Irrigation Report (aciar)

SUMMARY DRAFT-FINAL REPORT

IRRIGATION TEAM

“Seasonal Climate Forecasting for Better Irrigation Management System in Lombok”

Water Resources/Irrigation Team, Mataram, October, 2008

 

 

A.        GENERAL

Based on the Memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Indonesia and Australia (c/q Aciar) governments concerning the Program For Collaborative Agriculture Research, it has agreed to conduct research on “Seasonal Climate Forecasting for Better Irrigation management System in Lombok’; Details of the Project are stipulated in the MoU between the Rector of Mataram University and the Department of Primary Industry (Queensland), under project No. SMNC/2002/033. The Project was conducted for more than 4(four) years starting effectively from July 2004 (the actual period may be reviewed depended upon the evaluation implementation of the Project). The main budget contributions for this Project come from a grant aid by ACIAR, while a co-sharing budget is provided by the Indonesian Government (in the form of in-kind contributions). Four institutions are involved in this Project: i.e. UNRAM, Meteorological and Geophysics Agency of Mataram and Denpasar (BMG), Provincial Agriculture Service (Conservation Section), Dinas Kimpraswil (Regional Office of Settlement and Infrastructures c/q Water Resources Section). UNRAM is appointed as Team Leader.

1.        Background and Issues:

–          In the recent days, water resources are becoming more rare and difficult to find, this may due to the impact of global climate change?

–          Most farmers especially in the study areas (south Lombok) are reported that they need to know more about climate forecasts for their agriculture work (i.e. how to utilize climate forecasting for making decision on planting or harvesting)

–          To respond these, its require to prepare better strategies for better irrigation management, agriculture planning include: involve all sector of government, knowledge of climate forecasting, right crop choice and/or planting time and market management of agriculture products.

 

 

2.        Main Objective of the Study relating to water resources sector are:

–          To increase coordination among the government institutions involved; related to irrigation management and cropping strategy, in order to use water more efficiently and reduce risk of crop failure.

–          To disseminate the Seasonal Climate Forecasting – SCF Technology to other institutions and other relevant/interested stakeholders.

–          To guide the irrigation personnel to learn about SCF technology, especially in running/practicing the computer model IQQM.

Furthermore, to focus is to disseminate the result of the Aciar Project, ie the SCF Technology, to the farmer, which can be done by the several ways including media, direct dissemination/socialization.

3.        Water Resources Team:

The members of the Irrigation Team during the project periods are frequently  changes not as fixed as expected. The period of the Aciar project execution is coincidently same with beginning of autonomy (decentralization) era, which is, unfortunately, have an impact of personnel duty/task within the government organization, however, the Aciar project implementation in water resources sector is done normally.

 

NAME	POSITION	REMARKS
Surana, Ir, MSc	Coordinator – Sen WR Eng
Ida Ayu Kd Arwiyati, Ir	OM Engineer / WOC
Gde Suardiari, Ir MT was replaced to Masnun Hasbullah, ST, MT	Water Management / Irrigation Engineer	Assigned to the other project
Sapto Hudoyo Saputro, ST was replaced to Yayan Supriatna, ST	Water Management / Irrigation Engineer	Assigned to the other project/province
Rosdiana, SE	OM Specialist/ WOC	Assigned to the other project, only the first 2 year involvement

While, during the last three years, the position of Head of Provincial Water Resources has been changes three times.

The main tasks of the member of the team are:

–          To coordinate for implementation of the project, especially in running and practicing the IQQM Model (as a tool of water resources management plan).

–          To encourage “irrigation institutions” in District and/or Sub-Districts (Kecamatan) level to implement the result of the project.

 

B.       PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

1.      General Issues

–        Coordination Meeting among related institutions in Mataram

Coordination meeting in Mataram was held intensively in regular period:

–          Conduct regular meetings at UNRAM and in each institution.

–          Informal discussion a project progress, field problems and problem solving, and discuss future programs.

–          Conduct seminar on SCF technology.

–        Internal Meetings (water resources team and the PU Office staff),

      Internal meeting of Irrigation Team were also been conducted occasionally. The Purpose of the meetings were:

–          Informal discussion related to progress of the Project and/or to discuss on special field circumstances (like water shortages or draught),

–          Disseminate and inform about ACIAR activities to other staff,

–          Problem solving discussion and Future Action Plan.

–        Field Activities:

The field activities were done frequently by each member of Irrigation Team. The main purpose is to obtain/collect and update the hydrological and other water resource data (rainfall, river debit, hydrology and other related data).

Field trips have also been conducted occasionally on special field situation, i.e.:

–          On draught and/or flooded areas in East/South Lombok

–          Field  inspection and Field discussion to Vertisol Project activities in Mujur Lombok Tengah,

–          Socialization and dissemination of Aciar Project to the District and related institutions.

2.      Technical Issues:

1.        The first IQQM model’s software was received from Aciar’s Australia in the Middle of 2005.

2.        The personnel of Water Resources to trip (study about IQQM) to Toowoomba was delayed almost two years, that due to the difficulty in synchronizing the schedule. This agenda was resumed on June 2007.

3.        The “full team” trip to Australia for comparison study and seminar was conducted on October 2008

 

IQQM running Issues:

The running of IQQM model was practicing intensively in the PU office. The model needs inflows, evaporation, and rainfall’s data, in which the availability of some data are very limited and/or blank (e.g. reservoirs data). In running the model some limitation (running error) still been found. The “golongan system” in the model is different with the actual / field condition. The accuracy of the input data are questionable (crop areal, discharge etc), however, if it’s been corrected the model was not respond (stopped).

To overcome this situation, some suggestion are:

–        IQQM model may need to be more simplified (?)

–        Add some more training course (UNRAM should take full action)

–        More complete and valid data

–        Translation of the IQQM model in Bahasa Indonesia.

–        Convincing the PU authority, that IQQM Program is a reasonably good tool for Irrigation management in Lombok Island.

3.      Recent Issues

–        Reorganization of Water Resources Institution

According to The Government Regulation (PP Nr 41 2007), the whole institutions in Indonesia, including NTB Province, has to be reorganized. In NTB, the PP has been executed effectively at the end of August 2008. The personnel whose run the organization has been arranged twice, and it seem to be continued shortly.

The main institutions in dealing with Water Resources Management and Development in the provincial level are as follows:

 

INSTITUTION	STATUS	REMARKS
Bidang Sumber Daya Air	Local Gov	Esl III
Balai Wilayah Sungai NTB	Central Gov / DG-WRD	Esl III plus
Balai Informasi	Local Gov	Esl III
Balai SDA Lombok	Local Gov	Esl III
Balai SDA Sumbawa	Local Gov	Esl III
Balai SDA Dompu-Bima	Local Gov	Esl III

To respond those facts, a new strategies for implementing the further Aciar Project is needed. And this has to be done wiselly and smartly.

 

C.       CONCLUSION / RECOMMENDATION

–       The Aciar Project entitle “Seasonal Climate Forecasting for Better Irrigation System Management in Lombok” have been running normally, even some issues and constraint / limitation have been found..

–       The Project is very beneficial both in technical or educational matter, especially to the personnel or staff who involved in the activity of the Project (i.e. in the modeling, understanding and developing the climate research and managing water resources or irrigation practices),

–       regular meeting among the member of (ex) Aciar Team may be conducted more frequently (to strengthen the coordination that has been established)

–       In the future, the similar project may be expanded to Sumbawa Island.

–       In the case of the farmer, by implementing the result of the project will enhancing the prediction of planting time, calculating the risk, and finally the standard living of the farmers in the project areas will be improved.

 

Mataram, 22 October 2008

Water Resources / Irrigation Team

Coordinator / Member                                              

 

Ir. Surana, M.Sc., PU-SDA                                          

(Senior Water Resources Engineer)                          

 

Ir. Ida Ayu Kd Arwiyati

(Irrigation/WOC Engineer)