Discussion on Papers 19–21

Mr Mather (Paper 20)

Three of the major issues in the development, use and management of water for agriculture are cost, production and health. At national level, these issues introduce parallel implications:

(a) the need to identify options and investment priorities in irrigation and drainage development

(b) the need to achieve efficiency in water management

(c) the need to identify, select and apply low cost measures for health protection.

There is no single solution to the selection of an irrigation development strategy. Regions, sub-regions, river basins, countries and even small geographic divisions will have specific characteristics and constraints.

Some will decide for large-scale projects, others for smaller schemes. Many countries with little irrigation experience but with considerable potential for future expansion will be best served through phased programmes with initial emphasis on smaller schemes (both formal and informal). In this way they will gain skills and build up national institutional structures and public and private support services in order to reduce the high costs of imported skills and technologies.