1. Unlocking Value
in South Asia’s Irrigation
David Molden
Based on work by:
Aditi Mukherji, Thierry Facon,
And many others

2. Main message 1
Irrigation has been important in Asia
– Asia contains 70% of world’s irrigated area
– Irrigation was key to the success of Green
Revolution
– This helped alleviate poverty and boost rural
growth
How important will it be?

3. Growth in food demand 2000 – 2050
South Asia
Water for a food-secure world

4. Agriculture ET in 2000 and 2050
no water productivity gains
Need to produce
more food, but
minimize extra
water use –
Change is needed
South Asia East Asia Central Asia
Water for a food-secure world

5. Water for Food – 4 paths
1. Increase production in rainfed areas
– scope for gains debated
2. Irrigation – expansion and productivity gains
-good for poverty & food, but bad for
environment
3. Trade – buy food from somewhere else –
- but realistic to rely on trade?
4.Reduce waste and overuse from field to fork
-but strong trends of diet change

6. Main message 2
• Asia still needs to invest in irrigation
– To raise land and water productivity
– To feed a growing population
– To adapt to climate change
– Secure livelihoods and alleviate poverty
– But within the limits posed by natural resource
base
What are those investments?

7. Investing in Irrigation
2.5 320
280
2.0
240
July 2008
Food price index
200
1.5
160
Irrigation
Living Planet index
Jan
1.0 Freshwater 2009
120
World Bank lending
for irrigation
80
0.5
40
0 0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

8. Irrigated investment & irrigated area - India
Groundwater Trends of public expenditure in major and medium irrigation
and net irrigated area under different sources in India
60 42
36
50
(billion US$, in 2000 prices)
Groundwater
Irrigated Area 30
Net irrigated area
40
Expenditure
(million ha)
24
30
Canal 18
Irrigated Area
20
12
Expenditure US$
10 Tank 6
Irrigated Area
0 0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Expenditure Tanks Canals Groundwater
Source:
Amerasinghe et
al

9. Trend: Growing informal water economies
Informal Formal
Self-supply predominates Service providers dominate
Vast numbers of tiny, primary Very few, but large primary
water diverters from nature diverters of water from rivers, lakes
Water institutions are local, Water institutions are few, formal,
fragmented, informal legal bodies
Intermediation in water services Very high degree of
are low or absent intermediation in water provision
Even if water is plentiful, it costs
Even if water is scarce its free…
money…
Source: Tushaar Shah
Water for a food-secure world

10. Irrigation Pumps in Bangladesh and Vietnam
The Pump Revolution

11. US dollar per m3
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Chishtian sub-div.
Mahi-Kadana
Nachchaduwa
Muda
Rajanganaya
Nile Delta
Kourani Baria II
Sunsari Morang
* surface water and public wells
Gorgo
West Gandak
Marchwar Lift
Saga
** private wells
Big Thompson
Khageri
Panchakanya
Fryingpan
Kankai
Mogtedo
Saldana
Kourani Baria I
Seyhan
Coella
RUT
Across irrigation systems
Torreon
irrigation schemes
Salvatierra Module**
Value produced per unit ET
Alto Rio Lerma *
Cortazar Module*
Salvatierra Module*
Menemen
Imperial ID
Manisa
Samaca
Triffa Scheme, Sec.…
Alto Rio Lerma **
Sarigol
Figure 4: Standardised Gross Value of Production per unit water consumed by ETcrop
Panoche WD
Adala
Bhairawa Lumbini
Alasehir
Turgutlu
Cortazar Module**
Situation
Savili
Underperformance of many large scale surface

12. Causes of poor performance
– Lack of accountability:
Management
Society Users
Bureaucracy
– Surge in individual pump/lift based irrigation
– Failed attempts at institutional reform
Benchmark irrigation performance making data
publically accessible

13. Main message 3
Adapt yesterday’s irrigation for tomorrow
– Changing demography and dietary needs
– To provide more ecosystem services, adapt to
climate change
• But the old systems do not cater to these demands
– State built irrigation are under performing
• Forcing farmers to invest on their own
– Groundwater now provides the bulk of
irrigation in Asia
– Climate change, urbanization,

14. Zhanghe Reservoir, Hubei, China
Water allocation and rice production in ZIS
(3-year moving averages)
irrigation release
800 1400
non-agricultural release
rice production
700 1200
production (1,000 metric tons)
reservoir water release (MCM)
600
1000
500
800
400
600
300
400
200
100 200
0 0
1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001
year

15. 5 Strategies to unlock value from
Asia’s irrigation infrastructure
1. Modernize for tomorrow’s needs
2. Go with the flow
3. Look beyond conventional PIM recipes
4. Expand capacity and knowledge
5. Invest outside the water sector

16. Strategy 1: Modernize
• Includes modernizing hardware (design changes)
and software (institutional changes)
• More attention to environment
CA – invest in groundwater for
storage and drainage
SEA – reconfigure paddy
systems for multiple cropping,
uses and ecosystem services
SA – piped delivery systems,
farm storage

17. Strategy 2: Go with the flow
Farmers innovate. Incorporate what they are
doing into the management of irrigation
Sri Lanka example:
Traditional tanks
incorporated into canal
network designs
SEA – conjunctive use
SA – managed aquifer
recharge,

18. Strategy 3: Look beyond PIM
Promoted since mid 1980’s
What’s the scorecard?

19. PIM – Success or Failure?
Mukherji et al, 2009 (part of commissioned ADB irrigation study)
Performance indicators
ISF collection
Finance of WUA
Infrastructure state
Equity
Reliability/Adequacy
Participation Region Success Failure
Conflict resolution S Asia 18 20 40%
Crop related impacts Success
E Asia 7 2
Livelihoods impact SE Asia 12 24
C Asia 4 14

20. Strategy 3: Look beyond PIM
Alternatives:
– Irrigation bureaucrats turned entrepreneurs in China
– Service contracts – providers and users; private sector
– Reform the irrigation bureaucracies themselves to
manage the main system better
For South Asia
Re-engage government, especially in poor areas
Incentivize performance based service delivery models

21. Strategy 4: Expand capacity and knowledge
• Train irrigation officials to recognize and
respond to new realities, deal with social and
political issues, and have eco-awareness
MASSCOT program of FAO that is helping
irrigation bureaucracy do so
SA – reorient staff to changing rural realities
CA – new capacity

22. Strategy 5: Invest outside the sector
• Irrigation will largely become reactive rather
than proactive as it was in the past
• Levers of change will often lie outside, e.g. in
food or energy policies
SE Asia:
hydropower + irrigation
S Asia – roads, rural electricity
Central Asia:
Ag Policies, Hydropower

23. Thank you!
Challenge:
Simultaneously meet livelihood,
food and ecosystem objectives.
Tailor made solutions are needed
for each situation
1. Modernize for tomorrow’s needs
2. Go with the flow
3. Look beyond conventional PIM
recipes
4. Expand capacity and knowledge
5. Invest outside the water sector
Water for a food-secure world