Multiple Use of Irrigation Water

1. Multiple Use of Irrigation Water Eline Boelee and Ruth Meinzen-Dick (IFPRI) and Mary Renwick (Winrock International)

2. 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 management Prodwat meeting Jun06

3. 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

4. Valuing multiple uses of irrigation water: Sri Lanka • Uda Walawe Irrigation system • rice & banana • home gardens • fisheries Prodwat meeting Jun06

5. 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 k Prodwat meeting Jun06

6. Banana OFCs Rice Value in Alternative Uses

7. Other ‘essential’ uses of water • Domestic water • On site: laundry, bathing • Water collection • Drinking • House cleaning • Environment • Wildlife • Downstream wetlands • Groundwater recharge • Recreation • Religion Prodwat meeting Jun06

8. 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

9. Irrigation water for domestic purposes in Tessaout Amont (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 Communal water storage in metfia filled with irrigation water from formal allocation (Central Morocco) Prodwat meeting Jun06

10. Water distribution in Basse Moulouya irrigation system (Northeast Morocco) Intake municipal water treatment in Basse Moulouya

11. Consumptive use of water? • Consumptive uses of water • Irrigation • Water collection • Water quality demands • Non-consumptive • Fisheries • Laundry • Impact on water quality Prodwat meeting Jun06

12. 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

13. Direct and indirect use of canal water

14. Bacteria in water samples

15. 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

16. Again: Uda Walawe irrigation scheme, Sri Lanka

17. 5 4 3 Fluoride (mg/l) 2 1 0 Tube wells Shallow wells Surface water Water quality analysis • Bacterial water quality low, except tube wells • EC and fluoride high in tube wells Prodwat meeting Jun06

18. Best water quality: shallow wells Prodwat meeting Jun06

19. Shallow wells drying through canal lining • Rehabilitation: lining canals to save water at scheme level • Reduced groundwater table: wells falling dry Prodwat meeting Jun06

20. 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

21. Economic values and decision making $ Prodwat meeting Jun06

22. 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 output Prodwat meeting Jun06

23. 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 transfers Prodwat meeting Jun06

24. 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

25. Multiple use of irrigation water Thank you