Vision " industrielle " de la gestion de l'eau sur un périmètre irrigué

Can irrigation management learn something from industry?

¹ Cemagref, Montpellier
² IIMI, Sri-Lanka

Abstract

Improving the performance of irrigation systems by promoting better management is a fashionable subject. Unfortunately, the definitions of "performance" and "management" are among the most controversial in the irrigation community. This failure to grasp the true meaning of such crucial terms has often led to misunderstandings and confusion. This article intends to bring the debates in a more neutral and raisonably well understood territory: the field of industrial production systems. The hypothesis underlying this approach is that the terms of an analogy between the "production process" of water in an irrigation system and a standard industrial process can be made more precise. Moreover, the specific objective of the article is to define the basics of a method of intervention for analysis and improvement of water management performance in irrigation systems inspired by the experiences and concepts of industrial management.