Summary of Terminal Evaluation
I. Outline of the ProjectCountry: People's Republic of China Project title: Model Project for Water-saving Irrigation of theEnvironmental Conservation Type in Grassland Areas
Issue/Sector: Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries- Cooperation scheme: Technical Cooperation Project
Agriculture-Agriculture/General
Division in charge:

Total cost (estimated at completion of the Project): 320 million yen

Period of(R/D): From June 1, Partner Country’s Implementing Organization: Ministry of Water
Cooperation 2007 to May 31, 2011 Resources and China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center
Supporting Organization in Japan: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries
1 Background of the ProjectIn the arid/semiarid land of northwest China, the devastation of grassland and its desertification isin progress due to human factors, such as over cultivation and overgrazing, and due to natural factors,
such as climate change. Due to such conditions, it is presently estimated that 2 million ha of grassland
are turning into wasteland every year. In other words, 65% of all grasslands in China are in danger ofdevastation. Presently, only 10% of the grasslands are unaffected by desertification, etc. Because of thedevastation of grassland, the natural environment is also deteriorating, and the decline of vegetation
percentage is causing dust damage, such as yellow sand, soil erosion and heavy sediment influx intonear by rivers.
The Chinese Government is attempting to recover the vegetation of grassland and to improve theecology by such activities as stopping farming and grazing, based on the reality that deterioration of theecology is due to grassland devastation and desertification. The Government has also established agrazing management system (grazing prohibition, grazing cessation, circular grazing, etc.) combinedwith stall-feed. At the same time and as part of this system the Government is carrying out activities torealize long-term forage production, including creating artificial grasslands.
It is necessary to supply water with irrigation facilities to improve the productivity of forage inartificial grasslands. However, the technical level of in-situ existing irrigation facilities is low; requires
improvement in terms of designing, construction and maintenance. For this reason, the Ministry of
Water Resources has come to recognized that the installation of irrigation facilities in the artificial
grasslands areas is an important activity for a certain period of time into the future. For example the“Ecosystem and water resources security plan for grazing grasslands in the national livestock grazing
areas” in China plans to install irrigation facilities and spread water-saving irrigation technology.
However, in most of target areas, grazing has been the main activity for centuries, with slight
experience in the installation of irrigation facilities that are based on the natural conditions, such as theamount of water resource available. Further, a water-saving irrigation method in the artificial grasslands
that can be used as a model does not exist; herders do not have experience with irrigation farming, nor
is there a system to use water effectively, for example.
Considering this background, in order to establish a reasonable, planned water-saving irrigation
system within the grazing grasslands, the Chinese Government requested the technical cooperation
project, namely, the “Model project of water-saving irrigation of the environmental conservation type ingrassland areas” to the Japanese Government.

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2 Project Overview(1) Long-term Goal
The livelihood of farmers and herders, and the ecology is improved through sustainable
farming/grazing in the arid/semi-arid area of China, where the ecology is deteriorating heavily due tosuch factors as desertification.
(2) Overall Goal
In the important target sector of the plan, namely, “Ecosystem and water resources security planfor grazing grasslands in the national livestock grazing areas” in China (abbreviated as ‘SecurityPlan‘ hereinafter), which is based on the ’Water-saving Irrigation Facility Installation Plan in Artificial
Grasslands (distribution and selection of facilities, selection of water-saving irrigation methods and thefacility operation plan)‘ (abbreviated as ’Installation Plan‘ hereinafter), the best farming(stock-farming) practices are carried out and the grazing pressure on the natural grassland is
subsequently reduced.
(3) Project Purpose
Planning method of the Installation Plan is established as the model to spread the Security Plan
into important target areas.
(4) Outputs
1) The planning manual of the Installation Plan is drawn-up.
2) The impact of the Installation Plan is examined in the model sites.
3) Training contents aimed at spreading the planning method of the Installation Plan is drawn up,
and subsequently training of engineers is carried out in the main target area of the Security Plan.
(5) Inputs
Japanese side:
Long-term Expert: Total 6 persons; Short-term Expert: Total 4 persons
Trainees dispatched to Japan: 26 trainees, Provision of equipment: Total 5.34 million Yuan (67million yen)Japan’s cost expenditure: 116 million yen
China side:
Counterpart: Total 72 persons; Local Cost: Total 5.58 million Yuan (70 million yen)
Provision of land and facilities: Office space for Japanese experts (in Beijing)
II. Evaluation Team
Members of
Evaluation Team

