Introduction to Field work

Initial diagnosis of water flows in

an SSI irrigation scheme

MSc programme in Irrigation Engineering & Management

Objectives
 1. to make a preliminary diagnosis of functioning of a
particular part of an irrigation scheme at a particular
time
 2. to become familiar with flow estimations - and with
drawing on information from the field (observations and
interviews) to understand why flows are as they are

 The assignment is basically about mapping the water

flow in a canal and creating an understanding why the
water flow is as it is
The assignment
 1. Map the water flows in your canal at a
particular time
 2. On the basis of your observations and
interviews make a write a preliminary* analysis
of the particular irrigation situation which you
observed in the canal. Address (see Mollinga et
al. 2014):
 a. The technical control in the canal
 b. The organisational control
 c. The political control of water in the canal
Important notice:
 Write about the situation you encounter in
practice - of how you see or how people from the
tell you the canal, organisation etc. is functioning
 (and NOT about how the canal and the
organisation are supposed to be functioning)

 Writing good notes during the interview is not

always possible. But make sure that you work
out detailed field notes on the same day.
Make sure you gather information
about:
 Water demand: Who needs/which crops need water at the
moment of your observation?
 Water supply: Which parts of the canal get water at the moment
of your observation

 Water arrangements: e.g the questions in the PIAD guide by

Beekman et al (2014):
 How is water distributed between the users? What kind of
agreements are there about this? How does it work in practice?
 Who is involved practically in managing water use: the farmers
themselves, husbands, wives or children, laborers?
 When someone wants to open another irrigated field, what needs
to be done in terms of permissions and collaboration? Who
decides?
 Why are things done as they are?
Suggested time division:

 Morning 1: Make a sketch drawing of the canal and the

infrastructure in it (formal and informal). Estimate (using the
float method) and map the water flows in the canal at various
sections and add with arrows your estimates of different flows
into the canal and flows out of the canal.
 Make notes about the how the water is flowing at different
points of your interest (for example at head end, tail end,
structures - offtakes - any point of your interest)
Suggested time division:
 Afternoon 1, day 2 and day 3:
Interview people who have in interest in the command area of
the canal. Depending on their availability you can. Introduce
yourself briefly to all people and make clear that you will not
pay them for the interview. Depending on their time you can
make transect walks (PIAD guide) and/or do interviews at
particular locations along the canal.

 Day 4: report writing (use not more than 4000 words) and/or
preparation of a presentation
 Day 5: presentations
 The report is due one week after the presentation.
 If possible include pictures and figures in the report
Suggestion of layout for the sections of
your report
1.Introduction
2.Research question of the report
3.Dimension 1: Preliminary analysis of water use
activities
4.Dimension 2: Preliminary analysis of infrastructure
activities
5.Dimension 3: Preliminary analysis of organisation
activities
6.Conclusion
7.References
  
  
Write detailed field notes:example
Observation: 21 July 2010

Encounter between Development Agent (with me) with Ageda (41 year
old man from Godewoch)

DA: Hello how are you [ usual greetings ] both are fine
DA: how’s your hybrid maize growing?
Agede: It has not germinated yet, because there was no rain when I
planted it [I was a bit surprised as it had rained almost every day the
past 10 days].  
We saw the plot and indeed, only very flew plants had come out in the
10 days they were planted. The DA inspected the plot and asked to
find the seed. Aje agede was digging with his hand and found a seed.
Field notes example (continued)
DA: it is sewn to too deep. [said it in paternalistic way, acted
very much like an expert]
Agede: The goth leader – Belabil Taso – says that in his view
my checkdams are a good model for other. What kind of gift
(teshela mi) can I expect from the government?
DA: I have no gift but if you want to fence your gully, I’ll support
the iron rope and nails for that.
Agede: The farmer on the other side of the gully, from Awash
village, damaged it [the checkdam] because he feared that
the construction could start harming his side of the small
gully (1.50 meter) [through different meandering or through
scouring around the structure]. He wants to keep the flow
through the drainage channel as it is.
Remarks/ Questions?