Irrigation is a top priority for agriculture
FAO restores irrigation water to 11 thousand hectares of land in Ar-Rastan, Syria
The 11-year conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic caused extensive damage to the country’s irrigation systems, with more than half the irrigable land losing access to water. According to FAO’s damage assessment conducted in 2017, the losses of irrigation and agriculture infrastructures and systems reached more than 3.2 billion USD, affecting more than 60 percent of farmers who rely on irrigated crop production in the country. “Irrigation is a top priority for agriculture,” states Mike Robson, FAO Representative in the Syrian Arab Republic “Syria is a water-stressed country. Irrigation amounts to about 85 percent of water use, which is why FAO undertakes light rehabilitation projects for irrigation facilities, and provides technical and advisory assistance to all stakeholders. With more farmlands still in need of irrigation water, there is a need to continue to restore irrigation systems, and introduce efficient, sustainable, climate-smart techniques to farmers.” he adds.
FAO’s EU-funded Smallholder Support Programme has resulted in the rehabilitation of Ar-Rastan irrigation network in rural Homs, restoring irrigation water for 11 000 hectares of land, with direct benefit to 20 000 farming households in the area, spanning 20 villages, and bringing stable agricultural production as well as encouraging the return of displaced families back to the area.
Since the completion of rehabilitation works in 2020, the Organization has undertaken a comprehensive, multi-dimensional study to assess the impact of the rehabilitation on agriculture, natural resources, and the socioeconomic status of the targeted communities.
Wael Seif, FAO’s national team leader for water resources and irrigation projects, says the study has shown the project’s impact on the quality of life in Ar-Rastan, one of the key agricultural areas in Homs Governorate: “The study lasted over two agriculture seasons (winter and summer), and utilized data from interviews and focus group discussions with the local communities, key informants and experts, in addition to data results from ground-based analyses and remote sensing tools.” explains Seif.
Better production
The availability of irrigation water allowed farmers to increase the areas cultivated with summer crops in Ar-Rastan (including sunflower, maize, sesame and vegetables) by 23.9 percent, increasing the total production of summer vegetables from an average of 357 kg/donum to an average of 1 090 kg/donum. The area cultivated with winter crops (including wheat, barley, and legumes) was estimated to have increased by about 20 percent according to remote sensing data results.
Farmers were also able to bridge the gap between summer and winter crops and cultivate other irrigated crops (sunflower, pulses, and potatoes), which were previously limited to areas where groundwater was available. Remote sensing data has shown an increase in total biomass production from 178 to 852 kg per hectare in the area where irrigation water was restored. Leaf Area Index (LAI) has almost doubled from 0.25 to 0.45 m2/m2, indicating better plant health, and higher overall production.
The increase in production has also correlated with an increase in livestock productivity, with farmers in the study sample reporting an increase of 22-29 percent for cattle, goats and sheep.
Better environment
The lack of irrigation water forced some farmers to rely on groundwater to irrigate crops before conducting rehabilitation works on Ar-Rastan irrigation systems. Abstracting water from wells was a particular challenge as it required the use of diesel generators to run the pumps, and this had a negative impact on the availability of groundwater for household use, in addition to the air pollution caused by diesel fuel by-products, and the unreliable availability of fuel.
The restoration of the irrigation system has raised the groundwater level in Ar-Rastan by an average of two meters. This water was tested and proved to be suitable for drinking and domestic use, as well as for irrigation. In addition, the farmers saved the expense of fuel needed to pump water to their lands.
Better nutrition, better lives
FAO concluded that the improvement of crops and livestock production in the area has contributed to the reduction of poor and borderline food consumption by 4 percent and 7 percent respectively, while the acceptable consumption group grew by 11 percent, reflecting an improvement in the food security situation in the area after the rehabilitation, which contributed to increasing the consumption of highly nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, and dairy products by the residents.
The access to adequate irrigation water as scheduled based on crops’ requirements has also had an impact on the area’s quality of food consumption and food security. The study has found that farmers who received irrigation water as per the developed irrigation schedules had higher food consumption scores than those who irrigated their crops irregularly or inadequately. Moreover, with better food security and better prospects for profitable agriculture, the stability of the community was enhanced as the area saw the return of more than 4 100 displaced families since the restoration of irrigation (or around 24 650 individuals).
Sustaining the communities
FAO is keen to involve the local community in the management of water resources to achieve efficient and sustainable irrigation systems. To this end, FAO has supported the formation of community-led water users associations (WUAs), to take on the role of operation and maintenance of the irrigation system and ensuring fair distribution of irrigation water among farmers in accordance with the developed irrigation schedules.
Six associations have been formed in Ar-Rastan so far, covering a total of 1 523 hectares of land served by the rehabilitated networks. Drawing on the success of the approach, sixteen new WUAs are being formed, which will cover an additional 4 475 hectares.
“Over the last four years, FAO has successfully brought back irrigation water to around 100 000 hectares of land across Syria, benefiting about 100 000 families. This amounts to 5-600,000 individuals living in rural areas, though many still need assistance to secure food and other living requirements,” concludes Mike Robson.