1. CIAT- International center for tropical agriculture
AGRI: A decision support tool to identify secure water sources for smallholder irrigation as one solution to combat food insecurity
Fredy Monserrate
Jefferson Valencia
Herlin Espinosa
Marcela Quintero
CIAT- International center for tropical agriculture
Session 4: No Food Security without Water Security

2. Context
In Western Honduras 60% of the population, whose principal rural economic activity is the rainfed agriculture on hillsides, live in poverty.
Study implementation: 6 Departments of West Honduras (Central America)

3. Climate and water Insecurity
The climatic pattern and the actual climate variability and change increase the water insecurity.
Average annual precipitation
(Based on CHIRPS data for )
Monthly average precipitation for six sites in west Honduras (Based on CHIRPS data for )
Seasonal Variation
for the RCP4.5
% Change in precipitation*
* Based on the ensemble of 16 GCM downscaled by means of the delta method (Navarro et.al., In prep)

4. Workflow to identify superficial water sources for smallholders and drinking water
Sources identification with the existing know-how requires months of field surveying and the decision process is not supported by easily accessible technical information.
First identification of suitable sources
In-field verification of pre-identified sources and selection of the final one 3
Best path calculation between the final source and the parcel to ensure the transport of water by gravity 1 2
Some technical constrains to be avoided in the superficial water identification
There are diversions often constructed on flows far from the plots to be irrigated or on intermittent flows.
The rainwater reservoirs are often located downstream of the areas to be irrigated or in zones with poor water flow or in sites without enough runoff.
River diversions:
Rainwater Harvesting:
Images from :

5. AGRI (AGua para RIego): Decision support tool to identify secure superficial water sources for small irrigation projects
AGRI is a Web GIS application that uses the geographic coordinates of the plot to be irrigated and scans the surrounding area to identify potential sites for diversions or rainwater harvesting.
AGRI also displays viable routes for transporting water by gravity from it sources to the field where it will be used, and identifies the water catchment area so it can be better managed and protected in order to ensure the sustainability of its resources.
Water sources identification in AGRI Honduras Online ( - Screenshots from mobile devices (Right: river diversions identification; Left: Rainwater harvesting identification)
CIAT

6. What is behind of AGRI?: Data Sources: AGRI was developed by publicly available information:
Hydroconditioned Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
Digital soil mapping for western Honduras (Texture, Field Capacity, Wilting Point, Water Holding Capacity, Runoff curve numbers)
Monthly Runoff and water balance maps (based on CHIRPS and MODIS information)
Jan
Terrain analysis and drainage delineation: SRTM 30m (
Precipitation: CHIRPS (
ETo: MOD16 (
Soils: Digital soil mapping for west Honduras (Da Silva et.al. 2016) available in: doi: /DVN/QVXA7U
Sep

7. What is behind of AGRI (2)?
Identification of suitable sites for river diversions: We defined the stream network based on hydro-conditioned DEM and verified In-field during the driest season that the water was available (92% of confidence)
What does AGRI do?
First: AGRI identifies points over the stream in the intersections on the flows.
Second: AGRI avoids the first intersections in the flow.
Third: AGRI verifies since the second points that the required conditions are meet (Nearest point to the parcel and the water could be transported by gravity)

8. Topographic wetness index (TWI)
What is behind of AGRI? (3)
Identification of suitable sites to build reservoirs for Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) based on a weighted overlay of five criteria.
RWH Suitability Surface (RWHSS)
RWHSS = {4*R + 4*s + 3*Cl + 2*TWI + C} * EA
Runoff index (R)
(Annual Runoff / Precipitation)
Slope % (s)
Clay % (Cl)
Identification of suitable areas (>>RWHSS)
Topographic wetness index (TWI)
Curvature (C)
Identification of the best points to build reservoirs
Excluded areas *
* Excluded areas: Forest zones, riversides, Urban zones and other protected zones
Monserrate et. al. (Manuscript in preparation)

9. How AGRI calculates the best path between the water source and the parcel or water user
Cost-effective path for conducting water by gravity
Valencia et. al. (Manuscript in preparation)

10. Suitable points to irrigate a specific parcel
Some results for RWH obtained with AGRI
Suitable points to irrigate a specific parcel
CIAT

11. Beneficiaries
AGRI has been used at least 200 times and it has improved the efficiency to identify water sources for smallholders irrigation and rural aqueducts

12. Thank you More information: Fredy Monserrate f.monserrate@cgiar.org
Jefferson Valencia
Marcela Quintero
AGRI development was supported by funds from the USAID through the projects “Tools for Identifying Viable Sites for Small Irrigation Projects in Honduras” (Award No. AID-BFS-G ) and “Water Planning System”.