IRRIGATION - A BLESSING OR A CURSE

Irrigation is vital to the well being of the people in this world and plays a significant role in local, national, and international economics. However, irrigation also has created problems, such as salinization of land and water resources, adverse socio-economic and cultural effects, and environmental damage. Civilizations have risen and fallen with the growth and decline of their irrigation systems, while others have maintained sustainable irrigation for thousands of years. In the last century or so, many large and impressive irrigation projects have been installed as monuments to engineering technology. Often, these systems have centralized (top-down) management, which is not in the best interest of farmers and local people. Gradual development of existing local irrigation practices and farmer (bottom-up) management, while less spectacular, may ultimately be more successful. Many of the problems in irrigated agriculture can be mitigated or avoided by improved technology and management, and by adequately addressing cultural, social, and environmental aspects.