Abstract

Solomon Habtu*

Most of the livelihoods in developing countries (70% in Africa) still highly depend on agriculture while population, water scarcity, and global demand for fresh water by multi-sectors increase from time to time. Among all sectors, irrigation, consuming huge (about 90%) amount of the total, is supposed to fill the limitations of unreliable rainfed agriculture through increased crop productivity to satisfy food demand and inputs for industrial development particularly in developing countries. However, the so far irrigation development has been improperly managed with restricted focus towards construction of hydraulic infrastructures while its organizational issues are being overlooked. Consequently, many of the irrigation schemes do not sustain and perform as per their design expectations in addressing the shortcomings of rainfed agriculture. The unintended malfunctioning of most irrigation schemes could be due to lack of inclusive, integrated and practicable irrigation management guidelines. A literature review was, thus, carried out to consolidate various irrigation management concepts and approaches that may serve as irrigation guides in dealing with management gaps and performance evaluations under specific scheme circumstances as a contribution to self-food security and sustainable development in developing countries. Most of the reviewed literatures agreed that revolution of irrigation management through modernization and reengineering concepts with focus to both “infrastructural” and “organizational” aspects of irrigation systems and various approaches (through ensuring participation in decision making process, conducting regional/spatial/analysis of demand and resources, modernization and optimization, water saving agriculture, etc.) can be consolidated under the umbrella of “Integrated Water Resource Management” in every or cluster of schemes as guide to fix irrigation management problems in those developing countries in particular. Yet, implementation of high tech approaches such as that of “Real-Time Irrigation Scheduling System” can also be an option in realizing better water management in the long run.