Search

Effective and sustainable water resource management requires flexibility and adaptation to local contexts. Our study analyzes the emergence and evolution of local water self-governing associations, reviewing how their struggles and conflicts, both with the public sector and among locals themselves, have been pivotal to achieving agreements and actions towards sustainable water management. Using an adapted version of the Combined Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) and social–ecological system (SES) framework, also known as CIS, we conducted a comparative analysis of two distinct Chilean cases. This research highlights the critical role of historical factors alongside institutional support, political landscapes, and financial realities in shaping current water management practices. The findings suggest that when the actors are aligned and actions are taken to support local water user management, more efficient, sustainable, and less conflict-ridden water resource management occurs. Furthermore, this study reveals how the experiences, struggles, and successes of these local user associations have shaped national policies, particularly regarding the development of monitoring mechanisms and the promotion of public–private cooperation in water governance. These efforts have not only fostered more resilient water management systems but have also demonstrated the power of grassroots organizations in shaping broader sustainable policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jordan's water scarcity prompted a national plan whereby treated wastewater is utilized to amend agricultural irrigation water so as to reallocate freshwater to urban/domestic uses. The policy, however, has engendered farmers' resistance in the Northern Jordan Valley (NJV), causing a stalemate in putting new infrastructure into operation. This research investigated the socio-economic causes of farmer resistance and contestation, and examined the government's institutional approach to overcome the challenges. We found that the perceived risks of wastewater reuse such as salinization and restrictions from international markets figure prominently in the farmers resistance. As yet, farmers have managed to avoid the shift to treated wastewater use by using the political agency of elite farmers who control the Water Users Associations. These same farmers have adopted informal water access practices to overcome freshwater shortages. At the same time, small producers who don't have possibilities to access extra water and with less political clout seem more willing to irrigate with treated wastewater. We conclude that understanding the heterogeneous context in which the envisioned wastewater users operate is key to predicting and solving conflicts that arise in treated wastewater reuse projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets out to contribute to the debate on the criteria for selecting members of water user associations (WUAs) for large irrigation systems in the Nepalese Tarai. From a socio-historical approach, I explore irrigation policies through the prism of intertwined scientific paradigms and social power relations specific to the Nepalese context. I show how WUA membership has been dissociated from water use and linked to land tenure. An explanation of this historical process highlights the socio-economic consequences on rural communities dependent on surface irrigation and provides a critique of the WUA model, while suggesting a way of reorienting this participatory model towards further inclusion.

Communal irrigation or user-managed irrigation – also long referred to as indigenous or traditional irrigation – has been the focus of interest for two main complementary reasons: 1) from a perspective of development practice (to learn lessons from customary management of these irrigation systems); and 2) from a theoretical perspective (to explore the relationship between irrigation and society). This paper reviews the main discourses through which the category of 'communal irrigation' is politically constructed. This is done through an historical reconstruction of the three main phases during which communal irrigation was the subject of discussion – namely, in the 19th century, the 1950s to 1980s, and from 1990 onwards. The review shows that while the definition of this category has evolved over these three periods it has always served the way the state positions itself in relation to the policies to be implemented. It underlines the adaptation, resistance or decline of the systems in the present context of growing competition over water, increasingly restrictive legislative frameworks, and more wide-ranging societal change. Finally, the review argues that the normative perspective and the universalistic principles that undergird most water policies conceal the diversity of knowledge and potentially weaken customary rules and historical communal systems.

