IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2023) 14-1

Research article
erd

ResearchImpact of a Drip Irrigation System on Planning andarticle
Management of Water Delivery in a Large-Scale Irrigation
Scheme in Morocco

DAYYABU MUHAMMAD ZAHARADDEEN*
United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
Email: talk2deenee@yahoo.com

KATSUYUKI SHIMIZU
Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori, JapanYURI YAMAZAKI
Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

VINAY NANGIAInternational Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Rabat, Morocco

ANAS MANSOURIInternational Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Rabat, Morocco

MOHAMED BELAARABI
Regional Office for Agricultural Development in Tadla (ORMVAT), Morocco

LAHCEN OUSSTOUS
Regional Office for Agricultural Development in Tadla (ORMVAT), Morocco
Received 19 January 2023

Accepted 10 May 2023(*Corresponding Author)

Abstract Increasing water scarcity is lowering the agricultural production of the Tadla region
in Morocco. This necessitates the Moroccan government to actively stimulate farmers about
converting their irrigation systems from surface irrigation (furrow) to drip irrigation andsubsidize the investment costs by 80%–100%. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the impactof the drip irrigation system on the planning and management of water delivery after theconversion program from surface (furrow) irrigation to drip irrigation in the Beni Amir
irrigation district on the right side of the Tadla region. The water management practices before
and after conversion were gathered through discussions and interviews with officials andrepresentatives of the management team responsible for the study irrigation scheme. An open
questionnaire survey was also conducted, focusing on farmers' irrigation management
practices such as on-farm water distribution methods, application rate, water adequacy, andequity water satisfaction level before and after conversion, and the results were analyzed bypaying attention to their farms' upstream, midstream, and downstream locations. The analysis
reveals that most of the interviewed farmers indicated satisfaction with equitable waterdistribution. Some variations in the water management system may occur due to theconversion project, such as an increase in irrigation time and increased cost and labor in watermanagement. These will have an impact on the CDA's (Agriculture Development Center)overall water management monitoring and planning at the tertiary canal, as well as farmers'
water management labor.
Keywords water scarcity, surface irrigation, drip irrigation, water management

INTRODUCTIONⒸ ISERD

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IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2023) 14-1

Morocco is among the most water-stressed countries in the world. Since the late 1970s, Morocco has
seen its water inflows (from surface water) decline, from an annual average of 22 billion m3 between
1945 and 1978 to an annual average of 15 billion m3 between 1979 and 2018 (World Bank, 2022).
The main strategy for adaptation to climate change in this region is the conversion from surface
irrigation to drip irrigation. Consequently, the region needs rational and sustainable management ofirrigation water. One of the solutions to save water in this area is to optimize irrigation inputs basedon water availability and agricultural water demand according to the real needs of crops and inagreement with their phenological development. This necessitates the Moroccan government toactively stimulate farmers about converting their irrigation systems from surface irrigation (furrow)to drip irrigation and subsidize the investment costs by 80%–100%. Farmers owning more than 5 hacan apply for a subsidy of 80%, while those with 5 ha or less can apply for subsidies of 100%. Thesesubsidies are part of the National Irrigation Water Saving Plan of 2007, which was summarized in
the Green Morocco Plan in 2008. The National Irrigation Water Saving Plan aims to counterbalance
the water deficits that the country faces. According to the plan, stimulating the conversion of 550,000
ha (of these, 217,940 ha will be through collective conversion and 332,060 ha through individual
conversion (Belghiti, 2009)).
The Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) of the 1970s attempted to establish the water user’s
association (WUA) after government-built irrigation facilities and transferred management to theWUA. Also, in participatory irrigation management (PIM) proposed by the World Bank since the1990s, beneficiary farmers' participation in all irrigation development processes (construction,operation, management, and maintenance) has been required (Samad and Vermillion, 1999). Many
researchers have proposed ways to manage and regulate the allocation and distribution of commonly
held resources by human communities. Elinor Ostrom's framework has inspired a robust commons
literature that investigates how human communities manage and regulate the allocation anddistribution of commonly held resources. The earliest, and perhaps most well-known, strand in thiscommon’s literature deals with the distribution of natural resources, with an emphasis on the use or
consumption of these resources (Azergun, 2020). Eight frameworks were designated by Ostrom forequitable and effective management of the commons (the commons are those things or resources thatpeople own together), which requires both effective institutional arrangements and shared social
capital among system participants (Ostrom, 2009; Ostrom et al., 2003).
OBJECTIVE
A brief survey was conducted to clarify the impact of drip irrigation on the planning and managementof water delivery after the conversion program from surface to drip irrigation at the Beni Amir
irrigation scheme in the Tadla region. The data collected and the results analyzed can be used as
preliminary findings to guide future research.
METHODOLOGY
Study Area
The Beni Amir irrigation district is located on the right side of the irrigated perimeter of the Tadla
region in the southwest of Morocco and has a total irrigated area of 34,000 ha. The outline of theBeni Amir irrigation district is shown in Fig. 1. The study area is in the arid and semi-arid regions,receiving about 300 mm of rainfall per year, most of which is received during the rainy season from
November to March. The main crops are alfalfa, olives, maize, fruits (citrus), sugar beets, wheat, andvegetables. The irrigation water source is the Ahmed El Hansali Dam reservoir. Water released fromthe dam is distributed to the fields via the main, lateral (14 canals), and tertiary canals. Surface
irrigation has been commonly practiced, and drip irrigation has been recently introduced under theGreen Morocco Plan.