Period of
Evaluation

1) Team Leader: Mr. Shiro Akamatus, Senior Advisor (Rural Development),
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
2) Irrigation Technique: Mr. Mansaku Nomura, Deputy Director, Overseas Land
Improvement Cooperation Office, Design Division, Rural Development
Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
3) Project Management: Ms. Satomi Sato, Paddy Field Based Area Team I,
Rural Development Department, JICA
4) Evaluation Analysis: Mr. Isao Dojun, Chuo Kaihatsu Corporation
From Oct. 17, 2010 to Nov. 3, 2010
Type of Evaluation: Terminalviii

III. Results of Evaluation
1 Achievement(1) Output 1: The planning manual of the Installation Plan is drawn-up
Achievement: In December 2010, a committee designated to complete the manual’s composition will
be held. At the same time, the final planning manual of the Installation Plan will be reviewed. Also, theinstallation plan (final draft) of the model sites and the effect of installation on the area will beorganized as examples. According to the result of the questionnaire completed by the engineers in the
project area, the content of the plan is very favorably evaluated. Therefore, Output 1 will be achievedby the end of project period.
(2) Output 2: The impact of the Installation Plan is examined in the model sites.
Achievement: Demonstration test in the model sites was carried out as scheduled, and the target
herder’s awareness on water-conservation is improving. Also, the consumption volume of irrigationwater is nearly reduced to the target value (reduction by about 20%). In addition, the goal of forage
production volume/productivity per unit area has been attained. Therefore, Output 2 is almost achievedat the present stage.
(3) Output 3: Training contents aimed at spreading the planning method of the Installation Plan are
drawn up, and subsequently training of engineers is carried out in the main target area of the Security
Plan.
Achievement: The contents of the Training program are almost completed. According to the results of
the questionnaire completed by the engineers, the training contents are very favorably evaluated; thetrainees are very satisfied with the training program overall. Therefore, Output 3 will be achieved by
the end of project period.
(4) Project Purpose: Planning method of the Installation Plan is established as the model to spread the
Security Plan into important target areas.
Achievement:
1) The fourth draft manual of the Installation Plan is drawn-up. The manual composition committee,
which will be held in December 2010, will check the contents of final draft and confirm its publication(under the name of Farm Water-use Section, Ministry of Water Resources, China Irrigation andDrainage Development Center).
2) In the model sites of Hangjinqi, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and in the model site ofMurei Prefecture, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the degree of dependency on forage
produced in artificial grasslands were recorded as 35.8 % and 28.9%, respectively; the established goal
(35% and 25%) was achieved.
3) In December 2010 (or in 2011, depending on the state of implementation of the training plan in the
future), a meeting will be held regarding the contents of the training program, which will include a
section for the Ministry of Water Resources. The contents of this manual will be checked and approved
for use as the training material (under the name of Farm Water-use section, Ministry of Water
Resources, ‘China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center’).
Thus, the project purpose is expected to be met.

