About the course

Building on the concepts and theories on Water Use Efficiency presented in the first and second phases of the project, this self-administered course focuses on the irrigation networks consisting of open channels and on the role of remote-sensing technology for canal lining inspection.
Open channels are widely used to supply water under the action of gravity from a water source to the irrigation scheme and require a careful operation and maintenance. If not appropriately monitored and maintained, these type of channels can suffer large inefficiencies and water loss, due to leakages, breaches, erosion, seepage, etc. In this context, the employment of drone-based imagery assessment represents a time-efficient, accurate and scalable solution to perform the assessment of canals. After introducing the main characteristics of open channels and the main challenges posed by an accurate operation and maintenance, the course presents and discusses the advantages of adopting the Remote Rapid Assessment Procedure and its steps.

System requirements

This course can be accessed online, clicking on the link below, without registration. It runs on the latests versions of major browsers, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari.

Audience

The present course targets national professionals and technicians from relevant ministries operating in the field of water and irrigation management.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this section, you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of adopting canal lining
• Explain the main criteria and requirements of canal lining
• List and explain the phases involved in the conduction of a remote assessment of canal lining

Structure of the course

Chapter 1: Irrigation and canal lining​

• Scope of irrigation and importance of canal lining​
• Methodologies available for lining inspection and assessment​
• Knowledge check​

Chapter 2: Conducting remote assessment for canal lining​

• Opportunity of remote assessment​
• Criteria and requirements​
• How to determine canal condition​
• Knowledge check​

Chapter 3: Remote assessment of canal lining in practice​

• Opportunity of remote assessment​

Thematic area