Hi Douglas, I am not an ...
Published by Abraham Abhishek
Hi Douglas,
I am not an engineer.I am trained in social development/ communication and have been working with the Spate Irrigation Network for the past 5 years, and with communities practicing spate irrigation in Ethiopia and Sudan.
My understanding is that what spate irrigation systems aim to manage are seasonal flows in ephemeral rivers in semi-arid areas. The systems are about water diversion, but also about using seasonal water for as big a part of the year as possible. So soil moisture retention techniques (such as mulching), water use economy, choice of crops (water-efficient varieties), groundwater recharge (for use during dry seasons)... these are all elements of the 'system;' they make up the spate agronomy.
I also notice that in spate systems the slope are in play much more than in systems based on flood water spreading. So you are dealing with much stronger flows and bigger sediments.
For more information please see our website (http://spate-irrigation.org/spate-irrigation-network/)
1 Comment
Dear Abraham,
This phD thesis gives you an accurate idea of what spate irrigation is, through a concrete case study (in Eritrea):
http://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/fulltext/199032
It is from 2001, but the principle remains the same, except for all new technologies which came in between, for water retention, as an example.
Good luck,
Laurent H. Selles
Published by Laurent Selles, WIPO Green Board Advisor, Geneva