Understanding the Change in Irrigation Behavior

The USAID/Jordan Water Innovations Technologies (WIT) project is designed to increase water savings in Jordan by driving the adoption of new water saving technologies and practices in agriculture and at the household level. One of the proven water-savings technologies that the project introduced is improved drip irrigation with pressure compensating emitters on farms. This technology ensures a more uniform application of water across a field irrespective of pressure variations due to elevation or friction in long lengths of pipe. This study was carried out to understand the changes in farmer behavior after installing analog water meters on farms where investments have been made in water savings technology. The major finding was that water metering within a farm, e.g., on individual zones, and more importantly, information that farmers efficiently synthesize, is also a water-savings technology in its own right alongside drip irrigation technologies. Water accounting, therefore, is a suitable tool to influence farmers' water use behavior and achieve a sustainable positive change in their attitude towards water.