Assessment of Irrigation Scheme Failure Factors: a Case Study on Marza Irrigation Scheme Fogera, Amhara, Ethiopia

• Published in: Water conservation science and engineering Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 465 - 474
• Main Authors: Mulugeta, Temesgen, Ayele, Workineh Tadesse
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.12.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture; Community involvement; Community participation; Construction; Crops; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Evaluation; Failure; Global positioning systems; GPS; Hydraulics; Hydrologic data; Hydrology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Irrigation; Irrigation systems; Original Paper; Performance evaluation; Rain; Rainfall; River banks; Rivers; Soil conservation; Spatial data; Structural stability; Sustainable Development; Water consumption; Water Industry/Water Technologies; Water users; Ethiopia; Irrigation; SCS; River diversion failure; Failure
• ISSN: 2366-3340; 2364-5687
• DOI: 10.1007/s41101-022-00155-y

The failure factors of Marza small-scale irrigation schemes were used to evaluate the Marza small-scale irrigation system. Primary and secondary data were used to identify important failure variables in this investigation. Primary data included field observations and measurements, GPS data, and focus group discussions, while secondary data included design documentation, Woreda annual reports, and rainfall data. The research area’s watershed discharge was estimated using ArcGIS 10.5 software and Soil Conservation System methodologies. In the laboratory, the physical features of the soil at the weir location were investigated. The project’s structural components have already deteriorated, including the gates, main canal, crossing structures, division boxes, upstream wing walls, and riverbank, rendering the system unusable. The main causes of this failure were improper weir site planning, weir component design, bad construction, floods from the catchment and canal section, sedimentation, structural instability, and foundation challenges, which were all investigated in the scheme. Lack of effective community participation, the absence of water users’ associations, and a lack of training and monitoring were all factors. Institutional, social, and operational factors all play a role in some of the issues. As a result, this research provides recommendations on how to maintain current irrigation schemes as well as how to evaluate the causes of scheme failure while developing a new one.