Design of Irrigation Project

FOREWORD

Objective of the Guidelines

INTRODUCTION

PART 1: RECENT LESSONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING

1. Irrigation in the Context of Water Resources Management

2. Irrigation Types and the Issue of Scale

3. Irrigation, Food Supply and Drought

4. Effective Implementation

5. Fiscal Sustainability

6. Water User's Associations

7. Social and Environmental Aspects

8. Choice of Technology

9. The Drainage Dilemma

10. Implications for the Planning Process

Further reading

Footnotes



FOREWORD

Publicly financed irrigation and drainage investment projects have too often performed poorly. Sometimes the reasons have been unforeseeable or unavoidable. But in some cases shortcomings were because planners gave inadequate consideration to institutional constraints or to the practical problems of subsequent implementation, or because there was insufficient commitment by governments or users to the developments proposed. Delay, dilapidation, waste of scarce water and adverse social and environmental impacts have been among the familiar consequences. Lessons have been learned from these setbacks, however. These Guidelines give prominence to the planning approaches which have evolved, and are still evolving, to avoid future difficulties. The publication stresses sounder formulation of irrigation and drainage investment strategies, improved conceptualization of project options, and building stronger participation and commitment into the detailed planning process. The intended users are FAO Investment Centre staff, trainees and consultants, as well as local planning groups set up by governments to prepare investment proposals. Some of the material may also be useful to consulting firms and financing institutions involved in planning or appraising such projects. The following Investment Centre Technical Papers complement and should be read in conjunction with these Guidelines: Guidelines for the Design of Agricultural Investment...