Ic. Sutardi,"goulter, GOVERNMENTAL PRIORITIES IN IRRIGATION PROJECT SELECTION IN INDONESIA, Journal of water resources planning and management, 119(3), 1993, pp. 406-411
Irrigation development in Indonesia is directed at both traditional ec
onomic efficiency objectives and socioeconomic objectives related to s
elf-sufficiency in rice production, improved income to individual farm
ers, and the transmigration program. The criteria used to select proje
cts in the light of these objectives are divided into two distinct cat
egories: physical potential and sociological suitability of the projec
t area. The sociological suitability is related particularly to the so
ciopolitical support for transmigration and regional development and t
he readiness or ability of farmers to exploit new technical irrigation
schemes. The various features (such as utilization of existing irriga
tion schemes in the area, productivity of farmers, irrigation efficien
cy, use of new technologic inputs and operation and maintenance activi
ties in those existing fields, and the level of existing agricultural
support services) that contribute to assessment of physical potential
and sociological suitability of irrigation projects are examined in de
tail in this paper. Changes in the type and location of the irrigation
projects selected for implementation occurring as a result of varying
the priorities on each of the objectives are described.