SPIS Toolbox - Review Potential Risks and Impacts
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5. Review Potential Risks and Impacts
Through a thorough review of the risks and impacts related to the abstraction of water from available water sources, the agricultural advisor or development practitioner (the promoter) will be able to identify the limits and restrictions of the irrigation development that is envisaged.
The preceding steps aim to gather information on the available water quantities and usage rights. In many countries, information is held by different authorities and often fragmented or incomplete. Thus, it is important that the promoter triangulates information from different relevant sources. This may be public authorities, water user associations, water professionals as well as scientific institutions dealing with local water management.
- Especially when it comes to hydrological data and estimates of available quantities, it is important to note that stable conditions within the water cycle are rarely found. Climate variability and change as well as upstream water developments may change the predicted water quantities used in the design of an irrigation system. This may relate as to the overall quantities as to seasonal fluctuations.
- Changes in water availability may pose a risk to the farm productivity and thereby to the financial viability of a project.
- Water rights and abstraction permit are mandatory for the setup of an irrigation project. Non-compliance with the water regulations may result in penalties, legal prosecution and lead to the suspension of the project.
- It is important to check, if and how water withdrawal is regulated in detail within these permits. Furthermore, farmer organizations or water user groups can provide information on available water quantities and perhaps schedules and utilization restrictions.
- Subsidizing or financing bodies may have particular obligations/restrictions with regard to the irrigation development if financial support is provided – this may relate to the type of irrigation, the system size, the productive use and also to the adherence of sustainability principles in water abstraction and use.
Recommendation: The review of potential risks and impacts of an irrigation development should rest upon official and reliable information gathered in the preceding steps. The process of planning and designing an irrigation system should only be continued with a valid licenses or permits to abstract water.
Summing up the water-related issues raised in this module, it is crucial that – apart from public regulation – also each irrigation farmer is aware about their role and risks with regard to the shared water resources. During the planning of solar powered irrigation, these critical issues concerning potential risks and their impact on the project should be addressed:
| Key Question Area | Critical Issues |
Possible Consequence |
| Water availability and licensing |
No availability of license/permit |
No basis for system development Need to identify alternative site |
| Insufficient water availability in quantity or quality |
Need to adapt system size and design Seasonal operation limitations Risk of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts | |
| Restrictions/limitations on use |
Need to adapt production Potential danger of lacking financial viability | |
| High costs of water (subscription and quantity-based consumption) |
Need to adapt production Potential danger of lacking financial viability | |
| Water management and governance |
Other users affected by water abstraction |
Adaptation of water abstraction to harmonized schedule Need to adapt operation and production |
| Restrictions/limitations prescribed by legislation/by-laws |
Adaptation of water abstraction to harmonized schedule Need to adapt operation and production | |
| Prescription of operation principles and technical design specifications |
Need to adapt system design Need to adapt operation and production Potential danger of lacking financial viability | |
| Need to invest into supplementary monitoring and into joint installations |
Need to adapt system design Potential danger of lacking financial viability | |
| Water source planning |
Limited sustainable yield of water source |
Need to rehabilitate/expand source installation Need to adapt system design Seasonal operation limitations Risk of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts |
| Need to share with other users |
Need to rehabilitate/expand source installation Need for agreements and co-management Seasonal operation limitations Risk of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts | |
| Water source planning independently from irrigation system design/planning |
Potential danger of over- or under-dimensioning of source installation Risk of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts Potential danger of lacking financial viability | |
| Water source planning without hydrological investigation |
Potential danger of over- or under-dimensioning of source installation Risk of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts Potential danger of lacking financial viability | |
| Technical design and planning |
Irrigation system design and planning independently from water source planning |
Insufficient adaption of system design to water availability Potential danger of over- or under-dimensioning of irrigation system Risk of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts Need to adapt production Potential danger of lacking financial viability |
| Irrigation system design and planning without agronomic planning |
Potential danger of over- or under-dimensioning of irrigation system Need to adapt production Potential danger of lacking financial viability | |
| Irrigation system design and planning based on blue print model |
Insufficient adaption of system design to water availability Potential danger of over- or under-dimensioning of irrigation system Risk of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts Need to adapt production Potential danger of lacking financial viability | |
| Irrigation system design and planning limited due to prescriptions from subsidiz-ing/financing authority |
Insufficient adaption of system design to water availability Potential danger of over- or under-dimensioning of source installation Risk of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts Need to adapt production Potential danger of lacking financial viability |
A key aspect in the assessment is that none of the question areas can be reviewed independently, because they are strongly interlinked.
At various points, the assessment may identify risks of overutilization of water sources, leading to negative environmental and economic impacts. As outlined in the preceding process steps this risk relates to a wide range of negative impacts:
Ecological impacts of overexploitation of water resources
- Dewatering/drying of biotopes and dying of vegetation;
- Soil degradation;
- Reduction of water levels/flow in surface waters;
- Pollution and salinization of water resources.
Economic impacts of overutilization of water resources
- Increased cost of pumping due to deeper exploitation (higher energy input, larger pumps);
- Increased cost due to treatment requirement of polluted/saline water;
- Limitations in irrigation due to periodic drying/flow reduction of water sources;
Social impacts of overutilization of water resources
- User conflicts due to decreased availability of water;
- Discrimination/marginalization of users with limited financial resources due to drying of open/shallow wells (and inability to invest in even more exploitation);
- Endangered drinking water supply due to competition between irrigation and human water supply.
Outcome/Product
- General analysis of risks and impacts of SPIS project;
- Identification of potential risks endangering viability of SPIS project;
- Check if interdependent factors have been considered.
Data Requirements
- Information on water availability and abstraction regulations and legislation;
- Information on water management and governance framework/organizations;
- Information of system design prescriptions/obligations from subsidizing / financing bodies;
- Data on water source features and capacities;
- Data on water requirements of irrigation system components.
Important Issues
- No irrigation system development can take place without a legal water abstraction license / water rights;
- Water abstraction quotas are binding and constitute the maximum water availability for peak demand;
- Coordination between stakeholder of the design and planning is not a given, but has to be promoted actively;
- Triangulation (using different information sources) is required to obtain a realistic and comprehensive overview;
- Irrigation systems must be embedded in the hydrological, social and economic context of the region. Blueprint systems should be avoided.
People/Stakeholders
- Farmer and Agricultural Advisor;
- Water Resource Management and Licensing Authorities;
- Hydrological Services;
- Farmer Organization / Water User Group;
- Well Contractor;
- Manufacturer and Technology Provider;
- Subsidizing/Financing Body.
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