Restoring irrigation and revitalizing agriculture in Georgia's villages

"If earlier I grew only two tons of corn, now I can grow five tons." Georgian farmer

Arid lands yield poor harvests

Throughout Georgia's arid regions today there is talk not of drought, but of water, plentiful water.

“Now that the water supply system is being restored, we can double our harvest from land that used to be dry and unused,” says a resident of the village of Lesi.

“If earlier I grew only two tons of corn, now I can grow five,” declares a contented villager from the Lanchxuti region. “We have many problems, but one of the most terrible used to be the lack of water. Now people are happy. The water supply system is being restored and the harvest will increase," says another from the village of Gurjaani.

Bringing water to parched areas

The change comes courtesy of the World Bank–supported Georgian Irrigation and Drainage Community Development Project. The project is tackling the problems that followed after land was privatized in the post-Soviet era and farmers were faced with crumbling irrigation and drainage systems.

Georgia's farmers make up more than half the country's population and the World Bank's US$ 108 million project will end up benefiting some 80,000 families.

The project has also given farmers the opportunity to get involved in the process of renewal and contribute to their own welfare. Across Georgia people are now actively engaged in the water user associations that were created as part of the project. The associations aim to restore run-down irrigation systems and bring water to parched areas. And farmers declare that they are better off as a result.


Tripling harvests and improving quality

By restoring the country's irrigation and drainage network and enabling farmers to manage it themselves, the project aims to increase agricultural yield and improve its quality. This will, in turn, help to overcome poverty and add to families' well-being.

The project is planned to run for 12 years and is divided into three stages. The first stage (2002–07) has already covered more than 46,000 hectares. Training courses and seminars are also being held regularly to ensure continued success.

Farmers are now expecting to triple their harvest. “God gave us water, but no pipes,” jokes the member of a farmers' association. "And the pipes… they were stolen and sold as scrap metal. It is unbelievable but true. Now the project has given us back our pipes and we are grateful.”