ABSTRACT
Historical perspective on irrigation development from colonial times and turns of related events that led to problems besetting irrigation development in most developing countries today has been discussed by L. Horst and M. W. Ertsen. The wastage of water the farm outlets was viewed as the primary reason for the poor performance of gravity irrigation systems. The recognition of poor design as a main reason of the poor performance of irrigation systems has been slow. Service concept has been the basis of modern design. Noting the traditional design sequence of irrigation projects wherein the tertiary units or farm blocks are designed last, T. K. E. Meijer recommended a design sequence wherein the so-called bottom-up and top-down design approaches are employed. Horst proposed simplification of operation and technology by simplifying the water delivery. He also questioned the concept of equity and uniformity in the conventional design, saying that it may no longer be an efficient management strategy.
