RESEARCH PROJECT FOR IMPROVEMENT OF PARTICIPATORY IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT (THE TAFILALET AREA, SOUTH-EAST OF MOROCCO)

سال انتشار: 1386
نوع سند: مقاله کنفرانسی
زبان: انگلیسی
مشاهده: 1,477

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شناسه ملی سند علمی:

PIM10_094

تاریخ نمایه سازی: 5 شهریور 1385

چکیده مقاله:

1- The research project for improvement of participatory irrigation management is a concrete follow-up of the Rural Development Project in the Tafilalet (PDRT). The Tafilalet is located South-east of Morocco, in the pre Saharan, south-of the Atlas mountains zone and extends over an acreage of 77 250 km2, of which 60 000 ha are under irrigation. The region encompasses four major river watersheds: the Ziz, Ghéris, Guir and Maîder. It is divided into three major units: a mountainous slope on the southern piedmont of the calcareous eastern High Atlas in the north; an intermediate pre-Saharan region made up of highlands strewn with oases and a Saharan high plateaus region in the south .The area is renown for its natural constraints related to an arid climate and flood and desertification threats for the irrigation infrastructure impacting negatively on the productivity of the cropping systems in use. However, the area can take advantage of assets such as water resources development and irrigated crops. 2- During a mission carried out in the area by experts from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), it was deemed necessary to undertake actions to upgrade users’ capacities to deal with management of irrigation infrastructure. Based on the results of the mission, plans of the research project for the improvement of participatory irrigation management were developed and implemented. The project, financed through donations from IFAD ($US 490, 000), aims to set up prerequisites to make it possible for users to upgrade their intrinsic capacities through: (i) organizing themselves within Water Users Associations (WUAs) where water resources are available; and (ii) meeting operation andmaintenance costs incurred by irrigation systems. 3- A pilot action plan has been implemented in two small-scale irrigation systems falling within the scope of action of the Tafilalet Rural Development Project (PDRT). The project has targeted two localities Jorf and Tinjdad where the problem of water scarcity is most acute. The plan is based on the following three basic actions: (i) promoting adoption of partnership schemes involving various departments of the Ministry for Agriculture and users as regards the development of water resources and rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure; (ii) increasingly involve the Regional Office of Agricultural Development of the Tafilalet (ORMVATf) in providing supervision and technical backstopping to the WUAs and (iii) encouraging use of water-saving irrigation strategies. 4- During the four years of project implementation and while aiming at introducing new methodology and a new approach to prompt farmers to contribute to ensuring durability of irrigation infrastructure, the project has been able to reach almost all of the goals set down: (i) organizing and training farmers within the context of their WUAs; (ii) enhancing awareness by means of training courses and field trips; (iii) promoting water-saving irrigation strategies through practical demonstration plots and acquisition of logistics support; and (iv) setting up a database for follow-up evaluation of the WUAs’ performance.

نویسندگان

Mohamed Bousfoul

head of the department of irrigation network management and drainage in the Office for Agricultural Development in the Tafilalet

Mohammed Bourass

rural engineer and IFAD consultant.