What irrigation method is described for Swaziland?

• A. Sprinkler irrigation
• B. Drip irrigation
• C. Surface flood irrigation
• D. Simple irrigation diverting water from streams

Answer: (D)

Diverting water from streams is a simple, gravity-fed way to irrigate small farms. Farmers take water from a nearby stream and channel it through open ditches to their fields, letting it flow down to crops without using pumps or complex equipment. This low-cost, low-tech method fits Swaziland’s rural farming context where streams are a reliable water source and capital for infrastructure is limited.

Sprinkler and drip systems require pumps, pipes, and emitters, which makes them more costly and technically demanding. Surface flood irrigation is also surface-based, but it typically relies on a larger channel or canal system to supply water; the distinctive feature here is delivering stream water directly to fields via simple channels, which is exactly what this option describes.