Smallholders' Irrigation Practices and Issues of Community Management: The Case of Two Irrigatio Systems in Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia
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Date
2004-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study has been to assess the role of smallholders' irrigation development
and issues of community management with special reference to Doni Kumbi and Bato Degaga
ilTigation systems in eastern shoa zone of Oromia Region. Both in'igation systems are located
in the arid and drought-prone areas where crop failure is a reculTent phenomenon due to
insufficiency and elTatic rainfall. The study has been focused on examining the social and
technical aspects of ilTigation by which the benefits and constraints of ill'igation has been
investigated. In order to undertake this research household survey, focus group discussion and
key infoITnants were interviewed to collect primary data. In addition, relevant literatures and
essential documents were reviewed that was useful for the study.
The finding of this study show that smallholder ill'igations are very important specially in
those areas where insufficient and erratic rainfall is a reculTent phenomenon as a result rain
fed agricultural production is not a dependable enterprise. For instance, of the available
income sources, the average household income obtained from irrigation cultivation constituted
69.18%,76.15% and 75.92% during the three years period (2001-2003) in Doni Kumbi SSI.
In Bato Gegaga SSI, there was no ilTigation in 2001 because of failure in electric power
supply. After the ilTigation system re-operated in 2002 and 2003, the average household
income obtained from ilTigation cultivation was 75.49% and 61.49% as compared to other
sources of income respecti vely.
However, as the study revealed, there are many technical, institutional , policy and
management problems that constrain ilTigation perfOlmances. Despite the exi sting weaknesses
of IWUAs, lack of support is very crucial. The IWUAs were registered and became legal
entity but this did not give them any advantage since they were not different from those who
did not get the legal entity. For instance, they do not get facilities such as credit and market
information because the agricultural policy gives priority to farmers that rely on rain fed
cultivation. Generally, the result of this study shows that the development of ilTigation canals
by it self cannot bring about significant change. Together with, it is important to consider the
social aspects in order for in'igation systems to be successful.past experiences and also to help policy makers in formulating sound policies for further
ilTigation development.
Currently, the government of Ethiopia is developing master plans for various types of
inĀ·igation, including diversion/gravity schemes from major rivers, pumping from rivers, and
small storage reservoirs by giving priority to low cost small-scale irrigation systems. (OIDA,
2000).
As explained by Rosegrant Cai and Cline (2002), sociologists should interface closely with
technical specialists in agronomy, livestock/pasture, irrigation, etc. Sociologists and technical
specialists should work together to understand poor household's land and labor allocation
strategies, their way of minimizing risk and their constraints for adopting proposed
technologies. Together they should weed out solutions, which are technically possible but
unlikely to be adopted and make judgments about the estimated rate of adoption and the
number of households likely to benefit from each component (ibid).
Generally, according to Uphoff (1989, in mollinga 2002), irrigation requires the integration of
both dimensions that are social and technical. Without the incorporation of institutional and
other social relations such as human interest, rational decision-making, power relations,
conflict, etc. to the technical ilTigation discourse, it limits the comprehensive understanding of
irrigation. It can thus be seen that the proper development and management of irrigation is a
complex and comprehensive undertaking, requiring attention too much more than hydraulics
and agronomy.
As Woldeab (2003) noted, in inigation development more emphasis is given to the
construction of infrastructure while the management aspect of irrigation is often neglected. Forthe community based small scale irri gation systems to be successful, the interaction of both
human and physical aspects of ilTigation is very important.
This study is therefore aims at assessing the contribution of in'igation in households income
and the condition of ilTigation management by emphasizing on two irrigation systems found in
east shoa administrative zone of Oromia Region, namely; Doni Kumbi and Bato Degaga
Small Scale Irrigations (551). It intends help to generate infOlmation and increase
understanding to assist in future planning and development of smallholder irrigation ..
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Keywords
Issues of Community Managemen