AGROENVIRON 2002, 26-29 October 2002, Cairo, Egypt

CREATION OF GIS SUPPORTED DATABASE IN IRRIGATION

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Kemal Sulhi GUNDOGDU, Hasan DEGIRMENCI and Cigdem DEMIRTAS
University of Uludag, Agricultural Faculty, Department of Agricultural
Engineering, Bursa,Turkey
ABSTRACT: Irrigation is one of the most important input for an efficient and sustainable
agricultural production. Irrigation experts are seeking the ways in which the water is used very
efficiently. The first phase of this achievement is to increase in effectiveness of irrigation
management. A providing large amount of data are of great necessity for management of large
scale irrigation projects. Data must be collected, stored and interrelated with each other in
such a way that the data are readily accessible and not superous.
The aim of this study is to present a GIS based management information system of
irrigation projects and its model. In order to provide the usage of database which is the main
component of GIS in irrigation management, it is clarified that how to process graphical,
numerical and alfa numerical data in an organisation and what are the necessary
investigations in obtaining the results.

KEYWORDS:
GIS, Irrigation Management

1. INTRODUCTION
The 2/3 of all water of the world is used in irrigation, and 40% of total agricultural production
is obtained from irrigated areas. Due to unsustainable, insufficient management of irrigation projects
to environment and health condition on the irrigated area are negatively affected, and desired socioeconomic conditions achieved. Consequently, project opponents and supporters are facing with
could not be each other and discussing on whether establishment of new irrigation projects or
rehabilitation of existing ones with efficient irrigation management. The main reason of positive and
negative consequences about any irrigation project is inefficient management of irrigation projects.
Information which helps to system manager must be easily accessible in irrigation management.
Most of the data related irrigation is characterised geographically. Use of GIS of great importance in
establishing databases for irrigation systems in order to have readily, accessible and not superfluous
data, data must be collected, recorded and interrelated in systematic way. For that reason it is very
important to organise database which is the basis of the information system.
Despite many efforts and incentives in irrigation development, some important indicators such
as irrigation ratio, production increase, and water use efficiency are under expectations. The most
important tool for improvement of productivity is irrigation management having good agricultural
production, research and irrigation technology (Sisodia, 1992). Elimination of deficiencies of
management and organisation is seen as an important tool in solving the problems. Therefore,
Monitoring and evaluation is getting importance more and more in the irrigation management
(Huppert, 1988).
According to most researches; main reason for poor performance of irrigation projects is lack of
efficient irrigation management rather than technical deficiencies (Huppert, 1993). Therefore, The
term of management is used very often in discussing problems related to irrigation project. The
word management has various number of definition in related literature.

AGROENVIRON 2002, 26-29 October 2002, Cairo, Egypt

Water management term refers irrigation water storage, water distribution at the channel
level and water delivery at the plot level, and monitoring and evaluation. Irrigation management
is described as giving required amount of water to root zone at the exact time. Actually,
irrigation management term is used as water management on the international literatures
(Swendsen at al., 1983 and Svendsen, 1989).
Monitoring ad evaluation is of special importance in water management. Water
management requests a strong link between project management and the farmers. The
effectiveness and productivity of management and/or monitoring and evaluation unit depends
on success of co-operation between farmers and water management unit (Brgger, 1995).
There is a strong agreement on M&E goal throughout implementation phase. The success
of one of the units of irrigation management (For example, Monitoring and evaluation unit)
depends on project activities such as observation and supervision.
In the irrigation management, M&E plays an very important role on performance control and
evaluation of irrigation project, data collection and results interpretation. In the circulation of project
management, According to the evaluation results of collected data, it is decided on re-planning of the
project or transferring to the user regular or organized data for project management and activities can
be collected by monitoring in implementation phase (Krimmel, 1990).
The aim of this study is to present a GIS database framework for efficient and sustainable
management of publicly operated and transferred irrigation projects. Firstly, in this study is
tried to determine most needed data for irrigation project management. Data structure is
designed according to demand method which is valid in Turkey conditions. After determination
of data about irrigation project management, data classification and standardisation were done.

2. MATERIAL AND METHOD

2.1. Material
In this study, Arc/info ver. 7.1.2. was used as Geographical Information System Software.
Arc Macro language was used to create user interface for user access to database. Thus, System
user can easily run database on windows platform.

