Scarcity and surfeit : the ecology of Africa's conflicts

Spilling Bhd over Water? The Case of Ethiopia 259

Table 2: Estimated existing irrigation schemes by category52

I

Public irrigation schemes 61 060 1

I btqlw~

Modem communal schemes

/ Total area cumnfly under irri&on I 161 136 I

Hectors

30 662

Box 3: Types of irrigation schemes found in Ethiopias3

Smaltscale [opproximoleby 64 000 hectares in 1995): These consist of a single peason:

a-iation [the local odministro:ive arm), up to 200 heclaies in size. for which ossistcKe in

development or improvement is carried out an a self-help boris with some sup~r: from :he

Ministry of Agriculture. About 359 000 formers benefit fcom trodilionol, smalkale irrigc:%x

systems.

Modern private schemes

. Mediumscale [approximateh/ 44 000 heclores in 1995): These schemes ronge in size
between 200 and 3 000 hectares. and include several pwsont associations. They require
geoter government osistance. predominately through the Minisln/ of Waei R-ices
[AbWRI. At firs1 intended as a self-help, lowcos~ method of cgricul;ural developmen:. hey
were later modified for commercial production of coffee, sugar and comn.
. Largescale (approximateh/ 90 000 hedares in 19951: These ore cenliolh/ mowed stc*
forms for commeiciol produc~ion, and are 3 000 hecbres or grmler in size. Bey are
planned and designed by the MoWR and constructed under its supervision.

5414

Irrigation Potential

Between 1.8 and 3.74 million hectares of land are suitable for irrigation in
Ethiopia, including 165 000 to 400 000 hectares that are more suited to small-
scale irrigation development. However, there is a lack of adequate information
on irrigation in Ethiopia. The River Abbay in the Nile River Basin has the high-
est irrigation potential." At present, large and medium-scale irrigation covers
less than one percent of the Nile River Basin, which is nonetheless the largest
percentage of any basin in Ethi~pia.~~
Estimates from 1988 put the cost of developing large-scale irrigation
schemes at between US$18 000 and USS25 000 per hectare, without
accounting for the cost of water storage. Costs for developing medium-scale