Technification and Management of Community Irrigation Systems and Their Impacts on the Territory (Phase 1)

This project focuses on evaluating the comprehensive impact of community irrigation system (CIS) modernization implemented by the Undersecretariat of Irrigation and Drainage in Ecuador since 2012. Traditionally, modernization focused solely on infrastructure (canals, piping, sprinkler/drip systems), but this study aims to go further by addressing persistent deficiencies such as the lack of irrigation scheduling that leads to water use conflicts. The methodology is participatory and comprehensive, covering four main axes: level of technological adoption (using Likert scales), water efficiency (flow monitoring, CropWat software utilization), economic impact (costs, revenues, water productivity), and sociocultural/environmental impact (surveys, water quality analysis). Tools such as GPS, GIS, interviews, focus groups, and field measurements will be employed to determine if the interventions achieved their purpose of improving water use efficiency and promoting community sustainability in selected systems in the central and northern highlands of the country.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To study the sociocultural, socioeconomic, and socio-environmental changes resulting from the implementation of community irrigation system modernization projects by the Undersecretariat of Irrigation and Drainage. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the community management and operation of these systems to ensure their long-term sustainability.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Sustainable water and soil management