Track: Agriculture
Reorganizing Management: Map Use and Geographic Information Systems-Keys in Managing Canal Irrigation
Frank R. HauganFarmers becoming involved in canal maintenance and management is an increased trend in many government-managed irrigation systems in Sri Lanka. The challenge of the next decade seems to be the development of sustainable management patterns for settlement agriculture. In order to meet this challenge, a question whether maps can improve communication difficulties between farmer representatives and field staff of Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL) is just. In 1996, the government established an Institutional Development Unit as a separate section in MASL to address the challenge of sustainable management patterns. This paper presents the findings from seven months of fieldwork and explores the interest, knowledge, and use of maps among officials and representatives of farmer organizations in the Mahaweli area system C in Sri Lanka. The question whether GIS can be regarded as appropriate technology in this context is also addressed. It is found that the common man in Sri Lanka and the field staff of MASL rarely make use of maps. It is also found that the maps available in the Mahaweli organization are of poor quality. It is argued that interventions aimed at handing over management responsibilities to farmer organizations would be more effective if introduction of maps and map use is taken into consideration.
Frank R. Haugan
Fjellanger Wideroe Ltd.
,
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail: frank.haugan@FW.no