Groundwater Irrigation Development and Sustainability in Raya Valley Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Dependence on rain-fed agriculture not only reduces productivity but also greatly increases growth volatility of the agriculture sector and the vulnerability of the poor. Use of groundwater for irrigation is rapidly increasing since recently to bring numerous socioeconomic benefits to smallholder farmers by growing more crops and minimize the impact of rainfall variability and seasonal drought. Irrigation can improve crop production, reduce yield variability and increase income of the beneficiary farm households. Installation of groundwater irrigation system requires large initial investments and once installed is relatively irreversible for reasonably long-time. Irrigation development including groundwater irrigation has taken as one of the pillars for the modernization of the agriculture sector in Ethiopia. Irrigation development programme is one of the pro-poor investments undertaken by the state in Ethiopia and such a pro-poor public investment is crucial to the farm community at grassroots level. Raya Valley is one of the potential areas for groundwater irrigation development to compensate the frequent drought happening due to weather variability. The development of groundwater irrigation infrastructure has both positive and negative effects subject to efficient and sustainable use of the resource by the beneficiary farm households and their water user associations (WUAs).

Key Words: Development, Groundwater, Irrigation, Farm households, Water User Associations