Irrigation sector assessment : USAID/Haiti

The assessment covers infrastructure, sedimentation and its impact, system operation and water management efficiency, administrative issues, water charges and use efficiency, choice of irrigation water management technology, and institutional arrangements. The assessment"s planning implications are analyzed in detail; stress is laid on solving key operational problems regarding the amount of water Haitian institutions are allowed to divert, the use of all the country"s water resources, and equity in meeting the demands of agricultural and non-agricultural users. Recommendations include, inter alia, establishing an adequate irrigation data base, developing and impartially enforcing adequate water use laws, assuring operation and maintenance entities with adequate operating budgets, extending on-farm water management and agronomic research information, and controlling soil erosion through revegetation and construction of dams and large terrace systems. A 4-page bibliography (1937-85) is included among the appendices.