Many water bodies such as dams, lakes and rivers destined to become part of irrigation schemes serving about 42% of the net cultivated land in Nepal of which 41% of the irrigated land receives year-round irrigation. Irrigation systems, primarily targeted for land-based crop, distributed throughout the southern terai region of the country with its 700 km primary canal and about 7200 km branch canal have varying crop water productivity. When water productivity is aggregated for irrigation command areas, the highest water productivity values decreased gradually. Enhancement of water productivity relates to the need to increase crop yields or values per unit of water. This would require integration of more compatible agriculture commodity in whole range of aquatic habitat created by irrigation systems. Integration of aquaculture and enhancement fisheries is thought to a more practical option to enhance water productivity in reservoir, canal themselves and water-logged lands in canal commands. Water storage such as mid-hill lakes and reservoirs are used as multiple systems and have significant impacts on livelihoods of the local people through the most important benefit arising from aquaculture and fisheries. Rice-fish farming activities demonstrated in several irrigation commands in mid and far western region has also been found to be useful in productive utilization of seasonally waterlogged lands…………………..

Many water bodies such as dams, lakes and rivers destined to become part of irrigation schemes serving about 42% of the net cultivated land in Nepal of which 41% of the irrigated land receives year-round irrigation. Irrigation systems, primarily targeted for land-based crop, distributed throughout the southern terai region of the country with its 700 km primary canal and about 7200 km branch canal have varying crop water productivity. When water productivity is aggregated for irrigation command areas, the highest water productivity values decreased gradually. Enhancement of water productivity relates to the need to increase crop yields or values per unit of water. This would require integration of more compatible agriculture commodity in whole range of aquatic habitat created by irrigation systems. Integration of aquaculture and enhancement fisheries is thought to a more practical option to enhance water productivity in reservoir, canal themselves and water-logged lands in canal commands. Water storage such as mid-hill lakes and reservoirs are used as multiple systems and have significant impacts on livelihoods of the local people through the most important benefit arising from aquaculture and fisheries. Rice-fish farming activities demonstrated in several irrigation commands in mid and far western region has also been found to be useful in productive utilization of seasonally waterlogged lands…………………..