Irrigation in Humid Areas: Net Benefits

Abstract

The use of irrigation systems in the humid east has traditionally been minimal due to frequent rainfall. The argument most often encountered against the use of irrigation in humid regions is that the return on investment is negligible. A general frequency‐based procedure for evaluating alternative policies that maximize irrigation net benefits is presented. The method accounts for the random nature of rainfall events and their obvious impact on crop yields and irrigation costs. The structure of a deterministic hydro‐economic model is described and applied to long‐term daily climatic data in order to evaluate alternative irrigation in humid regions. The question of economic feasibility is addressed in terms of net benefit analysis procedure. The sensitivity of the model to variable irrigation costs is also examined.