Community Irrigation Project

Closed

The Project goal is to promote inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable management of water and land resources. Its specific objective is to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability by improving access to irrigation, with a particular focus on marginal and smallholders currently having little access to irrigation, through community-based and/or sector private minor/micro irrigation, with strong, demand-driven stakeholder involvement and a decentralized approach. The project will comprise: (i) developing community-based or private minor/micro irrigation for the poor; (ii) renovating minor farmer-managed irrigation systems through local bodies; (iii) sustaining the institutionalization of irrigation management transfer of a limited number of government-managed irrigation systems; and (iv) policy and institutional strengthening of water resoruces management and irrigation service delivery, including operation of IWRM in priority river basins. Community-based irrigation interventions will include (a) establishment/strengthening of water users associations (WUAs), (b) provision of credit (for minor/micro irrigation) and/or irrigation infastructure, and (c) agricultural extension and rural livelihood maintenance support.