Benchmarking and Assessment of Irrigation Management Transfer Effects on Irrigation Performance in Turkey

The objectives of this study are to identify irrigation management transfer effects on irrigation performance and to benchmark public irrigation schemes and transferred irrigation schemes. In this study, benchmarking performance indicators were applied both on state-managed and transferred irrigation schemes. Based on 1995-2002 data, following results were obtained for performance indicators of state-managed schemes: Water Delivery per Command Area (WDCA): 3547-6500 m3 ha-1 Water Delivery per Irrigated Area (WDIA): 10054-13603 m3 ha-1; Relative Water Supply (RWS): 2.33-3.49; Gross Value of Output for Command Area (GVPCA): 710-1775 $ ha-1; Gross Value of Output for Irrigated Area (GVPIA); 1937-3550 $ ha-1; Gross Value of Output for Irrigation Supply (GVPIS); 0.19-0.31 $ m-3; Gross Value of Output for Water Consumed (GVPWC); 0.55-0.78 $ m-3. For the same period following results were derived in transferred schemes: water delivery per command area: 6431-7933 m3 ha-1; water delivery per irrigated area: 9127-11320 m3 ha-1; relative water supply: 2.05-2.45; gross value of output for command area: 1166-2265 $ ha-1; gross value of output for irrigated area; 1635-3121 $ ha-1; gross value of output for irrigation supply; 0.18-0.31 $ m-3; gross value of output for water consumed; 0.41-0.70 $ m-3. Amount of water used was more than required amounts and performances were low in both schemes. However, irrigation performance was higher in the transferred schemes than state-managed ones. Since water savings were increased by developing a sense of ownership concept during the post-transfer in transferred schemes and more efficient water use was provided.