WATER RESOURCES DEMAND MANAGEMENT FOR IRRIGATION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

MYANMAR

1. Current Status of Water Resources Demand Conditions and Demand Management Measures

(a) Situation

- Agriculture based economy

- Important issue of water resources management

- 233 Nos. of new irrigation facilities supply for demand area of (1.14) million ha

during last 2 decades

World Asia

Myanmar

Thail

and

Vietnam

Indonesia

Malaysi

a

Philippines

Lao PDR

Cambodia

China

Bangla

desh India0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Current irrigated area of Myanmar and neighboring countries

Percent

1. Current Status of Water Resources Demand Conditions and Demand Management Measures

(a) Situation

- Upsurge condition on agriculture and industry sectors.

- Agriculture sector is most fresh water use than the others.

Available fresh water resources/year (surface

+ ground water)

Water withdrawalsSector wise water use

Km3 /

year

m3/

capita/

year

Agriculture

(Km3/Year)

Domestic

(Km3/Year)

Industry

(Km3/Year)

Total

(Km3/Year)

1577 26.3 42

90 %

* 3

6 %

* 2

4 %

* 47

100 %

1. Current Status of Water Resources Demand Conditions and Demand Management Measures

(b) Demand forecasts for future

- Sufficient the food and surplus to export.

- Remaining irrigable area and abundant water resources

- Currently, 100 Nos. of new irrigation projects had been planned to cover for

(0.16) million ha.

1. Current Status of Water Resources Demand Conditions and Demand Management Measures

(c) Adaptation measures

- Disseminating the water management technology to farmers and WUGs.

- Surplus water reuse in downstream.

- Motivate to select the less water requirement crops for cultivation

1. Current Status of Water Resources Demand Conditions and Demand Management Measures

(d) Demand mitigation measures

- No serious problems for demand measures except in Central Dry Zone.

- In CDZ, river pumpings, overflow artesian tube wells and small tanks

construction projects are being implemented.

- Trans basin river water diversion projects for CDZ.

1. Current Status of Water Resources Demand Conditions and Demand Management Measures

(e) Demand respond plans

- Water distribution plan

- Rotation system or follow to cultivate less water requirement crops.

- Seasonal/Temporary embankments are constructed in late season for

supplementary water.

(f) Demand recovery plans

- Proper water distribution plan

- River/ground pumping works, small tanks, modulating dam projects

2. Demand Management Policies and Programs – National Level

(a) National level policies

Irrigation water management will effect on increasing of crop yield and targeted

irrigable area.

(i) To reduce the irrigation water losses

(ii) To select the proper cropping pattern for the season

(iii) To manage and consider the water requirement for each crop

2. Demand Management Policies and Programs – National Level

(b) National level policies that address demand for irrigation

- 3 % of total annual fresh water resources was used.

- Agricultural products and requirement is in balance condition.

- Myanmar has no specific policies that address demand for irrigation

- But in local level have some instructions.

- Crop water requirement rate (one acre per one cropping season)

(i) paddy – (7400 cubic meter)

(ii) cotton – (3700 cubic meter)

(iii) sugar cane – (4900 cubic meter)

(iv) beans, gram and pulse - (2500 cubic meter)

2. Demand Management Policies and Programs – National Level

(c) National demand management programs

- Providing on-farm WM trainings programs for farmers’ WUGs

- Land consolidation programs

- Appropriate cropping pattern selection

Irrigation/Dam project Number Beneficial area (Ha)

Myanmar ancient Kings’ era to up to date 371 1,684,956

No. Irrigation/Dam project Number Beneficial area (Ha)

1.

2.

On going projects

Under investigation

31

100

504,027

( + hydropower installation, 2036 MW)

160,005

Total 131 664,032

3. The Most Important Lessons Learned and Best Practices

1. Active cooperation between farmers and Irrigation Department

2. Appropriate cultivation with water rotation system

3. Convenient cropping pattern

4. Land consolidation

5. Farmers, organizers and supply side’s cooperation

6. More on-farm water management trainings for farmers

4. Problems and Challenges and Assistance required

(a) Three most important problems and challenges

- Weakness of Water User Groups (WUGs)

- Low canal efficiency

- Lack of Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) concept

4. Problems and Challenges and Assistance required

(b) Assistance requires

- Finance assistance

- Canal lining construction

- On-farm level investments

- Machineries

- Technical assistance

- Disseminate the PIM concept

- New irrigation methods- -

4. Problems and Challenges and Assistance required

(c) New demand initiatives

- Extension of new agriculture lands

- Increasing of the irrigated farm lands

- Extension of the urban area

- Increasing of the industrial zones

4. Problems and Challenges and Assistance required

(d) Mitigation/ Adaptation programs

- Village-wise small tanks in CDZ

- Trans basin water diversion projects

- On-farm water management farmers’ training

4. Problems and Challenges and Assistance required

(e) Most important factors to follow in demand management policies

- Poverty reduction and motivate to farmer for more investment and technical

know-how.

- Allow to cultivate the cash crops in irrigated area

- Promotion of Well-organized Water User Groups

- Promotion of farmers’ trainings

- Inviting participation from inside the country and abroad

5. Conclusion

- Big natural water resources of surface and underground nature.

- Cover for the future demand of agriculture, urbanization and industrial

development.

- Mitigate the demand problems by using reuse or recycle method

- Promote not only capacity building but also infrastructures

- Inviting advance technologies, investments and international cooperation

THANK YOU!