Smart Irrigation Governance and Water Delivery Precision in Public Irrigation Systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21074941Keywords:
data-informed decision-making, irrigation governance, maintenance responsiveness, public irrigation systems, smart irrigation, water delivery precisionAbstract
This study positioned smart irrigation governance as a critical pathway for improving water delivery precision in public irrigation systems. Using a predictive-correlational and explanatory survey design with service precision modeling, the study assessed governance practices in terms of data-informed decision-making, technology utilization, operational coordination, transparency in water allocation, monitoring and reporting, and maintenance responsiveness. It also measured water delivery precision in terms of adequacy, timeliness, consistency, equity, reliability, and responsiveness. Data were gathered through a validated and reliability-tested questionnaire, with excellent internal consistency based on Cronbach’s alpha results. The findings revealed that smart irrigation governance was practiced at a high level, with operational coordination and data-informed decision-making emerging as the strongest governance areas. Water delivery precision was likewise rated high, particularly in adequacy, reliability, and consistency. However, equity, timeliness, responsiveness, technology utilization, and maintenance responsiveness remained areas requiring improvement. Correlation analysis showed a strong positive and significant relationship between smart irrigation governance and water delivery precision. Hierarchical multiple regression further indicated that the governance model substantially explained variations in delivery precision, with data-informed decision-making, maintenance responsiveness, and operational coordination serving as the strongest predictors. The study concluded that precision in irrigation service was not shaped by infrastructure alone but by the quality of decisions, field response, data use, and stakeholder coordination. Strengthening digital monitoring, predictive planning, maintenance systems, and transparent allocation procedures was recommended to improve the accuracy, fairness, and dependability of water delivery in public irrigation systems.
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