Community Watershed is one of the important practice in irrigation management for small & marginal farmers. In India, there r so many examples of this type of success. However, water use efficiency can be improved through modern irrigation methods viz drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, so on..... Practices.....

It is the people participation that will ensure success of irrigation project

A systematic approach to solve this problem is necessary. Starting with the irrigation problem identification, ending with constant water supply, management and maintenance. Each stage is important, and the people, the community and their inputs to control the irrigation systems and timely identification of the deficiencies, the failures are of paramount importance. The effects of climate change should further encourage a more serious look at the problem and apply the most effective irrigation techniques.

We have try to involve the farmers ( Water Users' Association) in the irrigation process how ever the project performance did not show any progress and conversely the situation move to the worst. ( Please check this articleArticle Impacts of Legal and Institutional Changes on Irrigation Man...

I am strongly agree with Chandan Kumar Panda that the principal of farmer participation is more applicable at small and marginal irrigation systems but not for large scale irrigation projects.

@Ahmed Elsiddig A. Elshaikh....

Actually, large scale irrigation project is most cases outcome of direct intervention of government.

And, big farmers are strong enough to ensure irrigation to their own crop field. We should give much more emphasis for small and marginal farmers. They are the future of world agriculture. But major problem to work with these small and marginal farmers, binding forces or social capital is minimal. Being the extension personal, this is the major challenge for us........

All water deficient countries can benefit from more efficient irrigation systems - drip and micro are two key technologies that use substantially less water . In the US, American irrigators "withdraw" 118 billion gallons of water daily, second only to our thermoelectric power demand of 133 billion gallons of daily water use.

Sustainable development can be achieved by various methods. Which method will be selected is determined by many factors of the environment, the environment of specific economic processes as well as the specifics of economic enterprises and the national economy. However, in the absence of a key development factor, a key raw material such as water can be a significant cost barrier for the implementation of the process of achieving sustainable development. Sustainable development can not be excluded in the context of continuous irrigation of agriculture, but it will generate high costs. In such a situation, profitable ventures should be developed in the domestic economy, which will allow to finance the costs of the said irrigation. It can not be ruled out that irrigated poor soil with proper fertilization and use will produce high yields, high production of agricultural produce will be generated and after a few or more years, it will be possible to create more complex flora ecosystems, including forests next to arable fields, and the way can be improved. Then, sustainable development will be analyzed, implemented and improved in terms of the national economy. I invite you to the discussion

Ahmed Elsiddig A. Elshaikh

The above-ground irrigation method makes the roots to grow near the surface of the earth, and the results making plants suffer from extremely sensitive to environmental droughts and changes. Irrigation problems may can be solved if there a way to allows the roots to deeper places (aerobic conditions) and eventually to use capillary water from deeper sources so that the frequency of artificial watering is greatly reduced to achieve a longer business model( like some European grape estates).

There are a variety of methods to create continuous pores, our lab solved the problem by drilling serval 0.5~1m deep holes with high pressure cleaner ( 150 kgf/cm^2 and reforming the nozzle) around the tree. The tree that was originally watered every week now is still alive without artificial watering for three years.

Additionally to all previous opinion of idea about management irrigation by using drip irrigation instead of using channel or basin ,

treated waste water also is another important way .

- there is many methods can help to decrease evaporation by using mulch .

- using a tenshiometer a measuring instrument used to determine to a soil moisture tension

I agree with Mr. Dwight Swenson and Mr. Yi-Sen Peng that modern irrigation system is a good solution for water shortage problem, however, in developing countries, such as Nigeria, Sudan, Pakistan.. the large scale irrigation projects mainly depends on the surface irrigation system. In order to change these systems, large amount of money is required due to the high cost. Which is not applicable at developing countries for economic reasons (as Mr. Dariusz Prokopowicz said).

Education with Commitment to the programme

Rain harvesting practice is key

Encouraging industries based on crop residues such as paper and board industries. This improves the sustainability of both agriculture and industry. Moreover, it improves environmental sustainability by stopping the burning of these valuable residues, and creating economic benefits for farmers.

The below mentioned article discusses many related aspects. Happy new year.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315427845_Agricultural_Residues_Wastes_for_Manufacture_of_Paper_Board_and_Miscellaneous_Products_Background_Overview_and_Future_Prospects?_sg=GY_MT-L2PQW5q5k6gUHyXMrv-Es6gjM_ijuplIGh9S8x0Pj7AJTw_f2kHkXfpkCePxUi5_DFQcIDVksr70arsLmqif8yOfEXmoXbwtel.ydLEia72EOPmTjdDbCaMedI1Pk22OX2vVFcJNN661V5ADWGHw_-ygT9ood-Rgekn0TV6q54_KnFIrfA1a6m9XQ

Population growth, water coordination and allocation problems, climate change and data scarcity are some of the main problems affecting sustainable irrigation in developing countries.

Muhammad TAJURI Ahmad

Agree with you these are significant challenges, however, I think we need to focus more on how to overcome these challenges both theoretically and practically.

I agree with dear Chandan Kumar Panda

Dear Ahmed Elsiddig A. Elshaikh,

Irrigation of agricultural crops is one of the most important problems of the 21st century in the field of agriculture, including sustainable organic farming. The problem is serious because, due to the warming of the Earth's climate, more and more areas of cultivation until now are being dried up. Droughts appear more often and also other weather anomalies. Therefore, it is important to develop eco-innovations and develop programs for financing new pro-ecological material technologies, energy technologies, etc.

I wish you the best in New Year 2019. Best wishes

The main culprit threatening sustainable development in irrigated agriculture are the climatic change and a sharp drop in annual precipitations such as rain and snow. Such alarming conditions have evoked an all out effort in improving the effectiveness of irrigation systems. Breaking away from the traditional methods of irrigation can certainly have a great bearing on agricultural productivity and sustainable development.

First , the irrigation system must be ensured to be sustainable by managing technical, financial,institutional and social performance constant. Then knowledge to society for cropping pattern and productivity along with value chain management

We must have data on the agro-climate, because from that information we can plan the agricultural system.

The weather or climate change has a huge effect on the success of agricultural activities whose irrigation is problematic.

The use of compost in agricultural areas greatly helps the availability of water for plants.

In areas that are highly dependent on the season, it is recommended that the plants that are cultivated be adjusted to the availability of water from plants and the water needs of plants. In my research area: the community and customary stakeholders make a calendar schedule, for agriculture that really needs more water. For farmers who commit violations will get customary punishment.

water conservation with improved practices such as drip irrigation, fertigation either in surface or subsurfacce drip is key to long term sustainabilty.

Kulvir Singh

I agree with you, and I think we need to pay more attention on how to adopt these items.

In general, the existing irrigation system is an open irrigation system. with a lot of lost water system; the causes are many factors. To reduce water loss you should use a closed irrigation system.

Definitely practices like drip irrigation like surface or subsurface save vast amount of water.

Dear Rifli Rindes M

Drip irrigation is much efficient compared with surface irrigation system, however, in developing countries the high budget is a critical parameter, especially when you consider the initial cost for large scale irrigation projects.

Modern irrigation system definitely will save water. as you said, financial limitation reduces the expansion of such system in developing countries. without the intervention of governments to subsidies the installation of such systems, there will not be any expansion.

Sustainability of any project is threatened by the ending of its funding unless it generate income for its maintenance and development or there is an official authority is adopting it. that is why in most of developing countries, irrigation projects is adopted by the governments. modern irrigation projects is threatened also by climate change as water salinity seems to go higher.