Sustainability Assessment Of Doni Sifa Small-Scale Irrigation Scheme In Upper Awash River Basin

Abstract

This Study Was Conducted With A General Aim Of Assessing The Sustainability Of Doni Sifa Small-Scale Irrigation Scheme In Upper Awash River Basin. The Specific Objectives Of The Study Were To Determine The Current Status Of The Irrigation Scheme, Analyze The Technical, Environmental, Socio-Economic And Institutional Sustainability Of The System, Determine The Problems Associated With Sustainability, And Propose/Recommend Possible Measures To Enhance The Sustainability Of The System. Primary And Secondary Data Were Gathered To Achieve The Objectives Of This Study. The Primary Data Were Collected Using: Survey Questionnaires, Interviewing The Beneficiaries, Focus Group Discussion And Field Observations. In Addition To Primary Data, Secondary Data Were Collected From Several Sources, Which Include Meteorological Data, Maps And Soils Data Of The Study Area. A Descriptive Analysis Was Used To Analyzed Qualitative Data; The Microsoft Excel Was Used For The Analysis Of Quantitative Data. The Result Of 40 Years Awash River Stream Flow Analysis Indicated That 2,959,000m3 Water Is Available On The Month Of Oct11-March And The Required Amount Of Water For The Scheme Was 468,000m3; It Clearly Shows The Scheme Is Free From Water Availability Problem. However, It Was Found That There Was A Shortage Of Irrigation Water In The Study Area Which Caused Conflicts Among Farmers. It Was Also Found That Most Of The System???S Structures Were In Very Poor Conditions. Moreover, The Area Has 125% Cropping Intensity Which Is Very Low And Diversity, Flooded Once Or More A Year But There Was No Severe Fertility Problem. Environmental Sustainability Indicators Showed That Some Portions Of The Study Area Were Severely Degraded, And The Fields Were Highly Exposed To Wind And Water Erosion As Evidenced By The Formation Of Gullies. The Farmers Do Not Practice Any Conservation Measures And Poorly Managed The Irrigation Water Indicating A Need For Capacity Building. The Economic Analysis Also Found That The Scheme Irr, Gross B/C And Net B/C Ratio Was -1%, 0.66 And 0.27 Respectively Which Is Unsustainable From The Economic Point Of View. The Overall Condition Of The Scheme From Technical, Environmental, Socio- Economic And Institutional Point Of View Was Unsustainable. To Address This Problem, A Set Of Possible Measures Were Recommended For The Scheme