Uneven Irrigation and economic inequalities: exploring the connection

Irrigation development is widely recognised as a key instrument to boost livelihoods and food security, particularly in rural developing areas. While improved water supply can help reduce average poverty levels, uneven access to sufficient and reliable irrigation water can also result in aggravated economic disparities. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses, this article explores the impact that uneven irrigation water supply has on two smallholder irrigation schemes in southern Tanzania. The results reveal that inequality of water supply is a major concern for most irrigators and that farmers who receive inadequate water supply are affected in a number of ways. These include reduced crop yields, greater uncertainty, worsened working conditions, inability to cultivate their own land, higher risk of land turning unproductive and higher financial losses. While Tanzania’s water and irrigation national legislation mandates equity of water supply, the problem persists within smallholder systems due to a complex combination of issues, including inability to measure water supplies, poor infrastructure maintenance and lack of adequate regulations at local levels.