Spatial Diagnosis of Canal Performance via Vegetation Monitoring by Satellite -Case Study for Tapanzeik Dam Irrigation District in Myanmar-

This study investigated the paddy rice cultivation practices in Tapanzeik Dam irrigation district of Myanmar, using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite monitoring. Crop growth was spatially analyzed using each canal’s command area from 2014 to 2016. The irrigation district cultivates paddy rice twice a year, once in the summer season from March to early July and once in the monsoon season from August to November or January. While stable and productive cultivation was practiced during the monsoon season, summer cultivation was unstable and was primarily influenced by water availability. The findings suggest that access to irrigation water may be limited during summer cultivation, particularly in the Right Main Canal’s command fields. This study found that the MODIS NDVI product is a useful data source for monitoring and analyzing paddy rice crop growth in Myanmar, even during rainy period, when clear-sky days are expected to be scarce. This satellite-based approach is useful for operational canal system rehabilitation planning, even when ground-based data and information are limited.