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Sustainable
irrigation
Large-scale irrigation projects are
often unsustainable, but a variety of
small-scale, affordable techniques can
increase food production. Examples of such
techniques include:
Water harvesting. Collecting
runoff and using it to irrigate crops,
pastures and trees can significantly
improve both yields and the reliability of
agricultural production. Experience in
Burkina Faso, the Sudan and Kenya shows
that rain harvested from one hectare for
supplementary irrigation of another can
triple or even quadruple production.
Low-lift pumps. Cheap,
dependable motors and pumps, along with
increasing availability of fuel, have
revolutionized irrigation. Small pump
schemes, individual and communal, have
begun to play an important role in
augmenting food production. Pump schemes
are easy to install and simple to operate.
They also provide indirect benefits by
linking water for domestic use to
irrigation.
Treadle pumps. Simple,
inexpensive walking pumps have enabled
poor farmers in many Asian countries to
increase their incomes and production by
allowing a second crop to be harvested
during the dry season, new varieties of
vegetables to be planted and crops to be
grown in semi-arid areas. These pumps are
often operated by women, who also use them
to obtain drinking-water.
Poor irrigation management:
a threat to soil, water and food security
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Treading water in Cambodia
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