7/25/2019 Extended Abstract Susilawati

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RAINWATER MANAGEMENT IN SMALL SCALE

FOR SUSTAINABLE SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE

Susilawatii

The most important water resource for agriculture is come from rainwater. Rain-fedagriculture is often failure for dry-spell or waterlogging situation. Managing rainwater is

needed for sustainable smallholder agriculture. During rainy season, when a lot of water

available, even excess water, which cause of waterlogging situation, needed drainage system

to maintain the water table not so high. Then, the drainage water can be stored in a small

pond yard, for irrigation water availability during dry-spell situation.

A study related to waterlogging and dry-spell situation, rainwater harvesting or rainwater

management, rainwater management in small scale and smallholder agriculture, most

required for knowing how to manage rainwater for agriculture. The small pond yard also can

be function as rainwater harvesting structure for this small scale. Several small pond yard

form as interconnection system to catch and manage rainwater, which falling and flowing onthis yard, so as almost no water flowing out from this smallholder agriculture. Rainwater

management has several options depend on the context area to manage. The larger areas

called as basin context, then sub-basin, and the small scale area as a home-yard. Rainwater

management in small scale is define as to manage rainwater which falling and flowing on the

home-yard for smallholder agriculture, so as almost no water flowing out from this yard or

smallholder agriculture. Runoff water are captured and stored in several small ponds yard

form as interconnection system for smallholder agriculture. This available water is helpful for

the smallholder farmer to cope the dry-spell problem in rain-fed agriculture.

This system has been implemented in Mr. Lucas Hiller Liunesi home yard and adding other

system for healthy home, in the year of 2015. Compared to the rainwater harvesting system

as a big reservoir or embung system, the rainwater management in small scale is moreeffective, efficient, and optimal for sustainable smallholder agriculture.

Keywords: rainwater management, dry-spell and waterlogging, small pond yard, smallholder

agriculture, effective-efficient-optimal.

iMember of KNI-ICID branch Kupang-NTT, e-mail: sr.susi.dp@gmail.com