Country Water Action: Asia
ADB’s Current Irrigation Projects October 2009
Irrigated agriculture has always been the backbone of rural development in Asia. Know more about ADB’s contribution to the development of Asia’s irrigation sector.
About 70% of the world’s irrigated area is in Asia. One third of Asia’s cropland is watered artificially, making it the most intensively irrigated continent in the world. Between 1961 and 2003, the area of irrigated land in Asia more than doubled, with an average annual growth rate of 2.6%.
In absolute numbers, South Asia is responsible for the largest amount of irrigated land and water withdrawals, followed by East Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia. In percentage terms, Central Asia is the most intensively irrigated part of Asia.
Uzbekistan: Amu Zang Irrigation Rehabilitation Project (formerly Amu Zang Water Resources Management Project) - Worth US$73.20 M, this projects aims to increase the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of water supply of Amu Zang irrigation system. Approved in December 2003, most of the supply contracts have already been executed and civil work contracts are under different stages of implementation. Progress towards outcome will be measured after completion of civil work contracts.
Cambodia: Northwest Irrigation Sector – SomeUS$18M aids in the establishment of rehabilitated and sustainably operational small-to-medium-scale irrigation schemes and other water control infrastructures. Implementation progress has continued to accelerate in 2009. The overall progress of the resettlement work to the end of Q3 is 74.2% compared to a target of 63.2%. Thus overall progress is better than scheduled. The agriculture extension program is being successfully implemented in the field.
India: Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project – Aimed toattain more effective management irrigation systems for improved irrigation service delivery, this US$46.1M project is also improving agricultural practices for increased yields, expand area of rabi (dry season), and more diversified cropping. In 25 pilot systems, cropping intensity reached 100% in the current season (2009). Average rice yields increased to 4.01 tons per hectare in 20 pilots schemes during the kharif season. Twenty WUAs supported by the project sold 303.5, 26 and 148 MT of wheat, ground nuts and maize to the private sector in 2009.
Through the years since it approved its first irrigation project in 1969, ADB has been witness to the changes in the region’s irrigated agriculture, from the construction of immense infrastructures to the scaling down of irrigation systems for smaller farmlands. For the most part, ADB has provided support not only for large irrigation projects, but also for small- and medium-scale, and even micro irrigation systems.
Today, ADB has financed more than 200 irrigation projects, with investments totaling US$6.6B in almost four decades. With its current Water Financing Program targeting 40 million people with more productive and efficient irrigation and drainage services, ADB has pipelined some 18 irrigation projects amounting to about US$1.1B up to 2011.
Topics 
Asia: ADB’s Current Irrigation Projects 
Top of page