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IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2023) 14-1Fig. 1 The outline of the study area
The red line is the main canal, and the numbers represent farm blocks served by 14 lateral canals.

Data Collection and Analysis Methods
Data were gathered through discussions and interviews with officials and members of the irrigation
scheme's management team. The layout of the irrigation system of the Beni Amir irrigation district
was collected from the Regional Office on Agriculture Enhancement, Tadla (ORMVAT). Regarding
the management and operation of the irrigation organization, a guided discussion was held with theresponsible management team, which is Watershed Management Agency (ABHOER). An open
questionnaire survey with 13 farmers (4 farmers at upstream, 5 farmers at midstream, and 4 atdownstream locations) was conducted. The information gathered consists of farmers’ socioeconomicconditions, farming methods, satisfaction levels for water sufficiency and equity, and some of theirchallenges regarding the newly introduced drip irrigation methods. The questions were asked
individually through a face-to-face interview with farmers in the study of irrigation scheme. The fieldsurvey was conducted in September 2022, and it was an extreme drought year when compared withthe last 20 years' record of rainfall data. Also, Farmers were unable to obtain water from the dam dueto the drought, so they dug deeper wells up to 500 meters to get water. This eventually led to an
overuse of groundwater, which has resulted in decreased quality and quantity for many farmers. The
water management structure and distribution systems of the Beni Amir irrigation scheme wereinvestigated before the conversion.
The irrigation scheme has established water management organizations in which government
agencies control, plan, and decide on water distribution methods for beneficial farmers. This is a rarecase in the management of public irrigation schemes. Although there is WUA, it does not function
regarding PIM. In an ideal situation, WUA, which is composed of beneficiary farmers, takes on theresponsibilities of operation, management, and maintenance of the irrigation systems after theirdevelopment through the PIM concept. Hence, it may be required to investigate how equitable water
distribution was accomplished without the PIM concept of water management. Elinor Ostromsuggests 8 frameworks to initiate sound collective action for equitable and sustainable commonsmanagement, which it seeks to employ in various scales and configurations. Therefore, Ostrom’sframeworks were used to diagnose the current water management system of the Beni Amir irrigation
scheme.
Water Management System and PlanningIn each irrigation season, the water delivery plan from the dam to the Beni Amir irrigation district isdecided in consultation with ABHOER, which is responsible for water resources management in theTadla region, and ORMVAT, which is responsible for water distribution planning and managementin the irrigation districts of the Tadla region. The amount of water to be distributed is communicatedto the Agriculture Development Center (CDA), which is responsible for managing the distributionof water to the tertiary canals. The CDA coordinates the farmers' requests for water distribution,
determines the date, time, and volume of water to be distributed to each field, and distributes water
to the tertiary canals. The responsibility of water distribution in the field canals is left to each farmer
during his scheduled irrigation period, which is decided by the ORMVAT and ABHOER (KatsuyukiⒸ ISERD40

IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2023) 14-1

et al., 2022). The schematic diagram of water supply and management responsibilities is shown inFig. 2.

Fig. 2 The schematic diagram of water supply and responsibilities for management
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
General Evaluation of Water Management Concerning Ostrom’s 8 Frameworks
for Managing the Commons
The survey result in Fig. 3 revealed that even though the study irrigation scheme is run by governmentorganizations, the majority of farmers who were surveyed expressed satisfaction with how fairly
water is distributed and managed. As a result, it is necessary to examine how equitable water
distribution was accomplished without the PIM concept of the water management system.

Fig. 3 Survey result of farmer’s satisfaction with equity water distribution
The Beni Amir irrigation scheme's adherence to the eight frameworks for managing thecommons with the rules employed in water management and planning will help explain how it wasable to sustain itself without using the PIM concept while still providing fair water distribution tofarmers.
Table 1 demonstrated that the 8 management frameworks proposed by Elinor Ostrom had been
adhered to. This supported the irrigation system's successful management and equitable waterdistribution to farmers.

