1st Edition

A Tradition in Transition, Water Management Reforms and Indigenous Spate Irrigation Systems in Eritrea PhD, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

By Abraham Mehari Haile Copyright 2007
    212 Pages 25 Color & 25 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    212 Pages
    by CRC Press

    An in-depth assessment of the century-old Wadi Laba indigenous spate irrigation system  in Eritrea.  This system has relied on earthern and brushwood structures and customary water rules to support subsistence livelihoods of the Wadi Laba communities for many years.  This research analyses the effectiveness of the introduction of contemporary water laws and a new headwork which endevour to increase production and standard of living. The lack of success of the new approach, compared with traditional methods of water management are discussed.

    CONTENTS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, SUMMARY, 1 COUNTRY BACKGROUND, 2 RESEARCH BACKGROUND, 3 PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF SPATE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, 4 THE STUDY SITE: THE WADI LABA SPATE IRRIGATION SYSTEM, 5. INDIGENOUS WATER RIGHTS, RULES AND MANAGEMENT BEFORE AND AFTER WATER MANAGEMENT REFORMS, 6. MODELING SOIL MOISTURE AND ASSESSING ITS IMPACTS ON WATER SHARING AND CROP YIELD, 7 HYDRAULIC PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AFTER WATER MANAGEMENT REFORMS, 8. SALINITY AND SODICITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON CROP YIELD AND SOIL INFILTRATION RATE, 9. NUTRIENT AND SEDIMENT YIELD ANALYSES FOR THE FLOOD WATER AND IRRIGATED FIELDS, 10 EVALUATION, REFERENCES, APPENDIX 1: Wetted Cross-sectional Area, Velocity and Discharge Data, APPENDIX 2: Climatic and Evapotranspiration Data, APPENDIX 3: The Soil Water Atmosphere Plant Model (SWAP) Input Data, APPENDIX 4: Water Balance Simulation Results Obtained from the Soil Water Accounting Model (SWAM), APPENDIX 5: Water Balance Simulation Results Obtained from the Soil Water Atmosphere Plant Model (SWAP), SYMBOLS, ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY, SAMENVATTING, ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Biography

    Abraham Mehari Haile