Project News

Dr. Hiroyuki Taruya, was dispatched as a Short Term Expert on analysis and evaluation of water distribution for the Project for Strengthening Water Management Transfer Project (SWMT Project). It was his first dispatch for the Project and he stayed in Egypt in the period from June 14 to 22, 2014. Since it was Dr. Taruya's fifth visit to Egypt, most counterparts (CPs) already knew about him and were very glad to see him again after 4 years. His former visits were to offer technical support to the Water Management Improvement Project (WMIP) (2000-2007) and the Water Management Improvement Project II (WMIP2) (2008-2012).

Dr. Taruya is scheduled to visit Egypt to support the SWMT Project twice including this time and the main objectives of his visits are to: confirm the current SWMT Project system for measuring water level and quantity and give his technical recommendations, analyze measurement results which will be collected by the Project after his first visit and give his final recommendations to improve water distribution to the Project in cooperation with the project experts and the CPs so that every local farmer can use water equally.

Photos: Dr. Taruya and the project experts doing field activities in the pilot sites.

Although the summer heat wave never ceased during his first visit, Dr. Taruya actively carried out a number of different activities. Soon after his visits to JICA Egypt Office and the Central Department of Irrigation Advisory Service (CDIAS), he visited all three pilot sites with the project experts to confirm the project activities for measuring water level and quantity on his first field work day. Having visited the pilot sites, Dr. Taruya gave a lecture on analysis of water distribution to the CPs in the CDIAS and answered many of their questions.

Dr. Taruya will visit Egypt once more to offer technical support to the Project later this year. We will do our best to establish an effective and sustainable system to measure water level and quantity by following the technical advice of Dr. Taruya given during his first visit.

Photos: Dr. Taruya lecturing on analysis of water distribution for the CPs.