Pywat Ywar irrigation project to irrigate Myanmar’s dry zone

He further added: "Empowering communities usually takes time. I hope the project is extended for another two years, so everybody can get used to this model."

Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT), International Water Management Institute are funding a pilot project for the farmers living in the central dry zone in Myanmar.

Mya Than, assistant director and chief of Sagaing district at Myanmar's Irrigation and Water Utilisation Management Division (IWUMD), feels the Pywat Ywar irrigation project will become a role model for the water and irrigation projects in the dry zone.

Through the project lives of the locals will be changed as the water management system will be improved and will help in growing more crops.

"We should apply this model to the other 300 irrigation projects in the dry zone. Now many villagers in this area know how to use water more efficiently and there will no longer be disputes over the allocation of water in the near future."

Through the projects, the farmers are encouraged to actively participate and get involved with the government in enhancing the performance of the Pywat Ywar irrigation project.

The project will be overlooked by Water User Association which will be a three committee set up including government officials and stakeholders.

The project was initially started in 2004. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and other NGOs are looking to invest USD 5 million with an aim of saving farms and food.

The project is going to be a boon for the people of Sagaing region as it will cut down conflicts, electricity wastage and inefficient usage of water. It will also improve food security, nutrition, crop diversity and the agriculture industry.

"Previously, a lot of water was lost. Irrigation staff and farmers had limited capacity for operating and maintaining water pumping facilities," said Lwin Oo, scheme manager and assistant engiฌneer at IWUMD.

He further added: "Empowering communities usually takes time. I hope the project is extended for another two years, so everybody can get used to this model."

Petra Schmitter, a researcher with IWMI, talking about the dry zone said: "because everybody was trying to take the water. Nothing was organized and nobody wanted to coordinate with the irrigation department. The most important thing is to create a link between farmers – those who are using water, and the engineers who are designing the irrigation systems. We help create a good institutional structure designed by the farmers and government institutions"

She further added: "If we want to strengthen the economy in the dry zone, we need good agriculture production management starting with an effective water management system," she said. "For that, we have repaired the canals and put the structure in place. When we leave, we hope the farmers and the Irrigation Department can keep it going."