| Abstrakt: |
In Zambia, simple weir technology is increasingly gaining popularity as an alternative method for river water diversion among rural small-scale farmers. The now widely-adopted technology was first introduced in the Northern Province region of Zambia to promote small-scale irrigation in local communities. These small-scale facilities are constructed across the width of the river using forest materials such as poles, twigs, thatching grass, and tree bark strips. These types of irrigation structures produce an adequate head of water enough for the diversion of water from the river into a canal conveying water for irrigation. However, simple weirs that farmers have been constructing with forest materials are observed to experience challenges such as breaching, and often break down and collapse within six to seven months. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the characteristics of simple weirs constructed by farmers on a self-help basis for community-based small-scale irrigation schemes in the Luapula, Muchinga, and Northern Province regions of Zambia. We observed the simple weirs constructed before the start of irrigation season (May) and simple weirs built in the operational phase (May-November) and we characterized simple weirs as 1) single-line weir, 2) inclined weir, 3) trigonal weir, and 4) double-line weir. The results show an improvement in the irrigated area by small-scale farmers since the introduction of simple weirs. The findings revealed that challenges that were often encountered on the simple weirs were not solely caused by river flooding, but also by compromises in the construction, inconsistencies in maintenance, and lack of measures to sustain and protect the weirs. It was also observed that simple weirs in operation were regularly maintained and repaired during the irrigation season. Despite the challenges farmers were experiencing with the simple weirs, farmers persistently conducted maintenance activities, replaced worn-out poles and thatching grass and de-silted before the start of the irrigation season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