Decisions on irrigation water management are usually made at different levels, including farms, water user associations (WUAs), and regional water planning agencies. The latter generally have good access to information and decision tools regarding water resources management. However, these remain out of reach to the final water users, namely the farmers. The study, conducted in the irrigated district of Cherfech, north Tunisia, had the main objective of investigating farmer's perceptions of, and acceptance for, the use of an irrigation advisory service (IAS) to be implemented by their WUA. The suggested IAS provides the following information: (1) reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and rainfall; (2) crop water requirement (CWR) of the most cultivated crops; (3) irrigation water requirement (IWR) of the farmer's crop; and (4) crop monitoring and real-time estimation of IWR of crops settled, using soil moisture sensors. Such services and information would be available at the WUA level and provided in a timely manner to farmers for more effective decision making at the plot level. Prior to the acceptance study, we launched a technical study to determine the required tools and equipment required for the implementation of the IAS, followed by a farmer survey to assess their respective perceptions and acceptance towards this IAS. Results showed that only 54% of the farmers are satisfied by WUAs work, but that 77% of them accepted using the suggested IAS. Farmers are also willing to pay for most of the IAS packages suggested. The financial profitability of investing in the IAS at the WUA level shows the venture is financially viable, with a benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 1.018. The project will be even more profitable if we add the social benefits, which may result in water savings at the WUA level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communal irrigation or user-managed irrigation – also long referred to as indigenous or traditional irrigation – has been the focus of interest for two main complementary reasons: 1) from a perspective of development practice (to learn lessons from customary management of these irrigation systems); and 2) from a theoretical perspective (to explore the relationship between irrigation and society). This paper reviews the main discourses through which the category of 'communal irrigation' is politically constructed. This is done through an historical reconstruction of the three main phases during which communal irrigation was the subject of discussion – namely, in the 19th century, the 1950s to 1980s, and from 1990 onwards. The review shows that while the definition of this category has evolved over these three periods it has always served the way the state positions itself in relation to the policies to be implemented. It underlines the adaptation, resistance or decline of the systems in the present context of growing competition over water, increasingly restrictive legislative frameworks, and more wide-ranging societal change. Finally, the review argues that the normative perspective and the universalistic principles that undergird most water policies conceal the diversity of knowledge and potentially weaken customary rules and historical communal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There was strong support for irrigation water pricing as an indicator of water shortage and opportunity cost in conceiving the development. The purpose of the paper is to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation supply improvements and to investigate factors that affect it. Data was collected among 90 farmers in the North of Tunisia interviewed face to face. Contingent valuation technique was adopted. A qualitative dependent variable model (logit) was used. Empirical results showed that water users might accept moderate increase of water prices in order to get better water supply service. The average WTP was of 245 millimes (0.08 US$). Comparing to actual practiced price of 150 millimes/m³ the farmers accept to pay on average 63.3% more than the price currently paid. The willingness to pay is strongly affected by agricultural training and education level of farmers. It is proved too that corruption and free riding behaviour reduce significantly the farmers’ willingness to pay for groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fostering and empowerment of water user associations (WUAs) has been regulated by the Minister of Agriculture since 2012. However, the implementation of this guideline varies. Some water user associations have achieved improvement, while some others have not. This study discusses how a WUA in the villages that use Bengawan Solo River water has successfully managed the irrigation. One of the factors leading to the success of this WUA is the stakeholder engagement in the agricultural irrigation management and farm business. This study was conducted from June 2016 to June 2017 by employing a qualitative approach. It aimed to identify and understand the stakeholder engagement in agricultural irrigation management by: 1) conducting an analysis on stakeholder power and interest indices, 2) mapping the positions, responsibilities, and obligations of stakeholders, and 3) identifying the stakeholder engagement in agricultural irrigation management. The research results are as follows: a) the analysis using Likert scale showed that the power index reached a value of 0.76, while the interest index reached a value of 0.78; b) the mapping of internal stakeholders, especially the responsibilities and obligations, has been regulated under the Articles of Incorporation of WUAs and obligations of external stakeholders, especially the government in making government regulations, irrigation infrastructure support, and flood prevention; c) cooperation of the stakeholders has an important role in the agricultural irrigation management and in solving the problems faced by WUAs.

