The registration of irrigation water use (A)

Abstract

The registration process required that farmers complete a series of forms that included the volume of water they used for irrigation, as well as the irrigation system used, the crops grown and the area irrigated. Where data on actual water use was not available, which was the rule rather than the exception, the quantity had to be estimated, usually by regional personnel of DWAF with the support of consultants. Farmers were normally well informed on the areas of crops grown but required guidance on the water use of the crops (the other input needed to arrive at the volume used). SAPWAT, an irrigation planning and management tool developed for the Water Research Commission by MBB consulting engineers, had already been specified in the DWAF Pricing Strategy as the computer program to be used in the determination of water volumes for irrigation. SAPWAT is a relatively simple program but its effective use requires insights into irrigation practices.

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