Small Scale Irrigation Development

Tesfaw M

Abstract

The country Ethiopia is situated in East Africa and hence agriculture is the base for people’s basic fulfillment and the country is abundant by water resource. Even if we have ample amount of water still now rain-fed agriculture is more practiced than irrigation water application. Irrigation can be defined as the application of water to the soil for increasing the moisture content which is important for plant root-growth and development to prevent stress that may cause reduce the amount of yield as well as the quality of the crops. There is positive relation between irrigation service and poverty alleviation. The availability of water for irrigation in community helps to improve food security. It increases the potential for producing more food consistency in drought prone and food insecure areas. Small scale irrigation farming has played a vital role in enabling food production by lowering the risk of crop failure and sustaining households and food security status. Extension works should be done to aware the importance of irrigation system and the involvement of the local farmers could be include when the system is going to be efficient. Government and other related policy formulation organizations should focused on decentralized system among the users. Irrigation is more effective if all users and non-users participate actually during the planning, implementing, maintaining, monitoring and evaluating works. The participation of the stakeholders is pillar during the management and sustainability of the irrigation structures

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