The purpose of this study is to determine the role of Keujruen Blang in the implementation of agricultural extension model for rice seed farmers. Keujruen Blang is a customary institution rooted in Aceh Province, Indonesia. This study uses qualitative research method by applying case study with qualitative descriptive approach in which data processing through nonparametric statistic with data measurement using Likert Scale. The results showed that farmers still perceive the existence of Keujruen Blang in terms of; (1) set the division of water to the rice farmers, (2) determine and coordinate the schedule of planting rice (3) resolving disputes between rice farmers (4) coordinating khanduri blang (5) socializing and imposing sanctions on farmers who violate customary law and (6)) pick up small contributions to the rice farming community.Beside farmers, the role of Keujruen Blang is also felt by agricultural extension agents. They stated that Keujruen Blang was instrumental in assisting farmers, especially in regulating water and the implementation of simultaneous cultivation.This research recommends the involvement of Keujruen Blang in formulating extension work plan, implementation and evaluation of extension program to rice farmer breeders in supporting the effectiveness of agricultural extension to increase farmer production and welfare.

Highlights • The outflow to the sea has been unexpectedly relatively stable over the past 30 years, despite many changes. • The delta balance cannot be understood without also considering salt balances at different scales and water reuse within the delta. • At the delta level, only 5–10% of water can be saved and used for other uses or expansion. • Groundwater is increasingly mobilized and might disrupt the delicate equilibrium between fresh groundwater and seawater. • Finer analysis of the balance is constrained by the uncertainty in most of the variables that need to be assessed. Abstract In the past three decades successive "Irrigation Improvement Projects" (IIP) have been implemented in the Nile Valley and Delta of Egypt. They have consisted in replacing scattered individual pumps by collective pumps serving distribution networks at the tertiary level, while ensuring a continuous flow in secondary canals, in lieu of the rotational system. This intervention has been praised as "a state-of-the-art project" spearheading the 'modernization' of irrigation in Egypt. Given their ambitious objectives and the massive investment of capital planned - the 1986 policy's target was to 'improve' one million ha by the year 2000 - these modernization efforts warrant thorough independent evaluation. This article attempts to revisit the achievements of the project after 30 years of implementation by presenting findings derived from fieldwork surveys carried out in the central part of the Delta. We document how these socio-technical innovations perform on the ground, how they change water distribution and how, in turn, they are adopted and reshaped by farmers. Understanding the contexts in which improvement projects are most beneficial, and the conditions under which such investments may be at risk, leads us to make recommendations as to how the design and implementation of these projects can be improved but also to ask whether such investment is essential for the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to assess some performance criteria of irrigation scheme under Kartalkaya Left Bank water user association in Narlı Basin from 2007 to 2017 and to investigate the "sufficiency status, agricultural irrigation infrastructure, use of irrigation water, problems in agricultural water management" with the questionnaire applied to the producers. According to the findings of the study, irrigation ratio and relative water supply ration were recorded as 70.4-96.8% and 1-1.37 respectively. Fee collection rate was calculated as 93.7% and maintenance repair rate was ranged from 8.6% to 37.3%. As a result of the survey evaluations, generally irrigation problems: inadequacy of irrigation infrastructure which are leakages at the channel connection points, channels and canals breakage, aging and inadequate maintenance that are effective in water transmission losses. In terms of water management, environmental problems such as salinity, drainage, ground water due to excessive water usage, water irregularity and water insufficiency due to water retention in HEPP (hydroelectric power plants) constructions were observed. Also, in order to overcome the water insufficiency, the increase of production costs via the use of groundwater from the additionally opened wells can be added. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative analysis of irrigation performance across irrigation systems allows determining how well a system is performing in relation to others. In this research, Akçay Right and Left Bank, Aydın and Söke Water User Associations located in Lower Büyük Menderes Basin and Menemen Right and Left Bank Water User Associations located in Lower Gediz Basin were assessed by using benchmarking applications in irrigation and drainage. As a result of the study, output per cropped area, output per unit command, output per unit irrigation supply, output per unit water consumed, relative water supply, relative irrigation supply and annual irrigation water delivery per unit irrigated area were determined as 2048-3414 $ ha-1, 1707-2824 $ ha-1,0.30-0.60 $ m-3, 0.27-0.46 $ m-3,1.02-1.60, 0.62-0.95 and 5965-11043 m3 ha-1 respectively. The main problems determined by this study are the improper use of water and inadequate water allocation especially to the downstream water user associations. Agricultural production values of the water user associations are relatively higher than those having similarities and similar functions.

