Keywords: Irrigation Door Opening, Water Demand Efficiency, Divider Door, Door Opening Height, Water Discharge.

INTRODUCTION

Water resources are vital for socio-economic growth, food production, public health and many other sectors. However, the sustainability of global water resources is currently facing serious threats due to population growth, water pollution, and a significant increase in demand (Juwono et al., 2022). Globally, about 2.2 billion people do not have access to clean water, and more than 4 billion people experience water scarcity for at least one month a year (Mawardi, 2014). This water crisis is expected to worsen in the future, as the world's population growth is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 (Anwar, 2022).

The agricultural sector is the largest water user, with more than 70% of global freshwater use allocated to irrigation. However, water distribution efficiency in irrigation systems remains a major challenge. Water losses due to network leakage, evaporation, and suboptimal management have a direct impact on decreasing farmland productivity as well as water scarcity in certain regions (López-Lambraño et al., 2020). Therefore, the application of innovative technologies and strategies to improve water use efficiency is an urgent priority in addressing this global challenge.

Indonesia, as an agricultural country with the fourth largest population in the world, faces similar challenges. Based on a report by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS, Badan Pusat Statistik), around 81% of Indonesia's water resources are utilized for agricultural needs (Rhofita, 2022). However, irrigation efficiency in various regions is still low, with an average water loss rate reaching 30% due to suboptimal management (Panagopoulos et al., 2014). One of the areas experiencing water distribution constraints is Cirebon Regency, West Java, where the Gegesik irrigation system is one of the main sources of irrigation for agricultural areas.

In Gegesik, inaccuracies in sluice gate operations often lead to problems such as water shortages downstream and water wastage upstream. This phenomenon is not only detrimental to local farmers, but also exacerbates the sustainability challenges of water resource management. The Gegesik 5 distribution sluice gate is one of the important elements in the irrigation network in the area. This sluice gate is tasked with regulating the flow of water to the various irrigation channels to ensure equitable distribution. However, in practice, setting the door opening is often not based on a measured water demand analysis, leading to inefficiencies. The lack of monitoring and technical evaluation of sluice gate operations further exacerbates this situation.

Research related to irrigation efficiency has been carried out by various parties. (Bunganaen et al., 2020) highlighted the importance of implementing automatic regulation technology on sluice gates to reduce water loss in irrigation networks. (Rao, 2023) found that a distribution system based on water demand analytics can increase efficiency by up to 25%. Meanwhile, (Pareke & Sh, 2020) studied the effect of sluice gate management on farmland productivity and emphasized the importance of a data-driven approach to water flow regulation.

However, specific research analyzing the efficiency of sluice gate openings in the Gegesik area, especially at distribution gates such as Gegesik 5, is still very limited. This creates a research gap that needs to be urgently addressed. Water scarcity and inefficient water use in the agricultural sector pose a real threat to the sustainability of the national food system (Alfian, 2023). Considering that Cirebon Regency is one of the main rice barns in West Java, optimizing irrigation management in this region is very important. Water use efficiency through proper regulation of sluice gate openings can help reduce the impact of water shortages, increase agricultural yields, and support food security in a sustainable manner.

This study offers an innovative approach by integrating data-driven water demand analysis on the sluice gate opening setting of Gegesik 5. Unlike previous research that tends to focus on technological or design aspects of irrigation systems in general, this study specifically examines the relationship between sluice gate opening settings and water demand efficiency at the local level. Thus, this study is expected to provide practical guidance for irrigation managers in optimizing water distribution.

Based on the above background, this research aims to analyze the opening of the Gegesik 5 distribution sluice gate in meeting water demand efficiently, with a focus on evaluating the existing conditions of sluice gate operation, identifying factors that affect water distribution efficiency, and developing a strategy for setting openings based on water demand analysis. With this approach, the research is expected to provide significant benefits, both for irrigation managers, farmers, and policy makers. Irrigation managers can utilize data-based guidance to improve water management efficiency, while farmers will benefit through optimal water distribution that supports land productivity.

RESEARCH METHOD

This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method for the type of data using qualitative data, including primary data collected through field observations and discussions with related parties and secondary data obtained from written sources such as books, journals, research reports, and statistical data from associated agencies such as the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the Irrigation Office, or the River Basin Center. To make it easier to know the order of the final project, the author presents the methodology of the work in the form of a flow diagram as follows:

Figure 1. Research Flowchart

The research was located in the Gegesik irrigation area, Gegesik Village, Gegesik District, Cirebon Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia. The Gegesik Main Canal serves an irrigation area of 8,933 hectares spread across five sub-districts and 34 villages in Cirebon Regency.

Figure 2. Map of the Research Location

Source: Google Earth

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

For this Planning and analysis of the availability and demand of irrigation water, rainfall data was obtained from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) located in Cirebon. The first step to securing evaporation data is calculating rainfall data (sorted rainfall data), air humidity, wind speed, solar irradiation, and air temperature. Here are the Gegesic Climatology data:

Figure 3. Map of Rainfall Distribution Area

Figure 4. Recapitulation of Rainfall That Has Been Sequenced Gegesic