Hydraulics Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Water Sci Technol. 2009;60(11):2819-28. doi: 10.2166/wst.2009.721.
This paper studies primary canals of three traditional irrigation systems in the southern plains of Nepal. It offers a scientific interpretation of the indigenous technology applied to the systems, which facilitates to use the same channel network for irrigation, drainage and flood management. The flood management technology of the farmers by diverting as much discharge as possible to the field channels results in the reduction of discharge towards the downstream part of the main channel. It is depicted in the simulation study that uses the river analysis program HEC-RAS 4.0. A cascade of weirs is found to be the most cost effective and user-friendly option to upgrade these systems preserving the existing irrigation, drainage as well as flood management functions. This study suggests that the conventional irrigation design principles should be applied very cautiously with full knowledge of the existing socio-institutional setting, hydro-ecological regime and indigenous technology for upgrading any traditional irrigation system successfully. The indigenous flood management technology strengthens the emerging concept that the floods in the Ganges plain are to be managed, not controlled.
本文研究了尼泊尔南部平原三种传统灌溉系统的主渠。它对应用于这些系统的本土技术进行了科学解释，这有助于利用相同的渠道网络进行灌溉、排水和洪水管理。农民通过将尽可能多的水流引向田间渠道来管理洪水，从而减少了主渠道下游部分的流量。河流分析程序 HEC-RAS 4.0 的模拟研究表明，梯级堰是最具成本效益和用户友好的选择，可以在保留现有灌溉、排水和洪水管理功能的情况下升级这些系统。本研究表明，在成功升级任何传统灌溉系统时，应充分了解现有社会制度环境、水生态系统状况和本土技术，谨慎应用传统灌溉设计原则。本土洪水管理技术强化了这样一种新兴理念，即恒河平原的洪水需要管理，而不是控制。
