 |
 |
|
| Maintaining the value of irrigation and drainage projects |
| This desk study examines how maintenance affects the outcomes of irrigation and drainage projects. A much better understanding of the links between maintenance and scheme economic performance is urgently required. The study aims to highlight the issues involved, without resorting to fully detailed economic analysis |
| Background Large investments in irrigation and drainage continue to be made by national governments and the international community. Good maintenance can help prevent unnecessary losses of production, extend the effective lifetime of irrigation systems and delay the need for new capital expenditure on rehabilitation or modernisation. Poor maintenance may have impacts which are more difficult to quantify, including inequities of supply and farm income, environmental problems, and the risk of sudden failures of infrastructure. In a climate where governments are increasingly keen to turnover operation and maintenance tasks to farmers, it is important to be able to predict the expenditure needed for maintenance. If the financial commitments are too heavy in relation to the benefits, farmers will be unwilling or unable to take over new responsibilities. There is a risk that turnover policies may fail and that schemes will disintegrate. At the same time the World Bank is advising governments to levy varying rates of service charge for water, depending upon the circumstances of individual schemes, which may not be well categorised.
The report |
What it covers Various institutional, economic, social and technical failings, which limit the effectiveness of maintenance in many parts of the developing world, are identified A review is then made of issues affecting scheme performance, including policies for financing maintenance and analysis of project economic sustainability. An outline analysis, linking maintenance expenditure with project returns then follows. The examples chosen are considered reasonably representative of conditions in South and South East Asia. The study concludes that satisfactory maintenance produces high returns. The study recommends that more field data are needed to better define relationships between maintenance, system condition and performance so as to guide policies on maintenance.
Contributors
Intended users
Skutsch, J, 1998. Maintaining the value of irrigation and drainage projects. HR Wallingford, UK. Report no. OD/TN 90.
|
| Available at: http://www.dfid-kar-water.net/w5outputs.html For a CD ROM or a hard copy contact: International Development Group, HR Wallingford Ltd, Howbery Park, Oxon, OX10 8BA, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1491 835381, Fax: +44 (0) 1491 826352, E-mail: w5outputs@hrwallingford.co.uk |
|