Where does one find spate irrigation systems?
Spate irrigation occurs in areas as varied as South Asia, the Middle East, West Africa, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Central Asia and Latin America. Estimates for the area under flood irrigation are not easy to make, as the area under spate irrigation changes from year to year and as spate irrigation has never had the amount of attention from development agencies or tax authorities, that perennial irrigation has had. Spate irrigation is typically found in arid and semi-arid regins, where highlands border plains. It uses seasonal floods for irrigation – but as the floods differ from year to year the area served by it fluctuates widely.