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2 Summary of Evaluation Results(1) Relevance: HighThe target area of the Project is located in an arid/semi-arid climate, and due to overgrazing withincreased number of livestock and insufficient installation of water-use facilities required for forage
growing, grasslands are increasingly becoming deteriorated and so livestock raising has become
negatively affected. Regarding the water-use facilities, a significant amount of irrigation water has been
lost within the farmland itself, as well as while flowing the distance from the water source to thefarmland. Moreover, herders have a significant demand on the installation of water-saving irrigation
facilities, while the administrative engineers in charge of the water-use facility construction, drasticallyneed to improve their ability to draw-up a water-saving installation plan. Also, both the areas selected
as model sites of this Project are of the typical nature of grasslands and pastoral lands in China;
validated the model sites selection.
The aim of this Project corresponds to the guideline, ’Outline of the Eleventh 5-year plan (2006 –2010) for National and Social Development of People’s Republic of China’, of the government and thebasic policy of “Ecosystem and water resources security plan for grazing grasslands in the national
livestock grazing areas” in China prepared by the Ministry of Water Resources.
Through manuals being drawn-up, demonstration tests being carried out and the enhanced abilityof the staff, the project content can be used to establish a model method in order to develop/carry out
the Installation Plan of artificial grasslands in the pastoral area. The approach of this Project is thereby
validated.
(2) Effectiveness: HighThe three achievements of this Project are: 1) Prepare a planning manual for the Installation Plan,
2) Examine the model sites impact of the Installation Plan; and 3) Prepare the training contents aimed at
spreading the planning method of the Installation Plan” method, and subsequently training of theengineers is carried out in the main target area of the Security Plan. All three of these objectives were
nearly attained at the present stage or will be certainly attained by the end of the Project period. In
addition, the Project Purpose, namely, the planning method of the Installation Plan is established as themodel to spread the Security Plan into important target areas, is almost attained at the present stage, andwill be sufficiently attained by the end of the Project period. Certain results have been achieved basedon the plan of oepration, and therefore this Project will have a very recognizable degree ofeffectiveness.
(3) Efficiency: HighThe input of Japan and China are suitable in terms of quantity, quality and timing, and in general
the Project activity was carried out on schedule. Corresponding to one of the proposal at the mid-term
review, namely, “quick input by short-term experts for effective timing and for effective field
instructions”, 4 short-term Japanese experts were dispatched and effective technical transfer was carriedout. Due to the civil disturbance in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, since July 2009 for about
1 year, the Japanese experts could not visit that model site. However, the counterpart of the district has
been in contact with the Beijing office for discussion, and major issues in the progress of activity havenot been occurred. Since the input and activity of this Project was suitable, and because the threeachievements mentioned above are almost attained even at the present stage, the efficiency of thisProject is evaluated as being high.

x(4) Impact
1) Prospect of achieving the Overall Goal
The Chinese Government aims to expand the water-saving irrigation area of the artificial
grasslands, and the index is to be based on the Installation Plan carried out by the Ministry of Water
Resources. The area of irrigated artificial grasslands (including re-developed area) will then expand to
30,000ha (450,000 mu)” and is estimated to be basically achieved within 5 years. Additionally, during
demonstration test it was evidenced that within the 2 model sites of this Project, dependence on theforage produced in the artificial grassland amounted to 35.8% and 28.9%, respectively. The simple
average is 32.4%. If dependency rate on forage produced in artificial grassland reaches the same levelin other grasslands in the future, grazing pressure to other natural grasslands will be reduced. Thus, theOverall Goal is assumed to be sufficiently achieved.
2) Other Impacta) In the model sites of Hangjinqi, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, there were visitorsfrom other districts to inspect the management conditions of the model herder (herder Mr. Sutoand others). Herders in the model sites accepted the intention of the Ministry of Water Resources,
and they were instructed and then they constructed their own water-saving irrigation facilities,
while underlining that eventually experts should carried out construction works.
b) In the Murei prefecture of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the same type ofwater-saving irrigation facilities as in the model site is being introduced. For example, under thegovernment’s support (subsidy), water-saving irrigation facilities have been introduced to the landarea of about 5,000mu (about 333ha), which coinside with about 200 herder homes, where crops
such as alfalfa, wheat and green peas are also grown. In addition, herders around the model site
have become influenced by the efficient crop farming in the nearby water-saving irrigation facility
model site, and as such they started to introduce on a voluntary basis the same type of facility as
well as to grow forage crops too.
(5) Sustainability
It is very likely that policy, organization, finance and technology aimed at independent future
growth will be secured.
1) Policy aspect
As written in the section of “(1)Relevance”, the Chinese Government continues to recognize
clearly as important the following policy activities: i) implementation of a grassland and grazingbalance system, ii) promotion of grazing prohibition/cessation and iii) circular grazing, development ofstall-feed, grassland cultivation and water-use facility construction in the pastoral area. In line with this,the Ministry of Water Resources maintains a policy to promote the actively of the irrigation project in
the pastoral area focusing on creating artificial grasslands with water-saving irrigation.
2) Organizational and Financial aspects
The China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center, one of the counterpart organizations of
this Project, was organized and established in 1993 to develop/spread irrigation and drainage
technology throughout the country and to develop human resources under the cooperation of Japan. The