2.2. Method
In order to establish a database in irrigation project management, main steps were given in
table 1. Initially, It was tried to determine the database which is used in irrigation project
management herein. For that purpose, the management systems of irrigation network which is
operated or transferred by government were evaluated. Graphical and non-graphical data such
as land ownership, topography, soil, road network, irrigation system, drainage system, land use
pattern was determined and collected for creation of information system.
Table 1: Main steps of creation a GIS-supported database in irrigation project management
1. Data Determination
2. Data Classification
3. Data Organisation
4. Determination of Data Features and Contents
5. Determination of Relationship Between Data
6. Determination of Analysis
7. Creation of Flow chart
8. Creation of GIS Database

On the other phase, data classification which is used on the irrigation management and
M&E of irrigation systems was done. M&E of irrigation systems is one of the very important
phases of irrigation management. Database components was classified according to data type,

AGROENVIRON 2002, 26-29 October 2002, Cairo, Egypt

data feature, usage frequency, usage level. Some of the database components can be obtained
from results of questionnaire, field works, available results of public and private sector.
After data classification and organisation phase, contents of attribute table of graphical
and non-graphical data types was tried to determine for each geographical object. Geographical
data is a data which connected with location and it includes location and shape information of
the geographical object. There are two forms on the structure of geographical data that are
extensively used raster and vector formats (Burrough 1986). There are three geographical
feature on both forms: point, line and polygon. These features are separately identified on the
raster and vector forms (Scott, 1993).
There are some specific features of geographical objects. These features are called as
attribute. Attribute data defines geographical object and its details. Classified graphical data
was transferred to GIS-environment so that data has become a main component of irrigation
management works.
Every graphical data is created on separate coverage to make easy analysis and queries to
set relationship between data. Some of the data is non-graphical (numerical and Alfa numerical
data). These data's types can be expressed as character, integer number, real number or date.
Info tables was created to analysis, to query and to relate numerical and Alfa numerical data.
Key field on attribute table or Info table was used to have relationship between different tables.
After determination of the coverage and info tables of irrigation management information
system, relationship between coverages and info tables were created. Thus, Relationships can
be set when user works on the coverage to info table or when user works info table to
coverage. Therefore, Analysis and queries can realise easily. Needed queries and analysis were
determined after determination of all components of information system.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSS

Databases components which will be created for irrigation project management were
considered in two different groups: Permanent project data and yearly changing project data.
Permanent project data was shown in table 2. Permanent project data constitutes basic database
of the model and this data is entered to the system only ones for each irrigation project.
Table 2. Permanent Project Data
Map data
Water resource
Project border
Irrigation system
Drainage system
Road System
Land ownership map
Soil map
Topographical map
Construction map
Watertable observation wells map

Info data
Land ownership data
Irrigation Channel data
Drainage Channel data
Road system data
Meteorolojical station data
Climatological data
Cropdata
Soil data
Personnel data

Annual project data is obtained depending on irrigation season. These data can be
obtained monthly, daily or hourly. Classified data as yearly project data was given on Table 3.

AGROENVIRON 2002, 26-29 October 2002, Cairo, Egypt

Table 3. Irrigation Project Yearly Data

Land Use Data
Irrigation Project
Irrigation Channel
Drainage Channel
Maintenance Data
Watertable Level
Groundwater EC
Water charges
Daily Water Requirement
Personnel
Equipment Use
Other

To obtain relationship between yearly project data and permanent project data, an
appropriate framework was established. For example, to enter water demand data to system for
the year 2002, Planting crops can select from plant info database. System will have a
connection with parcel database so that annual data about parcel can be entered to the system.
Crop to be planted can be selected from plant information database. Plant specifications such as
growing period, crop coefficient, root depth etc. were given in plant information database.
When entering plant cropping time, harvest time of every plant can be calculated by plant
information database according to plant growing periods. Yields and crop prices are entered by
users. Consequently, All information will be saved in an information file for year 2002. As it is
shown Figure 1, attribute table of irrigation system coverage and information table of hydraulic
data on irrigation system channels can be interrelated through the use NAME field of
database. Content of database information system was given in following flowchart (Figure 2).
Irrigation System

