Regional Irrigation Planning Capacity and Water Resource Optimization in Public Infrastructure Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21074051Keywords:
implementation readiness, infrastructure management, irrigation planning, public irrigation systems, regional governance, water resource optimizationAbstract
This study situated regional irrigation planning as a critical institutional function in improving water resource optimization within public infrastructure management. It assessed the planning capacity of the National Irrigation Administration Regional Office 02 in relation to data-informed planning, technical coordination, project prioritization, and implementation readiness, and determined how these dimensions influenced water delivery precision, allocation efficiency, infrastructure responsiveness, and resource sustainability. The study used a convergent institutional capability and resource optimization design. Data were gathered through a validated and reliability-tested survey instrument, supported by qualitative operational comments from personnel involved in irrigation planning, infrastructure operation, monitoring, and water delivery coordination. The instrument showed excellent internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94. Descriptive statistics, Relative Importance Index, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling were used in the analysis. Findings revealed a high level of regional irrigation planning capacity and a high level of water resource optimization, although implementation readiness and infrastructure responsiveness remained comparatively weaker areas. A strong and significant positive relationship was found between planning capacity and water resource optimization. The structural model further showed that implementation readiness was the strongest predictor of optimization outcomes, followed by data-informed planning, technical coordination, and project prioritization. The study concluded that irrigation optimization depended not only on water availability and infrastructure presence, but also on the ability of regional planning systems to translate technical information into timely, coordinated, and executable field action.
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