Irrigation system and sustainability-effects and future development chances for farms in the peruvian highlands

摘要

Plan MERISS, the Peruvian irrigation authority is, in co-operation with the German financial and technical assistance organisations (KfW and GTZ), since mid 70s initiating irrigation projects in the Andean Highlands. These projects having the goal of increasing agricultural income and food supply to the rural inhabitants by providing safe supplies of irrigation water, and therefore improve their standard of living. This paper aims to shed some light on the question whether to use of simple irrigation infrastructure under the given agri-structural conditions in a sustainable manner is feasible. After giving a short overview of the aim of the paper it deals with the frame conditions of sustainable irrigated agriculture in context with the Peruvian economic and development policy. It follows a description of the concept and the implementation of irrigation projects initiated by Plan MERISS up to the selfmanagement of the projects by the water user organisations. Following the effectiveness of the projects are described and remarks are made in respect to the sustainability of the farm development in view of structural changes taken place in the agrarian sector of the country. The paper concludes that a positive balance of regional development through the irrigation projects can only be achieved if the working force leaving the agricultural sector is absorbed by the other sectors of the economy.