Irrigation Water Management and Livelihood System of Farm Households: A Case Study of Improved and Unimproved Irrigation System Areas in the Northern Delta

Abstract

Irrigation improvement projects in Egypt intended to modernize irrigation systems include organizational changes in the management of irrigation by farmers. This chapter, from the socioeconomic point of view, aims to clarify and compare the state of farmers in two different areas equipped with improved and unimproved (traditional) irrigation systems. Two branch irrigation canals were selected for the study; the improved Bahr El Nour and traditional Abshan canals in the Beila District, Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, one of the major paddy production regions. This study examined the potential livelihood outcomes by devising a typology of farming/household systems including biophysical characteristics, respondents’ socioeconomic characteristics and coping strategies in the two areas. A sample of 400 farmer respondents, 200 from each area, was selected using the multi-stage random sampling procedure. The results indicated that the differences between the two areas are based on several structural variables. Regardless of the issue of irrigation efficiency, access to the land and other material resources is still the most influential issue in determining the livelihood of farm households.