Application of Benchmarking and Principal Component Analysis in Measuring Performance of Public Irrigation Schemes in Kenya

Abstract

The inefficient water use, and variable and low productivity in Kenyan public irrigation schemes is a major concern. It is, therefore, necessary to periodically monitor and evaluate the performance of public irrigation schemes. This prompted evaluation of performance of three rice growing irrigation schemes in western Kenya using benchmarking and principal component analysis. The aim of the study was to quantify and rank the performance of selected irrigation schemes. The performance of the irrigation schemes was evaluated for the period from 2012 to 2016 using eleven performance indicators under agricultural productivity, water supply and financial performance categories. The performance indicators were weighted using principal component analysis and combined to form a single performance score using linear aggregation method. The average performance in the Ahero, West Kano and Bunyala irrigation schemes was 48%, 49% and 56%, respectively. Based on performance score, the Bunyala irrigation scheme is the highest performing rice irrigation scheme in western Kenya. The three irrigation schemes have an average performance. Operation and management measures to improve the current performance of the irrigation schemes are needed.

Analyzing the Performances of Water User Associations to Increase the Irrigation Sustainability: An Application of Multivariate Statistics to a Case Study in Italy

“…Benchmarking of WUAs has been carried out in Italy [4], Spain [2,3,19,20], Tunisia [1], and Turkey [21][22][23][24]. However, these applications have been mainly carried out on individual WUAs or at a local scale (e.g., [8,20,21,25,26]). Conversely, the application of benchmarking techniques at a regional scale may be important for both WUA managers and authorities regulating the collective irrigation sector, in order to identify crucial problems and plan common strategic policies to enhance the service efficiency and increase the economic self-sufficiency of the WUAs.…”

“…Several benchmarking techniques have been proposed to process and analyze the performance indicators, depending on the specific aim of the planned analysis (e.g., quality index in Spain [20]; Principal Component Analysis in Italy [4], Spain [2], and in Kenya [26]; Cluster Analysis in Spain [3]; Data Envelopment Analysis in Tunisia [1], Spain [19] and, in Italy [9]). These diagnostic techniques are generally robust and meaningful, but sometimes they require some constraints in the input data.…”

Assessment of Water Flow and Sedimentation Processes in Irrigation Schemes for Decision-Support Tool Development: A Case Review for the Chókwè Irrigation Scheme, Mozambique

“…To solve problems in water resources management, such as the ones facing the CIS, earlier identification of limitations will give higher possibilities of successful application of efficient and effective measures [6]. The hydraulic and operational performances of CIS are adversely affected by sediments deposition in the system.…”

Drainage Management Problems Evaluation: Case Study Baloza and EL-Farama Drains, North Sinai, Egypt

“…Therefore optimum drainage management mitigates the contamination and adversely effects on animal and aquatic life ecosystems [14]. Nowadays, due to the degradation of water resources and limitation, there is not much opportunity for increasing the total irrigated region; the common of the increase in output from irrigated agriculture will have to emanate from investments in developed irrigation and drainage practices in current agricultural areas [15] [16] [17]. Drainage is not only a tool to battle soil salinity and waterlogging but also it plays a main role in the preservation of investments in irrigation, promoting economic growth, and ensuring the sustainability of irrigated agriculture [18] [19] [20].…”