Assessing the Effectiveness of Koftu's Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes in
Enhancing Water Resource Utilization in Ethiopia.
Abstract
This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the small-scale
irrigation schemes in Koftu, Ethiopia, in enhancing water resource
utilization. The research employed various methods, including
conversations, flow measurements, household surveys, and literature
searches, to collect relevant information. To evaluate the performance
of the irrigation schemes, performance indicators for outputs, output
delivery, and financial performance were employed. The crop water
requirement was estimated using CROPWAT. The results indicate that the
average relative water supply and irrigation supply were 2.06 and 2.47,
respectively. The output per unit-controlled area was 21094.43US$/ha,
while the output per unit-cultivated area was 11212.33US$/ha. The study
also found that the irrigation schemes had a high-water productivity
ratio of 2.10US dollars/m3 of output and 1.02US dollars/m3 of supply per
unit of water used. Additionally, the schemes showed a high level of
financial self-sufficiency due to the low cost of operation and
maintenance. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the small-scale
irrigation schemes in Koftu, Ethiopia, have been successful in enhancing
water resource utilization and improving both land and water
productivity. The use of performance indicators provides a useful tool
for identifying performance gaps and improvement possibilities in
irrigation schemes.