Water Resources Agriculture planning challenges for LAO PDR

Water Resources & Agriculture: planning & challenges for LAO PDR Presented by Mr. Phouthone SIRIPHANTHONG Deputy Director of O&M Division Department of Irrigation, MAF. 1

Contents I. III. IV. Irrigation Sector Overview Irrigation Development Lessons learnt National Strategy and Policy direction in Irrigated Agriculture Sector 2

I. Irrigation Sector Overview Irrigation sector has been given an important mandate to achieve national food security and commodity production. The Irrigation Development Program is aimed at increasing rural incomes and stabilizing rice availability by expanding irrigated areas for both wet season and dry season production and to improve the operation and maintenance of existing irrigation systems. 3

I. Irrigation sector Overview. (Continue) Some of the water resource issues identified under the Irrigation Development Plan are the: (i) need for participation of farmers and communities for effective and sustainable use of all resources; (ii) need for efficient use of water for increased agricultural system performance; (iii) concern for watershed degradation; and (iv) insufficient funds to provide timely and adequate GOL support to the sector, at all levels. The Irrigation Strategy recognizes the need for: (i) A participatory approach to ensure the participation of farmers, as well as district and provincial officials; (ii) Training in technical matters related to irrigation; (iii) Decentralization of responsibility for decision making to the provincial level with related administrative change; and (iv) High levels of capital investment. 4

II. Irrigation Development. Irrigation sector went through a radical transformation in the 90’s with the boom in pumped irrigation, promoted to attain rice self-sufficiency, at that time, the main objective of national policy. Through the National Pump Installation and Management Project, Go. L installed, between 1996 and 2000, more than 7, 000 diesel or electric pumps in villages along the Mekong and its main tributaries. In most of the cases, government technical services constructed the headworks but, as funds were insufficient, the distribution network was left to village community. 5

II. Irrigation Development (Continue) Dry season irrigated areas increased from a 50. 000 hectares in 1997, to 120. 000 hectares in 2007. Although concentrated mainly in the southern part of the country, including some Mekong River District These efforts (along with agricultural research successes on rice varieties improvements) significantly contributed to increase rice production. In 2000, Go. L declared rice self sufficiency nation wide. The Mekong River Provinces have contributed most to this increase in productivity 6

II. Irrigation Development (Continue) 7

III. Lessons Learnt Irrigation development has focused on food security with a small window for agricultural commodity production. Government has largely invested in the construction of irrigation systems especially under Pump Irrigation Priority Projects. There was large participation from the local communities, so, an irrigation management transfer (IMT) policy and regulations was developed and applied. Water user groups and associations were established in almost all irrigation systems; hence, new water management mechanisms such as the collection of water fees, the development of O&M and Village Development Funds were made. 8

III. Lessons Learnt (Continue) Yet, the production in irrigated areas has largely decreased. Problems with efficiency in operation and maintenance. (is IMT the right approach? ) Changing role of irrigation sector in agriculture development - should go further than the design and construction of irrigation systems. There many critical related activities, which have not been properly addressed by our sub-sector for example; ◦ crops extension considered as the task of the Agriculture Sub. Sector; ◦ planning for operation and maintenance of irrigation considered as the task of the provinces and water user organizations Mekong River districts have more access to water, transport of goods to markets and have increased production. They have more resources to purchase spare parts and maintain equipment. 9

IV. National Strategy and Policy direction in Irrigated Agriculture Sector Irrigated Agriculture is an important contributor to the achievement of the goals of NSEDP 2001 -2020 New strategy would need to be more holistic than in the past Irrigation development initiatives need to consider many factor, not only those related to the infrastructure New strategy should refer to irrigation as “irrigated agriculture” rather than “irrigation engineering” 10

The wider environment The irrigated agriculture sub-sector Political factors Economic factors Inputs: -Land & water Outputs: -Labor Market -Technology -Seed Irrigated Agriculture: crop production -Fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides -Main products -by-products Market Waste -Others -others Technology factors Socio-cultural factors Legal factors 11

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THANK YOU 13