Environmental Impacts of Irrigation Projects
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 112, Issue 4
Abstract
With the increasing population of the world, the area of irrigated agriculture will have to be increased in order to provide food and work for the people. Data presented at the World Food Conference held in Rome in 1974 indicated that new irrigation programs should provide water for additional 23,000,000 hectares in 10 years. Many new irrigation projects will have to be undertaken and run‐down systems will have to be rehabilitated and properly maintained, primarily in the developing countries to meet the needs of additional irrigated agriculture. Degradation of land by waterlogging and salinity is a common by‐produtft of irrigation. The extension of irrigation can also carry with it the increased threat of health hazards particularly due to the diseases of malaria and schistosomiasis. This paper reviews the environmental impacts of irrigation projects with particular reference to developing countries. It also suggests guidelines at the formulation stage of irrigation projects for minimizing their adverse effects on the environment. Some relevant policy issues for irrigation development have been identified.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Biswas, M. R., and Biswas, A. K., Eds. Food, Climate and Man, John Wiley and Sons, New York, N.Y., 1979.
2.
Canter, L. W., “Impact Studies for Dams and Reservoirs,” Water Power and Dam Construction, Vol. 35, No. 7, 1983, pp. 18–23.
3.
Dee, N., Baker, J., Drobny, N., Duke, K., Whitman, I., and Fahringer, D., “An Environmental Evaluation System for Water Resource Planning,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 9, No. 3, 1973, pp. 523–535.
4.
Donald, C. M., “Irrigation in World Agriculture,” Man‐Made Lakes and Human Health, Stanley and Alpers, Eds., Academic Press Inc., New York, N.Y., 1975, pp. 89–102.
5.
Farid, M. A., “The Aswan High Dam Development Project,” Man‐Made Lakes and Human Health, Stanley and Alpers, Eds., Academic Press Inc., New York, N.Y., 1975, pp. 89–102.
6.
Finkel, H. F., “Health Hazards of Irrigation,” CRC Handbook of Irrigation Technology, Vol. 1, CRC Press Inc., 1982, pp. 47–59.
7.
Framji, K. K., and Mahajan, I. K., Irrigation and Drainage in the World, Caxton Press, New Delhi, India, 1969.
8.
Fukuda, H., Irrigation in the World‐Comparative Developments, University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, Japan, 1976.
9.
Goldman, C. R., “Ecological Aspects of Water Development in the Tropics,” Unasylva, Vol. 31, Nos. 1–3, 1979, pp. 2–11.
10.
Hagan, R. M., and Roberts, E. B., “Ecological Impacts of Water Projects in California,” Journal of the Irrigation and Drainage Division, ASCE, Vol. 98, No. IR1, Jan., 1972, pp. 25–48.
11.
Holy, M., “The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage,” Arid Land Irrigation in Developing Countries—Environmental Problems and Effects, E. B. Worthington, Ed., Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 1977, pp. 441–442.
12.
Hotes, F. L., and Pearson, E. A., “Effects of Irrigation on Water Quality,” Arid Land Irrigation in Developing Countries—Environmental Problems and Effects, E. B. Worthington, Ed., Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 1977, pp. 127–158.
13.
Houston, C. E., “Irrigation Development in the World,” Arid Land Irrigation in Developing Countries—Environmental Problems and Effects, E. B. Worthington, Ed., Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 1977, pp. 425–432.
14.
Interim Mekong Committee, Environmental Impact Assessment—Guidelines for Application to Tropical River Basin Development, Mekong Secretariat, Bangkok, Thailand, 1982, pp. 1–117.
15.
Jensen, M. E., Ed., Design and Operation of Farm Irrigation Systems, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 1983, pp. 69–73.
16.
Levine, G., and Wickham, T., “Some Critical Issues in Irrigation Planning for Southeast Asia,” Proceedings, Seminar on Water Resources Problems in Developing Countries, Bulletin No. 3, Economic Development Center, Univ. of Minnesota, City, Minn., 1977.
17.
Lohani, B. N., and Kan, S. A., “Environmental Evaluation for Water Resources in Thailand,” Wafer Resources Development, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1983, pp. 185–195.
18.
Lowdermilk, M. K., Clyma, W., and Early, A. C., “Physical and Socio‐economic Dynamics of Irrigation in Pakistan,” Legal Institutional and Social Aspects of Irrigation and Drainage and Water Resources Planning and Management, Proceedings, ASCE, Speciality Conference, 1978.
19.
Mather, T. H., “Environmental Management for Vector Control in Rice Fields,” FAO Irrigation and Drainage, paper 41, 1984.
20.
O'Banion, K., “Use of Value Functions in Environmental Decision,” Environmental Management, Vol. 4, No. 1, 1980, pp. 3–6.
21.
Stanley, N. F., and Alpers, M. P., Eds., Man‐Made Lakes and Human Health, Academic Press Inc., New York, N.Y., 1975.
22.
Steinberg, D. I., “Irrigation and AID's Experience—A Consideration Based on Evaluations,” AID Program Evaluation Report No. 8, U.S. Agency for International Development, 1983.
23.
Taba, A. H., “The Influence of Irrigation on Mankind,” Arid Land Irrigation in Developing Countries—Environmental Problems and Effects, E. B. Worthington, Ed., Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 1977, pp. 433–435.
24.
U.N. ESCAP, “Development Strategies for the 1980s in South Asia,” Development Paper No. 1, Bangkok, Thailand, 1981.
25.
U.S. Agency for International Development, Environmental Assessment Manual, 1974, pp. 25–28.
26.
Varallyay, G., “Soil Water Problems Related to Salinity and Alkalinity in Irrigated Lands,” Arid Land Irrigation in Developing Countries—Environmental Problems and Effects, E. B. Worthington, Ed., Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 1977, pp. 251–264.
27.
Varshney, D. V., “Case Studies from India on the Environmental Impact of Dams,” Water Power and Dam Construction, Vol. 36, No. 10, 1984, pp. 25–28.
28.
Verma, R. D., “Technology Transfer for the Irrigation Planning of Arid Lands (Case Study of Rajasthan Canal Project),” Proceedings, 2nd International Conference on Transfer of Water Resources Knowledge, held at Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, Colo., 1977.
29.
Verma, R. D., “Agricultural Development Policies for Arid Lands,” Proceedings, 6th World Congress of Engineers and Architects held at Tel‐Aviv, Israel, 1983.
30.
Welbank, M., “Irrigation and People,” Environmental Impacts of International Civil Engineering Projects and Practices, C. G. Gunnerson and J. M. Kalbermatten, Eds., ASCE, 1978.
31.
Worthington, E. B., Ed., Arid Land Irrigation in Developing Countries—Environmental Problems and Effects, Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 1977.
32.
Yotopoulos, P. A., “The Strategy of Irrigated Agricultural Development,” Irrigation and Agricultural Development, S. S. Johl, Ed., published for the United Nations by Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 1980, pp. 31–40.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 ASCE.
History
Published online: Nov 1, 1986
Published in print: Nov 1986
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.