Small scale irrigation takes different forms in Mali:

• Village irrigation schemes: As a response to the droughts of 1974 and 1982, the government of Senegal started in the late 80s, early 90s, the establishment of village irrigation schemes along river Niger and river Senegal. These schemes are generally small scale and fed from a perennial source of water using a motorpump to withdraw the water. Rice is usually the main crop cultivated, but in some schemes off-season crops and vegetables are also cultivated.
• Controlled flood recession: Dikes are constructed around consecutive plots that also have drainage systems. Rice is cultivated in different ways, depending on the level of water reached. These systems have very low investment costs and are easily taken up by farmers, however, their feasibility has been questioned due to their dependence on rainfall and floods.
• Inland Valley Bottoms: There are four different irrigation systems in inland valley bottoms:
  • River diversion: In this type of systems, a retention structure is used to deviate the rainwater harvested in a watershed into lateral canals. These canals feed plots either directly or with the use of secondary and tertiary canals, depending on the size of the plot. Rice is usually cultivated in this type of systems;
  • Weirs: In flat valley bottoms, the natural course water is held with concrete weirs equipped with regulating valves in order to create a flooded area;
  • Micro-dams: Typically from Bandiagara region, these micro dams with a capacity around tens of thousands of cubic meters that allow flood recession irrigation of tens of hectares. River banks in the area usually have steep slopes calling for terrace cropping in small plots bordered with stone dykes;
  • Equipped inland valley bottoms: Equipped with earth or stone dykes, these systems manage to keep a layer of water for longer periods and avoid soil erosion. Rice is usually cultivated in these systems.
• Water retention works in wadis and oasis: Their main objective is to recharge groundwater levels or to feed animals.
• Irrigated vegetable gardens: These consist in small plots located around wells or boreholes. Water withdrawal can be manual or with the use of pumps. These systems are also used for off-season cropping.

The government of Mali considers the development of irrigated agriculture as one of the main lines of action to increase food security and secure incomes. In order to guide irrigation development in the country, Mali prepared the National Strategy for Irrigation in 1999 and revised it in 2008 to better adapt it to the country’s situation. Furthermore, the government of Mali has developed a Small-Scale Irrigation Promotion Programme 2012-2021 (Programme d’Appui au Sous-Secteur de l’Irrigation de Proximité) that aims to fund projects falling into the following categories: (1) Surface water systems from major river systems; (2) Inland valley bottoms/lowlands; (3) the development of ponds; (4) Micro dams, water harvesting systems and water retention works in wadis and oasis; and (5) Irrigated vegetable gardens.