Gezira Irrigation Rehabilitation Project

Sudan

The Gezira Irrigation System is the largest of its kind, comprising one-half of the two million hectares of land currently under irrigation. The aging system, however, is in poor condition, and thus output has become unreliable. Blockages caused by silt accumulation and weed overgrowth causes flooding, which damages crops and reduces yields. The project will therefore rehabilitate the irrigation network with the primary goal of increasing the amount of cultivatable land and thereby boosting food security and incomes in nearby communities. This will be done by dredging the canal network and rehabilitating approximately 2,000 water control regulators. Pumping mechanisms will also be repaired or replaced, and weed-control mechanisms installed.