We examine the characteristics of water user associations (WUAs) that affect the success of collective action for irrigation management. Using random-effects ordered probit models and a large panel dataset from 104,523 rural communities, the results of the econometric analysis verify the hypotheses in the existing empirical literature and confirm the robustness of the theory of collective action in the context of irrigation management. Our results show that collective action for irrigation management depends on the distance from the market, area of paddy field, share of non-farmers and elderly farmers, share of paddy field, and social capital. We also find that collective action has an inverted U-shaped relationship with the number of farm households and diversity in farmers’ landholdings, and a U-shaped relationship with the diversity of a community’s farmers. The results suggest that as the characteristics of irrigation systems and user groups can change little in the short run, policies aimed at suppressing deteriorating collective action for irrigation management need to enhance social ties in a community, thereby promoting community-level social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shows how large-scale commercial farmers, individually and collectively, are responding to land and water reform processes in the Thukela River basin, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. With a high degree of innovative agency, commercial farmers have effectively executed four strategies, enabling them to adapt and use their access to resources to neutralize multiple water reform efforts that once promised to be catalysts for inclusive change in the post-apartheid era. It is likely that policy alone will not facilitate the envisioned transformation, if local practices are not sufficiently understood and anticipated by the governmental officials charged with the implementation of water reform processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Irrigated agriculture plays a vital and important role in economic development of many countries around the world. In this research, performance assessment of Water User Associations (WUAs) was undertaken over canal water management in irrigation command area. WUAs in canal irrigation network were characterised and evaluation of irrigation performance was evaluated using different performance indicators. The water delivery indicator in tail-end supply ratio was 0.67, area uniformity ratio was 0.79 and delivery timeliness ratio was 1 in Govindgarh WUA. Satisfactory performance was observed in Govindgarh WUA in the comparison of Bijori WUA and Bauchhar WUA. The carrying capacity ratio was 0.96, and poor structure ratio was 0.5 in Govindgarh WUA. This indicator was also satisfactory in Govindgarh WUA as compared to Bijori WUA and Bauchhar WUA. In financials, fee collection performance (0.75), personnel cost ratio (0.56) and manpower number ratio (0.009) in Govindgarh WUA make it satisfactory. Sustainability of irrigated area was 0.88 which was satisfactory in Bijori WUA. Area/infrastructure ratio was 139.27 in Govindgarh WUA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor irrigation water management associated with water scarcity is the major reason for underperformance of most small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia. In order to devise appropriate measures for rehabilitation of the failing schemes and to enhance farmers’ adaptation capacity to water scarcity, it is important to assess site specific plot and scheme level water management practices, challenges, farmers’ perceptions and adaptation strategies. So far, there is no such study in the context of Tigray, Ethiopia. A survey was conducted on 109 farmers in three groups based on the source of irrigation water, which included canal, seepage and both canal and seepage water users. Focus group discussions with elders, water users association (WUA) committee and women headed households were also made. Furthermore, random field measurements on conveyance loss, groundwater depth and quality (EC) were also taken to verify the farmers’ perception. The respondents’ perception of severe water scarcity at scheme level and poor on-farm and scheme level water management practices are among the major causes for aggravating water scarcity, crops yield decline and soil salinization were in line with field observations. Despite several adaptation strategies of the farmers at plot and at scheme level, yield is still declining. The only adaptation strategy that has been enforced by the local government authority was reduction of the irrigated land. However, in the 2016 irrigation season the farmers were allowed to make their own decisions that resulted in innovative water scarcity adaptation strategies and that doubled the irrigated land as compared to the local authority plan. This showed the significance of allowing the beneficiaries to make their own decisions. To rehabilitate Gumselassa irrigation scheme as well as to enhance the adaptation capacity of the farmers to water scarcity capacity building and empowerment of the WUA and improvement on the existing water structure is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an agent-based simulation of the formation of cooperation in using irrigation. The simulation model is developed based on our understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which farmer households participate the cooperation. That is, a household first become a potential participant when the cost of cooperation it needs to sustain is not higher than the amount it can afford or is willing to pay; and on top of this, the propensity