A focus on irrigation infrastructure

The SAVi analysis of the SAGCOT Initiative in Tanzania compares flood irrigation with drip irrigation across three scenarios. It finds that while drip irrigation requires higher capital investment, it can yield significantly higher net benefits (USD 39.21 million in a low-capex scenario) compared to flood irrigation (USD 12.88 million). By 2030, drip irrigation is projected to increase employment and agricultural production by 8% each while reducing water use by 14% relative to flood irrigation.

• The net benefits of the SAGCOT project are directly correlated with the capital costs of the irrigation technology used. A low-capex drip irrigation scenario (USD 1,500 per hectare) produces the highest net benefit of USD 39.21 million, whereas a high-capex drip scenario (USD 3,000 per hectare) produces the lowest at USD 3.98 million, and flood irrigation (USD 81.50 per hectare) produces USD 12.88 million.
• Drip irrigation is projected to outperform flood irrigation in resource efficiency and economic output by 2030, specifically by reducing water use by 14% and increasing both agricultural production and employment by 8%.
• Drip irrigation generates higher total revenue (USD 168.61 million) than flood irrigation (USD 117.65 million) because water savings allow for a larger area of land to be irrigated, although this 'unlocked' land requires additional investment costs between USD 8.23 and USD 15.62 million.
• From a financial viability perspective, the low-capex drip irrigation scenario offers a significantly higher Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 13.42% compared to 6.20% for flood irrigation. Both drip scenarios also show superior credit ratios (DSCR and LLCR) compared to flood irrigation.

APA

Bassi, A. M., Casier, L., Pallaske, G., & Uzsoki, D. (n.d.). A focus on irrigation infrastructure. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-sagcot-tanzania-initiative-brochure.pdf

Chicago

Bassi, Andrea M., Liesbeth Casier, Georg Pallaske, and David Uzsoki. A focus on irrigation infrastructure. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-sagcot-tanzania-initiative-brochure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bassi |first1=Andrea M. |last2=Casier |first2=Liesbeth |last3=Pallaske |first3=Georg |last4=Uzsoki |first4=David |title=A focus on irrigation infrastructure |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-sagcot-tanzania-initiative-brochure.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bassindfocus, author = {Bassi, Andrea M. and Casier, Liesbeth and Pallaske, Georg and Uzsoki, David}, title = {{A focus on irrigation infrastructure}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/savi-sagcot-tanzania-initiative-brochure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }