Water and Land Management Institute, Pratapnagari, Odisha, India
Online published on 9 February, 2012.
The concept of multifunctionality of irrigation water recognizes additional benefits of water use beyond basic food production. Rice farming is the predominant water user in the domain of agriculture water use subsystem mainly in the monsoon Asia. Agricultural water is not only vital for food production, but also provides a wide range of services related to society, culture and the environment. These multiple roles and values of agricultural water must be recognized, evaluated and taken into account for the development and management of water resources. This paper critically examines the multiple functions of irrigation water in rice farming. The constraints in realising the multifunctionality of irrigation water are also highlighted in this paper. The institutional support required to promote multiple roles of irrigation water are pointed out. The paper concludes that multifunctionality aspect of irrigated agriculture should find place in water resources planning, development and management to optimise benefits from irrigation and thereby justify huge investments in irrigation sector.
