Resumen de Small-scale irrigation in developing countries
This paper introduces the issue of small-scale irrigation in the context of current international concern over the sustainability of development. It provides a background for the five more specialized papers which follow. A common theme is the distinction between the disappointing performance of externally imposed and managed schemes and the greater success of irrigation which is initiated and controlled by the farmers themselves. The importance of learning from past mistakes is stressed, both in developing new schemes and in rehabilitating old ones. Water is often not sufficiently valued; legislation to ensure more equitable distribution and to increase efficiency and sustainability of use is widely needed. The question of whether irrigation development is necessary is discussed; improving rainfed farming or introducing supplementary irrigation for critical periods may be preferable. Where indigenous irrigation already exists it is often of great importance, and would benefit from access to more information and assistance.
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