Global Research On Drainage In Agriculture

The International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID) was established in 1991 to promote technology and research in and by developing countries. The purpose of this review is to highlight areas where research and development can improve performance and identify gaps in knowledge. In the face of water shortage the problem of one set of water users cannot be considered in isolation from other users and hence there are a number of cross-discipline issues that must also be addressed.

Artificial drainage is essential to sustain irrigated agriculture, in order to control the water table and avoid waterlogging and salinisation. Biodrainage systems rely on vegetation rather than mechanical means to remove excess water, and can provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly drainage option. This publication presents a range of formally published and unpublished literature on the current level of knowledge of biodrainage, in order to inform further research and promote pilot testing schemes.

The consensus among policy-makers in the developing world and aid agencies is that a lack of capacity is constraining the development of irrigated agriculture. Although this concern is not new, it is now receiving much attention in the irrigation and drainage world, where it is becoming an issue in its own right rather than being embedded in infrastructure investment projects. In order to address this issue FAO Land and Water Development Division (AGL) organized a one-day workshop , which brought together a range of case studies from different parts of the world in order to demonstrate that capacity development should be central focus of future strategies on irrigation and drainage. This publication contains a synthesis of the workshop as well as three keynote papers prepared for the workshop based on the available literature and experiences. The complete workshop materials, which include several country papers and complementary documents, are included on a CD-ROM that accompanies this document

Papers presented in the National Seminar on Subsurface Drainage organized by Rajasthan Agricultural Drainage Research Project at Jaipur in May 1995; also includes papers from other seminars and publications.

The literature review on “Institutional arrangements for land drainage in developing countries” provides an overview over irrigation and drainage development, drainage problems and, in particular, displays the institutional arrangements in selected countries (Egypt, India, Peru, the Philippines and South Africa). India, the Philippines and South Africa are countries where IWMI is interested in carrying out research on the relationship between the effectiveness of institutions and performance; Egypt has developed institutions capable of addressing drainage needs; Peru is in the process of establishing Autonomous Hydrological Basin Authorities for catchment-wide management of water resources including drainage.