Irrigation Management Reforms: The Asia Experience, by Madar Samad, IWMI

Water for a food-secure world

Madar Samad International Water Management Institute

Irrigation Management Reforms: The Asian Experience

GWP -IWMI Workshop on Climate Change, Food, and Water Security

24-25 February 2011

Water for a food-secure world Water for a food-secure world

COUNTRIES WHERE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT REFORMS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED

http://viaggi.sussidiario.it/


Are schemes that have been transferred to Water

User Associations performing better than when

they were under agency management ?

A Key Question


Performance Indicators:

• Improve the quality of irrigation service to farmers.

• Improved maintenance of irrigation facilities.

• Improve the agricultural production performance.

• Financial viability of WUAs

•

• User fee collection and increase in WUAs share of the cost of

irrigation O&M.


STUDY SITES OF IWMI 1990-2000

Mexico Philippines

China

Indonesia

Sri Lanka

Bangladesh

India Sudan

USA Nepal Pakistan

Colombia

Nigeria

Burkina

Faso

Niger

http://viaggi.sussidiario.it/


Recent Review of Case Studies: Distribution and location of cases

- Mukherji et al, 2010


Selection of case studies

– Cases post 1994 period

– Only public owned irrigation schemes


Some Results (from Mukherji et al, 2010)


Finding patterns in success: Success by type of scheme

PIM in Lift and pump

schemes are marginally

more successful than canal

systems


Success by size of system

Schemes serving lesser number of farmers succeed marginally more

Small schemes perform

marginally better


Success by complexity

PIM is marginally

more successful in

Simple schemes

more


Success by crops grown

PIM in Non-paddy systems

succeed significantly more than

paddy systems


Rehabilitated systems fare better than non-rehabilitated ones


Cases where full O&M is transferred perform better


Higher Failure of PIM in Schemes Implemented by Government Agencies


Distribution of success/failure as per CSS

Region Success Failure

S Asia 18 20

E Asia 7 2

SE Asia 12 24

C Asia 4 14


Overall Assessment

• The recent results are largely consistent with earlier

research findings – mixed performance

• Service provision has largely improved and arrested

the anarchy of the pre 1990s era

• Despite uncertainties IMT continues to be a major

component of institutional reform programs

worldwide.

• Some loss in the momentum of the early 1990s


Why has PIM/IMT has largely a limited Impact?

1. Conceptual Problem?

2. Implementation Failure?


Conceptual Problem?

1. Central concept of PIM is collective action by farmers

2.

1. Collective action by user/beneficiary groups have succeeded in many areas of NRM: Community forestry, fisheries, watershed management, milk producers, small tank irrigation systems

3 Lin Ostrom was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics primarily for her work on collective action in NRM

4 “tragedy of the commons” has been avoided and

communally managed irrigation systems have

stood the test of time (Ostrom et al)


Key Questions ? If Collective Action has largely succeeded in many areas

of NRM, why has there been limited success in large scale government management irrigation schemes?

Implementation Failures? − Reforms only at the lowest level − Irrigation agency intact

Partial Reforms, Partial Success!

Neglect of Main system Management? – David Mosse: Rule of Water


Throw the Baby and the Bathwater?


Four key lessons about WUAs:

Lesson 1:

Enabling environment + support = Capable WUA

(Ex: Mexico, Indonesia & Paliganj, Bihar)

Lesson 2: WUA w/o empowerment = common, but not productive or sustainable

WUA w/ empowerment = rare, but productive & sustainable (Mexico, places in Andhra Pradesh & Indonesia)

Lesson 3:

Rehabilitation/Construction = incentive to form WUA, but is risky (Many Asian cases vs Madagascar, USA )

Lesson 4:

PIM should be integrated with broader reforms in irrigation, agriculture & environment (Ex: Mexico)


The Way Forward

• Need to focus on evolving a strategy that addresses

the entire complex of constraints that farmers in irrigation schemes are facing.

• The first step must be to enhance the income

creation potential of smallholder irrigated farming:

– strengthening market access,

– promoting high-value crops

– improving extension and technical support to smallholder

irrigators.


• Irrigation schemes should be run as enterprises (public or private)

• Replace administrative systems with service delivery arrangements


OPTIONS

Reform and Strengthen Public Irrigation Agencies – difficult but not impossible

• Persist with PIM and provide effective

support systems to WUAs • PIM Support Units In Andhra Pradesh


• Look for Institutions beyond State, Parastatals

or Farmer Organizations

Contractual arrangements between private

irrigation service providers and irrigators (WUAs)

⁻ China, Kyrgyzstan

⁻ Contract between agency and private providers for main

systems management.

Political Acceptability of private sector engagement ?

- Bangladesh water policy states that the management of

large scale irrigation systems will handed over to private

sector


• Sri Lanka – Farmer companies:

Companies undertake input supply, credit and marketing commitments

• Lessons other institutions in the Agricultural Sector:

– Farmer Cooperatives

– Dairy coops in India


Andhra Pradesh: Mobile Phone based

Information System for Efficient Water

Management

1. First one is Reservoir Storage Monitoring System

(RSMS)

2. Canal Network Flow Monitoring System

(CNFMS).

Mobile phone technology used to develop two

applications:.


Mobile Phone Based Information System for Main Canal Management – Andhra Pradesh


Mobile technology enabled actual assessment of water

flows in each distributary on a daily basis which helps

to identify the water flows against the planned and

actual design discharge.

Timely information dissemination helped farmer

organizations to undertake timely flood management

measures.

Low Cost (Rs 0.20/SMS)

This enhanced transparency and accountability

between irrigation officials and FOs and

resulted in judicious use of water.


Thank you

Irrigation Management Reforms: The Asia Experience, by Madar Samad, IWMI

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