A Retrospective of Lending for Irrigation - Reflections on 70 Years of Bank Experience

Reflections on 70 Years of Bank Experience Hervé Plusquellecwith the assistance of Sanjiva Cooke About the Water Global Practice Launched in 2014, the World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice brings togetherfinancing, knowledge, and implementation in one platform. By combining theBank’s global knowledge with country investments, this model generates morefirepower for transformational solutions to help countries grow sustainably. Please visit us atwww.worldbank.org/wateror follow us on X:@WorldBankWater. About GWSP This publication received the support of the Global Water Security & SanitationPartnership (GWSP). GWSP is a multidonor trust fund administered by theWorld Bank’s Water Global Practice and supported by Australia’s Departmentof Foreign Affairs and Trade, Austria’s Federal Ministry of Finance, the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation, Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, theNetherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spain’s Ministry of Economic Affairs andDigital Transformation, the Swedish International Development CooperationAgency, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, the Swiss Agencyfor Development and Cooperation, U.K. International Development, and theU.S. Agency for International Development. Please visit us atwww.worldbank.org/gwspor follow us on X:@TheGwsp. A Retrospective ofLending for Irrigation Reflections on 70 Years ofBank Experience DISCUSSION PAPER MARCH 2024 Hervé Plusquellecwith the assistance of Sanjiva Cooke © 2024 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433Telephone: 202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, andconclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors,or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations,and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerningthe legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and PermissionsThe material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Please cite this work as follows: Plusquellec, Hervé. 2024. “A Retrospective of Lending for Irrigation: Building on 70 Years ofBank Experience.” With the assistance of Sanjiva Cooke. World Bank, Washington, DC. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The WorldBank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. Cover design:Bill Pragluski, Critical Stages, LLC. Photo credits:© Hervé Plusquellec/World Bank unless otherwise noted. Additional cover photos are courtesy of the following:ORMVA Doukkala, Morocco (top right), CARPI (lower left), and BORIS international (lower right). Contents ForewordixPrefacexiiKey PointsxiiiAcknowledgmentsxivAbout the AuthorxvExecutive SummaryxviAbbreviationsxxii PART I: HISTORICAL REVIEW 1.The Importance of Irrigation2 1.1The Diversity of Irrigation Systems at Large31.2Partnerships7Notes8 2.Evolution of Bank Lending for Irrigation9 2.1Lending for Irrigation (1950–2018)92.2Regional Distribution (1950–2018)102.3Distribution of Global Lending for Irrigation by Decade102.4Country Distribution (1950–2018)122.5Lending for Irrigation after a Record Low in the Year 2000132.6Official Development Financing to the Water Sector andIrrigationSubsector15 Notes 3.Evolution of Policies Applicable to the Irrigation Subsector18 3.1The Infrastructure Period (1950–71)183.2The Agricultural Expansion Period (1971–82)193.3The Consolidation Period193.4Water Resources Management Policy and Strategy213.5A Global Change in the Culture of the World Bank233.6Other Bank Initiatives Aimed at Revitalizing the Irrigation Subsector24Notes28 4.Performance of Bank-Financed Irrigation Projects29 4.1Reviews of Irrigation and Drainage Projects Conducted by the OEDand Independent Evaluation Group29 5.1Staffing Qualifications and Bank Process Review34Note35 6.The Recent Search for New Irrigation Paradigms36 6.1Public-Private Partnerships366.2Irrigation Services Delivery Revisited: INSPIRE and the IrrigationOperator of the Future386.3A Joint Initiative: Farmer-Led Irrigation Development396.4Policy Lending40 PART II: LARGE- AND MEDIUM-SCALE IRRIGATIONPROJECTS IN REVIEW 42 7.A Closer Look at Two Decades 7.1An Engineering Solution to the Dual Use of Surface Water andGroundwater for Irrigation437.2Viewpoints of Irrigation Stakeholders and Experts in the 1990s437.3Rent Seeking in the Irrigation Subse