The need for agricultulral development
Cultivation of rice is the dominant economic activity of area. Droughts occur from January to March but may last until May during exceptionally dry years. Dry periods seriously affect rice production not only in the local area, but also in the province as a whole, because local rice production plays an essential role in provincial terms. To overcome drought conditions, attention has focused on irrigation schemes which allow 2-3 rice crops per year, instead of 1-2 rice crops per year. It is likely that agricultural productivity will increase by 50-60% in irrigated areas. At present, the total income of farming households is 11 million dollars. Several proposals for the provision of fresh-water for irrigation have been put forward. These include extraction of freshwater from underground and the construction of a surface reservoir to store water for release during the dry season. Preliminary
investigations revealed that underground water reserves were insufficient and two alternative projects involving surface water storage have been devised: a dam on the Tama River and a coastal dyke over the mud-flats.