Abstract            Volume:7  Issue-1  Year-2019         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

This study was initiated with the objective of analyzing the potential physical land suitability for surface irrigation in Loma Woreda, Southwest Ethiopia. Generating geo-referenced map of these resources by using Geographic Information Systems, stream derivation, identification of potential irrigable physical land resources, locating socio-economic factor and climate data were the steps followed to assess this irrigation potential. Results of the derived stream showed seven main basins and belonging streams. To identify potential irrigable land, irrigation suitability factors such as soil type, slope, land cover/use, market accessibility, mean annual temperature and rainfall, and distance from water supply (sources) were taken into account. The weighted overlay analysis of these factors gave potential irrigable area of 770.58ha (0.65%) highly, 46,554.12ha (39.36%) moderately and 67,253.13ha of total area (56.86%) are marginally suitable for surface irrigation. The remained 3,690.09ha (3.12%) of total area were not currently suitable. The finding have shown that, from the total area of 118,267.92ha of Loma Woreda 114,577.83ha (96.8%) are potentially suitable for surface irrigation in the range of highly suitable to marginally suitable. In conclusion, Loma Woreda has a high surface irrigation potential. So that, it is advisable to develop and invest in those potential areas.

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