ICID AnnuAl RepoRt • 2010-11 Outcome of 6th Asian Regional Conference


In most Asian countries, food security involves provision of irrigation service to many small holders with landholding sizes often considerably less than one hectare, especially in densely populated countries like China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Most of the staple food in the region is produced by these smallholders.


A smallholder focus in the region is therefore a prerequisite for successful irrigation management, efficient water use and food security. For such smallholder focus a better understanding is required not only of their present socio-economic situation within the institutional, technical and management environment of irrigated agriculture in which they are operate but also of the trends that influence irrigated agriculture in general and their future livelihoods in particular. The following are the conclusions and recommendations of the 6th ARC:


 Most of the food production in the region is done by smallholders, part of the poorest segment of the population. Food production and their livelihoods are seriously affected by the conversion of irrigated land because of urbanization. Urbanization also provides opportunities for diversified and high value agriculture.


 The gradual decline in interest of the better educated young generations to contribute smallholder farming and the marketing and off-farm income opportunities for smallholders brought by urbanization provide an opportunity for up-scaling of farm holdings if the continuous change of farmland ownership to “city” people can be channeled in a “productive” direction.


 The improvement of irrigation and drainage efficiency under smallholder conditions can only be farmers’ priority if it improves their livelihoods. Their limited financial capacity to pay irrigation service fees or to invest in improvement of technology is obvious. Affordable technologies and credit facilities to finance their investments need to be available and should not be cumbersome. If not, they continue to need additional off-farm income to improve their livelihoods in view of the limitation in possibilities for sustainable increase in productivity in the smallest of smallholdings to ensure their families basic needs.


 Maintaining the food security targets should go hand in hand with improvement of smallholders’ livelihoods and of


increased land and water productivity. More resilient farming practices, irrigation services and adapted infrastructure are needed to cope with increasing climate variability and water scarcity situation. Better environmental and water quality management in catchments, rivers and irrigation areas is necessary for water security and sustainable food production.


 To meet these challenges Governments are called upon to direct agriculture policies and support programs towards generation of more and sustainable off-farm employment by developing local agro-industries, providing affordable credit systems and access to markets. Governments need to develop a vision and facilitate the transition process from the present smallholder systems to future socially responsible commercial farming entrepreneurs while facilitating the development of WUA and WUAF towards integrated water, agriculture and eco-system managers to make them the guardians of the environment.


 Knowledge Institutions need to contribute by collecting and synthesizing experiences to identify and develop best practices and approaches for scaling up of integrated WUA / WUAFs as water, agriculture and eco-system managers. They also need in collaboration with the government and private sector to develop and test approaches for managing the medium to long term transition from smallholder based farming to commercial collective or large scale farming and agro-enterprising. This needs further development and introduction of affordable, water-efficient, climate change resilient and eco-friendly technologies to enhance smallholders’ productivity and improve their livelihoods.


 Agricultural services and irrigation and drainage management agencies as service providers need to effectively engage the smallholders’ WUA / WUAFs as partners in all aspects of development and management, in a coherent and coordinated way, especially with their adaptation to urbanization, industrialization, land conversion and climate change.


 International organizations and financing institutions need to stimulate debate and research, and facilitate international dialogue on the challenges of and options for irrigated smallholder agriculture in urbanizing and industrializing societies.


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