Irrigation Management

In many countries, irrigated agriculture consumes a large proportion of the available water resources, often over 70 per cent of the total. There is considerable pressure to release water for other uses, and as a sector, irrigated agriculture will have to increase its efficiency and productivity of water use. This is particularly true for manually operated irrigation systems, managed by government agencies, which provide water for a large number of users on small landholdings, and represent 60 per cent of the total irrigated area worldwide. Drawing on the author's 30 years of experience in some 28 countries, this book offers knowledge for the management of irrigation and drainage systems, including traditional technical areas of systems operation and maintenance, and expanding managerial, institutional and organizational aspects. Chapters provide guidelines to improve management, operation and maintenance processes, which move management thinking out of traditional public-sector mindsets to a more customer-focussed, performance-oriented service delivery. This book is a practical guide to improve efficiency and productivity in irrigated agriculture.