With the increase in royal power, the attraction of greater revenue through greater production made kings play an active role in the construction of large-scale irrigation schemes.
The existing local database on total smallholder irrigation development and sugarcane cultivation (large scale irrigation) showed a 74% and 95% variation respectively to the LULC classification and showed fairly good geographical distribution.
Large scale irrigation commenced with the establishment of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) in 1912 which diverted water from the Murrumbidgee River near Narrandera.
Here, large scale irrigation in the pre-colonial period was unthinkable without dynastic involvement.
Colonial and post-colonial anthropological literature has paid inadequate attention to the involvement of the aristocracy in large scale irrigation in pre-colonial Bali.
The area possesses one of the most complete collections of ancient residential sites, more than a dozen heiaus (ceremonial and religious structures), and a large-scale irrigation system.
The huge investments in large-scale irrigation system, however, have not brought about satisfactory performance in many cases.
In particular, the medium-scale irrigation scheme utilized less than 40% of total storage, whereas the small-scale scheme utilized about 70% of the storage.
Emphasis also has been given to the development of small-scale irrigation schemes.
(Although organisations like International Development Enterprises IDEE), which champions small-scale irrigation schemes to farmers living on $1 a day, would no doubt argue you can do it for much less).
