Cai X., Cui Y., Dai J., Luo Y.
Southern African Office, International Water Management Institute, Pretoria, South Africa; State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Guilin University of Technology, Guilin City, China; State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
Cai, X., Southern African Office, International Water Management Institute, Pretoria, South Africa; Cui, Y., State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Dai, J., Guilin University of Technology, Guilin City, China; Luo, Y., State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
OASIS, an irrigation diagnosis model, is applied to the Zhanghe Irrigation System in central China to investigate the contribution of smaller local storages (in "melons on the vine" configuration) as compared with the main reservoir. Results show that local storages are more important in normal-to-wet years, while the main reservoir is critical in dry years, which implies a strong policy correction relevant to many parts of the world. Balanced investment in various storage infrastructures with associated management practices is a cost-effective strategy for irrigation development. © Copyright 2012 International Water Resources Association.