WEDC Technical Brief No. 42: Small-scale irrigation design

Small-scale irrigation can be defined as irrigation, usually on small plots, in which small farmers have the controlling influence, using a level of technology which they can operate and maintain effectively. Small-scale irrigation is, therefore, farmer-managed: farmers must be involved in the design process and, in particular, with decisions about boundaries, the layout of the canals, and the position of outlets and bridges. Although some small-scale irrigation systems serve an individual farm household,. most serve a group of farmers, typically comprising between 5 and 50 households.