that the household participates is heavily affected by its personal characteristics and neighborhood effects. We use model to examine the impacts of initial participants and government support on both the reach and velocity of the cooperation diffusion. The model is calibrated to villages with successfully running Water User Association in central China. Our results show that government support plays a critical role but the initial participants do not matter much for different types of initial participants and network structure of the village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new water governance framework with the aim of overcoming past racial inequalities in water access and addressing the critical challenges of water security in the country was developed by the post-Apartheid South African government in the years following 1994. The adoption of ideas of collaborative governance and institutional devolution associated with integrated water resources management (IWRM) are central to this framework. Using social theory, this study examines structural and agential dimensions of power manifested during the establishment process of a water user association in the Northwest Province of South Africa. Portraying that the establishment process of this new institution was flawed due to power asymmetries of interacting actors, this article unmasks supposedly collective decision-making processes in collaborative water governance. As the establishment of water user associations in South Africa is an ongoing political process, our findings have societal relevance for the country’s future water policy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Burkina Faso is actively pursuing the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in its development plans. Several policy and institutional mechanisms have been put in place, including the adoption of a national IWRM action plan (PAGIRE) and the establishment so far of 30 local water management committees (Comités Locaux de l’Eau, or CLE). The stated purpose of the CLE is to take responsibility for managing water at sub-basin level. The two case studies discussed in this paper illustrate gaps between the policy objective of promoting IWRM on the one hand, and the realities associated with its practical on-the-ground implementation on the other. A significant adjustment that occurred in practice is the fact that the two CLE studied have been set up as entities focused on reservoir management, whereas it is envisioned that a CLE would constitute a platform for sub-basin management. This reflects a concern to minimise conflict and optimally manage the country’s primary water resource and illustrates the type of pragmatic actions that have to be taken to make IWRM a reality. It is also observed that the local water management committees have not been able to satisfactorily address questions regarding access to, and allocation of, water, which are crucial for the satisfactory functioning of the reservoirs. Water resources in the reservoirs appear to be controlled by the dominant user. In order to correct this trend, measures to build mutual trust and confidence among water users 'condemned' to work together to manage their common resource are suggested, foremost of which is the need to collect and share reliable data. Awareness of power relationships among water user groups and building on functioning, already existing formal or informal arrangements for water sharing are key determinants for successful implementation of the water reform process underway.

The current paper deals with an evaluation of water management through community participation and emergence of Pani Panchayat (PP) in a case study of the Vir Bajrang Bali Pani Panchayat under Lift Irrigation Project of the Hirakud Command Area (HCA), Orissa state in Eastern India . The broad objective of this paper is to examine the functioning of Water User Association (WUA) or Pani Panchayat promoted by the State and the local traditional irrigation institutions in the HCA, Orissa and to evaluate their functioning & characteristics in the context of local water management. The precise objectives are: (1) to analytically review the Orissa Farmers Management of Irrigation Systems Act and study the functioning of the Pani Panchayat, (2) to examine people's participation (3) study the apparatus of water management and control, and the impact of such management on productivity among the members and (4) to recommend policy interventions to make the formal institutions more successful. The paper concludes that the Pani Panchayats performance as regulatory institutions in charge of water distribution on equitable basis has been weak and unsuccessful. Even though the Pani Panchayat has been initiated and endorsed in the State for more than a couple of years, the acceptance of this model have been lethargic and scattered. As Pani Panchayat is a new concept needing experimentation and experience before finalisation of its content in greater detail, the irrigation agency is not in a position to spell out the different components of the programme in concrete terms. A detailed action plan should be prepared by the irrigation authority in consultation with the water users through Participatory Rural Appraisal method. A feasibility study should be under taken by examining the caste/class conflict, groupism, political differences and history of confrontation and conflict, if any. It is necessary to apply a bottom-up approach instead of a top-down one for sustainability. There must also be mechanisms to ensure that the benefits of the project are equally distributed to all concerned stakeholders.