AID contract for on-farm water management to Colorado State University

Technologies that are being developed under the large scale-pilot project, On Farm Water Management (3910413) will be applied under this project. Colorado State University (CSU) will implement the project. Technologies that have been pilot-tested under Project 3910413 will be installed and evaluated on at least ten watercourse areas, preferably the same areas where the pilot project has been operating. These technologies will include: watercourse improvement; control structures; land shaping and farm field layout; augmentation of water supply with wells and on-farm storage; and optimal utilization of increased water supplies. Technical activities will include reconstruction of watercourses and control structures, analysis of farmer training and maintenance requirements for precision land leveling activities, analysis of crop water needs and cropping patterns; and field evaluations of tubewells and pumping devices. A major focus of the project will be economic analyses to determine the cost/benefit ratios of alternative technologies; these analyses will include economic and socioeconomic benchmark studies, farm management studies, and cost analyses. Secondly, CSU will develop materials and methodologies for training farmers in the water management technologies. CSU will also develop tools to measure the effectiveness of farmer organizations developed under the pilot project. Finally, a set of manuals that can be used in other developing countries to implement water management improvements will be prepared. Of particular importance will be the development of a model for transferring the pilot project"s experience to other parts of Pakistan and other developing countries.