Irrigation System Attribute Table

Field name
Width
NAME
35
FNODE#
4
TNODE#
4
LPOLY#
4
RPOLY#
4
LENGTH
8
SULAMA#
4
SULAMAID
4
MAINNAME
35
SEKONDERNAME
35
TERSIYERNAME
35

Irrigation System Info Table

Type
C
B
B
B
B
F
B
B
C
C
C

Dec.
5
-

Field Name
NAME
LEVEL
QUA
CHANNELTYPE
CHANNELCOVER
TOPWIDTH
BOTTOMWIDTH
DEPTH
HAV
SLOPE
SEVEGIMI
RIGHTBAN
LEFTBAN
ROUGH

Width
35
1
12
25
25
12
12
12
12
5
12
12
12
12

Type
C
I
N
C
C
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N

Dec.
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

Figure 1: Irrigation channel attribute and info tables

Created database provides the user to inquiry information related irrigation project in GIS
environment. Either Permanent data or yearly changing data can be inquired in database. Some
of example of queries are as follows:
- Parcel irrigated by selected channel and its size
- Crop pattern under selected channel
- Selected channel specifications.
- Channels which irrigate selected parcel
- Crop pattern under selected parcel
- Selected parcel specification.
- Water structures in project area
- Maintenance locations on channel
- Parcels belongs owners.

AGROENVIRON 2002, 26-29 October 2002, Cairo, Egypt

Irrigation Project
Management Database

Query of Project Data

DATA ENTERING

Permanent Data

Yearly
Changing Data

Querying of
Permanent Data

Querying of Yearly
Changing Data

Figure 2. Contain of irrigation project management information system as flowchart

CROPWAT software package was used in determining the water requirements of each
parcel and irrigation time. After calculation of plant water requirements, water requirements of
each seconder and tertiary channel were determined considering efficient rainfall, water
application efficiency, and conveyance efficiency.
Main indicators are water supply ratio and irrigation efficiency for evaluation of system
efficiency in irrigation management. In agricultural efficiency evaluation, irrigation ratio,
planned and realised crop pattern were evaluated in tables. Groundwater level, irrigation and
drainage water quality, non-agricultural use are the main indicators for evaluation of
environmental efficiency. The main indicators for socio-economic efficiency are water fee
collection ratio, operation-maintenance cost, personnel cost and agricultural production value.
Created database is able to calculate indicators.

4. LITERATURE
BRGGER, A.P., (1995): Monitoring und Evaluierung (M&E) als Management
Instrument in der Bewassaeung. Mitteilungen Lehrsthul fr landwirtschaftlichen Wasserbau
und Kulturtechnik, Uni Bonn, Heft 6, Bonn, 1995.
BURROUGH, P.A. (1986): Principles of Geografhical Information System for Land
Resources Assestment. Oxford University Clerandon Pres, 346 s.
HUPPERT, W. (1998): Ein konzeptioneller Beziehungsrahmen fr ein
situationskonfermes und dienstleistungsorientirtes Management von Bewasserungssystemen.
Dr-Ing Dissertation, Lanw, Fak, der RFWU Bonn, Lehrstuhle f. Landw. Wasserbau u.
Kulturetechnik, Bonn 1998.
KRIMMEL, P., (1990): Toward an Institutionalization of Monitoring and Evaluation pf
Project Impact. Schriftenreihe des Fachbereichs Internationale Agrarentwicklung der TU
Berlin, Nr, 130 Pagang/ Berlin, Novenber 1990.
SCOTT, S. (1993): Water and Sustainable Agricultural Development. DVWK Bulletin
19, Verlag Paul Parey, Hamburg/Berlin 1993. p. 19-50.
SISODIA, J.S. (1992): Performance Monitoring Study of The Warabandi System of
Irrigation Management in Chambal Area. Ind. Jn. Of Agri. Econ. Vol. 47 No. 4 Oct-Dec 92, 1992

AGROENVIRON 2002, 26-29 October 2002, Cairo, Egypt

SVENDSEN, M. Et al (1983): Meeting the challenge for Beter Irrigation Management

Horizons, March 1983.
SVENDSEN, M. (1989): The Changing Concept of Management in Irrigation
Entwicklung und landlicher Raum 2/89, 1986.