Background and Justification

Agriculture production in Iraq almost entirely relies upon irrigation. Total cultivated area was estimated at about 5.7 million ha. The total estimated arable area under irrigation stands at 3.0 to 3.5 million hectares of which 62.8% receives water through gravity irrigation projects, 36% pumped from rivers and major channels and 1.2% from groundwater aquifers and springs. The gross irrigation water requirements usually supplied from surface water resources, namely Euphrates and Tigris rivers and their tributaries, are estimated at 75 billion m3 annually.

Despite some attempts to improve irrigation efficiencies, irrigation water is still not efficiently used and often 60 % of the diverted water does not reach the crops.

Therefore, it is necessary to continue promoting the adoption of technological innovation among irrigation farmers, with view to achieving greater efficiency in the use of water and soil resources.

Objectives

      i.      The overall objective of the project is to have an efficient and effective management of irrigation water in order to secure a productive agriculture in the country.

    ii.      The immediate objective of the project is the development and testing of improved on farm irrigation methods that will contribute significantly to water management which enables efficient use of resources and water saving . There should be an emphasis on the water - saving potential of different irrigation and cropping methods and practices, in combination with crop /soil management.

Output

Assessment of existing water productivity and options for improved irrigation in Iraq.

Site Selection

Three irrigated areas with different irrigation systems i.e. gravity, sprinkler (solid set and center pivot) and drip, will be selected (Tameem, Diyalah and Babylon).

Activities

      i.      Assessment of major irrigated system agricultural productivity

    ii.      Analysis of the technical, socio-economical and institutional constraints to improve water productivity in irrigated areas

  iii.      Development of alternative options for improving water productivity in various environments.

  iv.      Adaptation of major results at Benchmark site in Egypt to irrigated areas.

Methodology

      i.      The team will develop questionere and data collection sheets for the assessment of water productivity

    ii.      Data will be collected and analysed and constraints which reduce productivity will be identified

  iii.      Training program for extension workers and farmers in irrigation techniques and practices. It would also include training on environmental aspects particularly where the use of agrochemicals is concerned, along with the mitigation of their environmental impact.

  iv.      Workshops will be held to discuss results of the work

Time Frame

The overall project duration is planed to be three years. At project inception a detailed work plan covering the activities of the project will be prepared in close cooperation with the appropriate institution of the Ministry of Agriculture and the university.