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Table 1 Eight frameworks of managing the common by Elinor Ostrom
Nos.

8 Frameworks of managing the common by Elinor Ostrom

12345678

Commons need to have clearly defined boundaries
Rules should fit local circumstances
Participatory decision-making is vital
Commons must be monitored
Sanctions for those who abuse the commons should be graduatedConflict resolution should be easily accessible
Commons need the right to organize
Commons work best when nested within larger networks

ResultYes
Yes
Yes (by Govt)Yes
Yes (by Govt)
Yes
Yes (by Govt)
Yes (by Govt)

Effect of Change to Drip Irrigation on Water Management
The conversion is done in such a way that farmers utilize the tertiary canals to get and store water in
the newly constructed small pond for drip irrigation purposes. The storage capacity of the pond forfarmers with less than 5 ha is 3,200 m3 (20 m x 20 m x 8 m) and is connected to the tertiary canal as
the main water source. Water is temporarily stored before being pumped to the overhead tank andused for drip irrigation. Therefore, farmers can store water during their scheduled rotation time anduse it for drip irrigation as needed.
The findings of this study indicated that the conversion project may cause certain changes to thewater management system, which could have an impact on the CDA's and farmers' long-termmonitoring and planning of water use. The changes are highlighted below.
Storing More Water in the Newly Constructed Small Ponds for Drip Irrigation
Farmers have a chance to store enough water more than is required during their existing scheduled
rotation time. If before the conversion, 3 hours were scheduled for each farmer, now that farmers canstore water, they may need at most 24 hours (30 l/s X 3600 X 24 = 2,592 m 3) to be able to haveenough water to pump to their overhead tank. Therefore, the average water rotation time will
increase, making it difficult to adjust with non-converted farmers to achieve equity in water
distribution during times of scarcity.
The ability of farmers to divert and store adequate water during their unscheduled rotation phase
may lead to an increase in water theft. Therefore, CDA will increase the level of supervision andmonitoring. Consequently, the CDA's labor and water management costs will rise as well. However,when there is enough water in their ponds, farmers can schedule their irrigation period as desired.
Farmers will then spend less time managing their water resources.
Change in the Cropping Pattern
According to the survey, most of the farmers’ cropping patterns changed after the conversion to drip
irrigation. Before the conversion, farmers usually plant cereal and forage crops such as maize, alfalfa,etc. to provide food for their livestock. After the conversion, farmers are now planting fruit trees,
particularly citrus and olive trees, as they are high-value crops and to compensate for the running
expenses of drip irrigation. The non-converted farmers may require more water to irrigate their cereal
and forage crops through surface irrigation. Since the CDA allocates an equivalent amount of water
to farmers before the conversion, the water allocation plan will change with the conversion. This will
also affect the water scheduling plans of both the CDA and the farmers to suit each farmer’s irrigation
method.
Farmers’ Low Capacity for Using Drip IrrigationⒸ ISERD42IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development (2023) 14-1

The survey showed that many farmers have limited knowledge about the operation and maintenanceof drip irrigation. This makes them reluctant to introduce the conversion project. The partial
conversion of some farms may require regular monitoring and supervision to ensure proper
scheduling is followed. This will increase the CDA's water management labor and costs.
Increase in Groundwater Use
Farmers are now able to pump water from wells and store it in their small ponds. This will increase
groundwater withdrawal and may lead to groundwater overexploitation. The impact of theoverexploitation of groundwater resources on their quantity and quality can be witnessed by many
farmers, as discussed during the survey. Also, farmers increased the frequency and duration of theirirrigation after the conversion project. Due to the extreme drought of the year 2022, farmers cannot
get water from the canals. Therefore, most farmers try to deepen their wells to about 500 m to getadequate water to store in their small ponds.
CONCLUSION
The impact of the drip irrigation system on water delivery planning and management following theconversion of surface (furrow) irrigation to drip irrigation was studied. Based on the findings, thefollowing were concluded.
(1) Farmers had equitable water distribution, as most farmers interviewed expressed satisfaction withequitable water distribution. Compliance with Ostrom’s eight frameworks may aid in the successful
management of the irrigation system and equitable water distribution to farmers.
(2) Some changes occur as a result of the conversion project, which may have an impact on theCDA's and farmers' overall water management monitoring and planning. These include as follows;(i) Storing more water in the newly constructed small ponds for drip irrigation(ii) Change in the cropping pattern(iii) Farmers’ low capacity for using drip irrigation(iv) Increase in groundwater use
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by IPDRE, Tottori University.
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