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Modernizing irrigation management – the MASSCOTE approach
FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 63
by Daniel Renault
FAO Land and Water Development Division
Thierry Facon
Land and Water Management
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
and Robina Wahaj
FAO Consultant
The performance of many canal irrigation delivery systems is unsatisfactory in terms
of: (i) water resources management; (ii) service to irrigated agriculture; and (iii) cost-effectiveness
of infrastructure management.
In recent years, participatory approaches and management transfer reforms have
been promoted as part of the solution for more cost-effective and sustainable irrigation
services. Large agency-managed systems have been turned over partially or completely
to various types of management bodies. However, the results have usually been
disappointing. Common findings have been: (i) the new management bodies are not up
to the task; and (ii) these bodies have inherited dilapidated systems and severe financial
constraints.
This FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper presents a step-by-step methodology for water
engineering professionals, managers and practitioners involved in the modernization of
medium-scale to large-scale canal irrigation systems from the perspective of improving
performance of conjunctive water supplies for multiple stakeholders. While the focus is
on canal operation, the scope concerns the modernization of management. The approach
consists of a series of steps for diagnosing performance and mapping the way forward
in order to improve the service to users and the cost-effectiveness of canal operation
techniques.
This paper presents a proposed comprehensive methodology for analysing canal
operation modernization, which is based on Mapping System and Services for Canal
Operation Techniques (MASSCOTE). It discusses the main elements of canal operation
and organization before describing the steps of the MASSCOTE approach in detail.
These steps are grouped into two main parts: (i) baseline information; and (ii) a vision of
water services and modernization plan for canal operation.
The part relating to baseline information focuses on: the Rapid Appraisal Procedure
(RAP); system capacity and behaviour (sensitivity); perturbations; water networks and
water balances and the cost of operating the system.
The part relating to the vision of water services and modernization plan focuses
on: service to users; re-engineering of management; and options for modernization
improvements. The analysis leads on to a consolidated vision of the future of the
irrigation system management and a plan for a progressive modernization of irrigation
management and canal operation.
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