donor-funded irrigation project was a critical sustainability factor. In that context, the study recommended the adoption of a participatory donor-funded smallholder irrigation project initiation model, which calls for the involvement of all stakeholders for the entire irrigation project development life cycle.

The new Italian web database to support irrigation investment policies: DANIA

The new Italian web database to support irrigation investment policies: DANIA

The new Italian web database to support irrigation investment policies: DANIA

The new Italian web database to support irrigation investment policies: DANIA

DEMAND AND SUPPLY PROJECTION OF CEREALS: CONSEQUENCE TO FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA AND NIGERIA

The paper presents demand and supply projection of major cereals for the year 2030, 2040 and 2050 for both India and Nigeria and the implication on food security challenge. The demand projections were computed using simple growth rate model under the assumptions of 6, 7 and 8 per cent GDP growth rate representing low-, moderate- and high-income growth. Results indicated that in both India and Nigeria increase in income do not cause any significant increase in the demand for cereals. It is concluded that India would be a self-sufficient in rice, wheat and maize with deficit in sorghum for the years 2030, 2040 and 2050 respectively. On the other hand, Nigeria would be plunging into a huge deficit in rice, wheat and a marginal surplus in maize and sorghum for the year 2030 with deteriorating deficits in the years 2040 and 2050 in rice, wheat, maize and sorghum respectively. In the study period, there would be surplus of cereals in the India with exception of sorghum; these prospects need to be strengthened and expand to sorghum through vigorous expansionary production programs as well ensure more availability, accessibility and affordability of cereal among poor families of India. For Nigeria to meet the future food requirements, the country shall have to either increase agricultural production, or depend on imports. As such, the paper suggests that the policy focus needs to be lunched, towards massive production, productivity enhancement in agriculture, through public investment in irrigation, credit facilities, research and extension.

HURRY UP OR WAIT: ARE PRIVATE INVESTMENTS IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION DELAYED?

Adaptation gaps arise when observed adaptation to climate change is slower than perceived adaptation potential. Two common explanations for adaptation gaps are (1) private parties failing to recognize that the climate is changing and (2) the cost of adaptation is higher than commonly believed. This paper shows how these two explanations are linked and that the likelihood and duration of adaptation gaps depend on whether climate change is characterized by stationary or non-stationary dynamics. Using an investment in water-saving irrigation in California’s Central Valley as an illustrative example, we find little evidence that failing to account for climate change would explain adaptation gaps. A more likely explanation for adaptation gaps is a failure to account for the adaptation option value that arises due to the possibility of maladaptation.

Heterogeneity in Time Preferences for an Investment in Irrigation

Heterogeneity in Time Preferences for an Investment in Irrigation

Techno-economic feasibility of small-scale pressurized irrigation in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda through an integrated modeling approach

Agriculture contributes up to 50% of the gross domestic product in some East African countries and is the backbone of the region’s economy. Most farmers rely on traditional, small-scale subsistence farming with low fertilizer use and low-yield seeds. Similarly, less than 3% of the total cultivated area employs any form of irrigation, mostly non-pressurized. Meanwhile, electricity providers frequently struggle with low and unpredictable demand, challenging their ability to recover rural infrastructure investments. Using electricity to pump irrigation water can increase agricultural productivity and improve the financial sustainability of rural electricity supply. This study evaluates the productive and economic feasibility of pressurized small-scale irrigation systems in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda for three staple crops and two horticulture crops. To study these effects, we develop simplified engineering-based irrigation and hydrology models and combine them with an existing biophysical crop growth model using district-level agrometeorological, soil, and crop physiology data as inputs. Our results indicate that small-scale pressurized irrigation can significantly increase yields for horticulture crops and staples such as maize or potato grown with improved seeds and moderate or greater fertility levels. The sensitivity analysis shows that irrigation may be techno-economically viable in up to 36% of Ethiopian woredas, 67% of Rwandan districts, and 45% of Ugandan districts provided the use of improved cultivars and non-limiting fertility conditions. These results highlight the value of complementing irrigation investments with electricity infrastructure in East Africa.

Effects of Land Use Change Related to Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes in Kilombero Wetland, Tanzania

Increasing agricultural land use intensity is one of the major land use/land cover (LULC) changes in wetland ecosystems. LULC changes have major impacts on the environment, livelihoods and nature conservation. In this study, we evaluate the impacts of investments in small-scale irrigation schemes on LULC in relation to regional development in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. We used Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques together with interviews with Key Informants (KI) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with different stakeholders to assess the historical development of irrigation schemes and LULC change at local and regional scales over 3 decades. Overall, LULC differed over time and with spatial scale. The main transformation along irrigation schemes was from grassland and bushland into cultivated land. A similar pattern was also found at the regional valley scale, but here transformations from forest were more common. The rate of expansion of cultivated land was also higher where investments in irrigation infrastructure were made than in the wider valley landscape. While discussing the effects of irrigation and intensification on LULC in the valley, the KI and FGD participants expressed that local investments in intensification and smallholder irrigation may reduce pressure on natural land cover such as forest being transformed into cultivation. Such a pattern of spatially concentrated intensification of land use may provide an opportunity for nature conservation in the valley and likewise contribute positively to increased production and improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers.