The province has identified irrigation development as a key infrastructure priority, particularly in areas where agricultural production remains vulnerable to water shortages during the dry season.
Gia Lai has favorable soil and climate conditions for a wide range of high-value crops. The western part of the province is a major production area for coffee, pepper and fruit, while the eastern region focuses mainly on wet rice, vegetables and other crops.
The province currently has 284 reservoirs with a combined capacity of nearly 1.454 billion cubic meters, along with 486 weirs, 272 pumping stations and about 7,813 km of canals, according to the Department of Agriculture and Environment.
The irrigation network supports not only agricultural production but also domestic water supply, industry, aquaculture, power generation and other needs.
In areas that previously faced severe water shortages, irrigation investment has helped stabilize production.
In Đút village, Ia Lâu commune, resident Nguyễn Văn Ánh said the construction of the Ia Lâu and Ia Lốp weirs, the Plei Pai reservoir and connected main and in-field canals had brought irrigation water directly to farmland.
The improved water supply has allowed the Ia Lâu rice fields, which once depended largely on rainfall, to produce two stable crops a year and reduce the risk of drought-related losses.
Ánh's family cultivates 5 hectares of wet rice. By using new varieties, applying technical advances and mechanizing cultivation and harvesting, the family earns an estimated annual profit of VND200 million-250 million ($7,600-$9,500).
Similarly, the Ayun Hạ production area has benefited from water supplied by the major Ayun Hạ irrigation project, enabling local residents, including many ethnic minority communities, to maintain two rice crops each year.
Despite substantial investment, irrigation capacity remains uneven across the province.
The western region still lacks sufficient water-source projects and a synchronized canal network, while some reservoirs have yet to reach their designed irrigation capacity because reservoirs, canals and related structures have not been fully integrated.
In the eastern region, the irrigation network is relatively well developed, but many facilities were built long ago and require continued repairs and upgrades to meet changing production needs.
To address these shortcomings, Gia Lai is implementing a series of major irrigation projects.
Among them is the Ia Prat reservoir in Ia Khươl commune, with total investment of VND100 billion ($3.8 million). The province is also completing 30.9 km of canal systems serving the Tầu Dầu 2, Ia Rtô, Plei Thơ Ga and Plei Keo reservoirs, with total investment of VND485 billion ($18.5 million).
The Ia Ring reservoir is being upgraded with VND27 billion ($1.0 million), while the Ia Tul reservoir project has a total investment of VND4.024 trillion ($153.6 million). Completion of branch canals for the Ia Mơr reservoir is funded at VND205.9 billion ($7.9 million).
In the eastern region, the province is implementing the Suối Lớn-Suối Chiếp reservoir project in Canh Vinh commune and repairing and upgrading damaged or degraded reservoirs.
About 11 reservoirs are expected to undergo upgrades between 2026 and 2030, with total investment of approximately VND285 billion ($10.9 million).
Several additional projects are being prepared for investment, including the Đak Pơ Tó reservoir in Kon Chiêng and Pờ Tó communes, the Suối Lơ reservoir in Tơ Tung and Kông Bơ La communes, and the Kbang-An Khê irrigation system covering Kbang, Kông Bơ La and Cửu An communes and An Khê ward.
The Provincial Construction Investment Project Management Board is preparing investment in the Ia Ke reservoir in Ia Hrú and Chư A Thai communes and the Đông Xuân reservoir in Ia Le commune. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is also investing in the Ia Tul irrigation project.
The continued expansion and modernization of irrigation infrastructure is considered essential to Gia Lai's target of raising the value of crop production to VND40.265 trillion ($1.54 billion) by 2030.
The province plans to expand areas with proactive irrigation, develop concentrated agricultural raw material zones in the west and consolidate and modernize irrigation infrastructure in the east.
Under the agricultural sector's development orientation, the western region, which has a large agricultural production area but a relatively low rate of proactive water supply, will be prioritized for new water-source projects, zoning and water-resource connectivity.
The eastern region will focus on repairing, modernizing and improving the efficiency of existing irrigation facilities.
Cao Thanh Thương, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said major projects including the Ia Tul, Đak Pơ Tó, Suối Lơ, Ia Ke, Đông Xuân and Đak Trau Dle reservoirs, as well as the Djang, Kờ Tung and Kbang-An Khê irrigation projects, are expected to create new opportunities for agricultural development in Gia Lai.