Eline Boeleeand Ruth Meinzen-Dick (IFPRI) and Mary

Renwick (Winrock International)

Multiple Use of Irrigation Multiple Use of Irrigation WaterWater

Outline

• Use of irrigation water for other purposes = productive+ (as opposed to domestic+)

• Productive purposes– Agricultural– Other productive– Example Sri Lanka

• Other uses of water– Example Morocco

• Consumptive vs non-consumptive– Example Pakistan

• Issues for planning, design and managementProdwat meeting Jun06

Productive purposes

• Agriculture– Field crops (e.g. cereals, sugar cane, cotton)– Gardens– Permanent vegetation– Livestock incl. chicken and water fowl– Fisheries– Aquatic plants

• Other – Home-based activities (brick making, potteries, weaving, dyeing

etc.)– Small-scale industries (tile making, ice factory)– (eco) tourism

Prodwat meeting Jun06

• Uda Walawe Irrigation system

– rice & banana

– home gardens

– fisheries

Valuing multiple uses of irrigation water: Sri Lanka

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Total value of yields

• Irrigated crops USD 25M/year– Paddy USD 8.1 M

– Other field crops USD 3.5 M

– Bananas USD 13.5 M

• Home Gardens USD 8M/year– Home consumption USD 2 M

– Marketed USD 6 M

• Fisheries USD 0.74 M/year– Home consumption USD 64 k

– Marketed USD 679 k

– Fishers USD 390 k & sellers USD 289 kProdwat meeting Jun06

Banana

OFCs

Rice

Value in Alternative Uses

Type of Use

Value

(USD M) health nutrition gender

Irrigated crops 24.9 ?

Home gardens 8.0

Drinking 0.1

Fisheries 0.7 ?

Total 33.8

Other ‘essential’ uses of water

• Domestic water– On site: laundry, bathing

– Water collection

• Drinking

• House cleaning

• Environment– Wildlife

– Downstream wetlands

– Groundwater recharge

• Recreation

• ReligionProdwat meeting Jun06

Example Morocco

• Large-scale modern (lined) canal irrigation systems– Rural water supply not always adequate

– Groundwater often too deep or saline

• Official allocations at scheme level– Intake for municipal water treatment plants (hence: main canal always

conveys water → maintenance challenge)

– Official allocations for urban water supply and community water storage tanks (livestock)

• Informal ‘additional water releases’ – To refresh all standing water in hydraulic structures

– Cannot be called ‘domestic’ because water quality standards not met

– By stating it is for livestock, it is still part of agricultural mandate irrigation agencies

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Irrigation water for domestic purposes in Tessaout Amont (Central Morocco)

Communal water storage in metfia filled with irrigation water from formal allocation (Central Morocco)

Inequity in water collection: more dangerous and time consuming for children (may miss school), while adult men can make a living as water seller

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Intake municipal water treatment in Basse Moulouya

Water distribution in Basse Moulouya irrigation system (Northeast Morocco)

9%

86%

4% 1%

ONEP Zaio

ONEP Nador

Sugar factory

Brick factories

0

1

2

3

4

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecWat

er d

istr

ibu

tio

n (

mil

lio

n c

ub

ic m

eter

s)Irrigation

Other

Consumptive use of water?

• Consumptive uses of water

– Irrigation

– Water collection

– Water quality demands

• Non-consumptive

– Fisheries

– Laundry

– Impact on water qualityProdwat meeting Jun06

Water quality issues in Punjab, Pakistan

• Large-scale irrigation system

• Use of canal water for domestic (laundry) and other productive (fisheries) purposes

• Groundwater saline

• Irrigation system only source of water for all purposes

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Direct and indirect use of canal water

Bacteria in water sampleszero

1-99, low

>100, high

Main findings Punjab study

• Seepage water better than surface water

• Most important risk factors for diarrhea:

– absence of water connection and storage

– lack of toilet

– low standard of hygiene

– low socio-economic status

• Water availability (quantity) was key determinant

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Again: Uda Walawe irrigation scheme, Sri Lanka

Water quality analysis

• Bacterial water quality low, except tube wells

• EC and fluoride high in tube wellsSurface waterShallow wellsTube wells

Flu

orid

e (

mg/

l) 5

4

3

2

1

0

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Best water quality: shallow wells

Source bacteria fluoride

Deep tube wells - ++

Shallow dug wells + -

Canals +++ -

Reservoirs +++ -

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Shallow wells drying through canal lining

• Rehabilitation: lining canals to save water at scheme level

• Reduced groundwater table: wells falling dry

45

46

47

48

49

50

24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 38

weeks 2000 weeks 2001

canal water level

groundwater at 8m from canal

groundwater at 15m from canal

canal bottom

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Implications for planning, design and management

• All uses, users to be included in planning stage, multiple uses can be included in design: stakeholder analysis

– Identify multiple users of water, interest groups

– By occupation, gender, generation

– Inside and outside the irrigation system

– Look for marginalized groups

• In existing irrigation systems, variations in operation possible, sometimes even adaptations in infrastructure

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Economic values and decision making

Drinking

Home Gardens

Enterprises Fisheries

Livestock

Irrigation

Domestic

Water

$

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Issues to consider - 1• Risks

– Health hazard of using canal water for drinking

– Water source insufficient

– Damage to canals and pipes by livestock

– Contamination of sources

– Access and equity

• Health benefits through more water for hygiene

• Management issues– Improving ‘efficiency’ may cut off some uses and

possibly reduce overall value of outputProdwat meeting Jun06

Issues to consider - 2

• Institutional issues– Can government agencies or user groups

accommodate all water needs and uses?

– Formal and informal water rights• Defined by time, space, quantity, quality

– Water transfers!

• Economic issues– Capturing value of all uses

• In project feasibility studies, funding, evaluations

• In prospective water transfersProdwat meeting Jun06

Conclusions

• Irrigation water produces more than just grain or fiber

• ‘Water for rural development’

• Identify all uses, users → provide access to “marginal” users, for livelihood security

• Information on value of all uses leads to better policies

• Implications for water rights, especially in transfers

• Opportunities, but also trade-offs in optimizing joint product of all uses, users

• Economic valuation of alternative uses can serve as a decision making tool

Prodwat meeting Jun06

Thank you

Multiple use of irrigation water