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Center is under the direct control of the Ministry of Water Resources. Also, the Center takes
responsibility of such activities as the examination/promotion of the Ministry of Water Resources’s
policy. Thus, after the Project ends, the counterpart will be fully capable to carry out continually the
improvement of the ability of the engineers in the area where important pastoral districts are included,
while giving due regards to both organization and finances of the area. Further, the relatedorganizations within the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region, in charge of the activity in the model sites, have improved their organizations to
instruct/manage the introduction of suitable water-saving irrigation to artificial grasslands based on the
Installation Plan through this Project. Both Regions will continue to develop irrigation activities in the
pastoral area well into the future; budget to this end is expected to be secured.
3) Technical sustainability
The counterpart of the Ministry of Water Resources and ‘China Irrigation and Drainage
Development Center’, after receiving various opinions on the project from related engineers andthereby making necessary preparations, the final version of the planning manual of the Installation Planand its related training contents is to be prepared. In addition to the Manual, based on the results of theactivity in the model sites, examples will be collected. The counterpart of this Project has been carryingout this activity including the drawing up of the installation plan in model sites, instruction ofdemonstration test, etc. as well as monitoring. It is assumed that the counterpart has acquired sufficientknow-how to promote water-saving irrigation installation in pastoral area. After the Project, it will bepossible to establish water-saving irrigation technology methodology through the
instruction/introduction received from the achievements of this Project (Manual, demonstration andtraining contents) through meetings or in training of engineers who engage in water-use activities inpastoral area.
3. Factors that promoted the realization of effects
The model sites are very far from Beijing, in terms of time and distance, where experts are staying.
Also, since July 2009 for about 1 year, the Japanese experts could not traveled to or stay in the modelsite of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. However, as the result of detailed adjustment anddiscussion carried out with the Chinese counterpart organization, without any major influence evengiven such restrictions as distance, the project activities were carried out almost on schedule. The lineof direction/command of the Chinese organization is correctly functioning, and this would be one of thefactors to identify time-line implementation.
4. Factors that impeded the realization of effects
None
5. Conclusion
The three results of this Project are: 1) Prepare a manual, 2) Verify the water-saving irrigation
effects in model sites, and 3) Complete the training contents and commence engineer training. Each ofthese goals is expected to be achieved by the end of the Project period. Besides, the Project Purpose,
namely, ‘Planning method of the Installation Plan is established as the model to spread to important
target areas of the Security Plan’ is also expected to be achieved. Relevance, effectiveness andefficiency of this Project are showing significant results, and a positive impact is confirmed by the
spreading to these results to other areas around the model sites. It is very possible that policy,xii

organization and technology will independently grow in the future. Using the achievements of thisProject, this project is expected to contribute to the eco-system conservation of the grasslands throughthe introduction of suitable water-saving irrigation to pastoral area.
From the above, the Project Purpose is expected to be achieved by the end of the Project period,
and thus it is appropriate to closeout this project on May 31st, 2011 as initially scheduled.
6. Recommendations
6-1 Recommendation on the activities to be carried out during the remaining period of the Project(1) Complete the draft Installation Plan Manual based on the plan of operation.
(2) Collect the results of the demonstrations that were carried out in the model sites.
(3) Complete the training contents based on the results of the training of about 70 staffs as scheduled in
the future and carry out a surrey questionnaire at that time as well.
(4) At the end of the Project period, make a presentation using the verified data obtained from themodel sites wherever possible, presenting the results to those who are related but represent a wide
variety of fields, and to introduce and briefly explain the completed Manual.
(5) Develop a training plan for irrigation engineers of the pastoral areas that have been carried out by
the ‘China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center’, etc. (The training plan should be spreadthroughout an entire year of activity, and include a number of trainees, provide the location oftarget trainees and training contents.)
6-2 Recommendations after the termination of the Project(1) The engagement of central government is very important when promoting water-use activates ofthe local government. Thus, it is desirable that the central government be continually involved in the
Project for the foreseeable future.
(2)

Continual monitoring
The Chinese counterpart are required to monitor continually the condition on water-saving
irrigation activity achievements of the project in the artificial grasslands, which are going to be carriedout as well as to improve the condition as the need arises.
7. Lessons Learned
In general, the project was smoothly carried out as planned. This is due to the close cooperation
system between the ‘China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center’ and Japanese experts, eventhough the demonstration project sites are located a significant distance from Beijing where the experts
resided.

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