The Ecuadorian province of Azuay obtains financing to improve its irrigation systems
Last November 21, at its last annual meeting, the FIEM Committee (Fund for the Internationalization of Enterprise) approved the study of the project “Improvement and technification of inclusive irrigation systems with high production capacity in the Province of Azuay”. The project covers two irrigation systems: Santa Isabel Irrigation System and Chicticay - Paute Irrigation System. Thus, with the contribution of FIEM funds, the improvement of an irrigation system involving 52.7 kilometers of canals and some 3,200 users, which implies a very significant number of farming families, will begin.
The FIEM funds, convened by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, include this line of non-reimbursable financing for studies. The objective is to support the internationalization of Spanish companies through financing linked to feasibility studies, technical assistance, sectoral plans, consulting, engineering and any other study that allows the detection, definition and improvement of projects of Spanish interest. The beneficiaries are public institutions in Africa and Latin America. The projects must be related to: Fight against climate change, Water and waste, Agribusiness, Tourism, Digitalization, Energy, Infrastructures or Institutional modernization.
Considering the nature of the Azuay project, the ORU Fogar Secretariat sought a suitable consultant. Grup Carles was chosen. Thus, the consultant and the Irrigation Service of the Province of Azuay formulated the proposal that was presented in April.
The Santa Isabel canton has the largest irrigation system in the province, with more than 1,600 users and a conduction with open channel, tunnels and siphons, with a total length of 35.7 km. Its operation is very deficient because it has reached its useful life, there are leaks in certain places (a situation that causes significant decreases in irrigation flow) and wetting in certain sectors that cause subsidence and landslides due to the geological structure of the soils in the irrigation area.
The Chicticay - Paute irrigation system, with 1,549 users, is 17 km long and has the following hydraulic structures: intake, concrete conduction channel, and 7 sand traps. It is a traditional gravity irrigation system for most of its length; however, there are some pumping systems for certain diversions. There are some problems in this system, including: leaks along the canal, clandestine intakes, illicit water discharges and canal silting, requiring urgent action since most of the structures have already reached their useful life.
Thus, both the Santa Isabel and Chicticay-Paute systems need to be strengthened in terms of infrastructure, production and environmental components. The purpose of the study is to make a diagnosis of the irrigation infrastructure in order to make efficient use of water. The aim is to design solutions to expand the irrigation surface in areas with agricultural potential and develop a sustainable productive management model that guarantees food sovereignty and improves the income of families in the communities of the parishes and cantons involved. The aim is also to reduce the geological risk of subsidence and settlement in the area by controlling losses or seepage of water flow. Finally, the study should serve as a basis for the bidding of the projected works and their execution.
