Unpredictable flash floods in ephemeral rivers are the water source for spate irrigation systems. An important element in the success and sustainability of spate irrigation systems is their ability to cope with highly uncertain water supply and high sediment load. Flexibility is considered one of the key ingredients of coping strategies. However, the concept of flexibility in the context of spate irrigation systems is poorly defined. A framework to assess and operationalize flexibility in spate irrigation is lacking. In this paper we develop a conceptual framework by answering four principal questions and exploring eight flexibility characteristic features and five subfeatures. We explore the flexibility of traditional, improved and modernized spate irrigation systems to cope with high, low and untimely flood events. Flexible spate irrigation systems are highly dependent on system capabilities to deal with uncertainty and enable adjustments to change. The framework can be used as a guideline for water managers, farmers and decision makers for assessing and providing flexibility in spate irrigation systems.

中文翻译：

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灵活性作为应对连发灌溉中不确定供水的策略*

短暂河流中不可预测的山洪暴发是喷灌系统的水源。喷灌系统成功和可持续性的一个重要因素是它们应对高度不确定的供水和高沉积物负荷的能力。灵活性被认为是应对策略的关键要素之一。然而，在喷灌系统的背景下，灵活性的概念定义不明确。缺乏评估和实施喷灌灵活性的框架。在本文中，我们通过回答四个主要问题并探索八个灵活性特征和五个子特征来开发一个概念框架。我们探索传统、改进和现代化的喷灌系统的灵活性，以应对高、低和不合时宜的洪水事件。灵活的喷灌系统高度依赖系统能力来处理不确定性并能够根据变化进行调整。该框架可用作水资源管理者、农民和决策者评估和提供连续灌溉系统灵活性的指南。