Uneven Irrigation and economic inequalities: exploring the connection
Date
2016-11
Authors
Manero, Ana
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICD)
Abstract
Irrigation development is widely recognised as a key instrument to boost livelihoods and food security, particularly in rural developing areas. While improved water supply can help reduce average poverty levels, uneven access to sufficient and reliable irrigation water can also result in aggravated economic disparities. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses, this article explores the impact that uneven irrigation water supply has on two smallholder irrigation schemes in southern Tanzania. The results reveal that inequality of water supply is a major concern for most irrigators and that farmers who receive inadequate water supply are affected in a number of ways. These include reduced crop yields, greater uncertainty, worsened working conditions, inability to cultivate their own land, higher risk of land turning unproductive and higher financial losses. While Tanzania’s water and irrigation national legislation mandates equity of water supply, the problem persists within smallholder systems due to a complex combination of issues, including inability to measure water supplies, poor infrastructure maintenance and lack of adequate regulations at local levels.
Description
Keywords
Crop yields, Irrigation schemes, Poverty, Economic inequality, Tanzania, Water distribution
Citation
Collections
Source
The 2nd World Irrigation Forum
Type
Conference paper
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Free Access via Publisher site
License Rights
DOI
Restricted until
2099-12-31
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Description