This document summarizes a presentation on irrigation management reforms in Asia. It discusses studies of irrigation schemes that were transferred to Water User Associations from agency management. Generally, these schemes showed improved irrigation services and maintenance as well as increased agricultural production and financial viability. However, the performance was mixed. Smaller, simpler schemes tended to perform better under this management model. The document also examines reasons for the limited success, such as incomplete reforms, and proposes options like strengthening agencies, improving support to Water User Associations, and using new institutional models.

1. GWP -IWMI
Workshop on Climate Change, Food, and Water Security
24-25 February 2011
Irrigation Management Reforms:
The Asian Experience
Madar Samad
International Water Management Institute
Water for a food-secure world

2. COUNTRIES WHERE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT REFORMS
HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED
Water for a food-secure world

3. A Key Question
Are schemes that have been transferred to Water
User Associations performing better than when
they were under agency management ?
Water for a food-secure world

4. 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.
Water for a food-secure world

5. STUDY SITES OF IWMI
1990-2000
USA China
Niger Pakistan Nepal
Burkina Bangladesh
Mexico Sudan India Philippines
Faso
Colombia Sri Lanka
Nigeria Indonesia
Water for a food-secure world

6. Recent Review of Case Studies:
Distribution and location of cases
- Mukherji et al, 2010
Water for a food-secure world

7. Selection of case studies
– Cases post 1994 period
– Only public owned irrigation schemes
Water for a food-secure world

8. Some Results
(from Mukherji et al, 2010)
Water for a food-secure world

9. Finding patterns in success: Success
by type of scheme
PIM in Lift
and pump
schemes are
marginally
more
successful
than canal
systems
Water for a food-secure world

10. Success by size of system
Small schemes
perform
marginally
better
Schemes serving
lesser number of
farmers succeed
marginally more
Water for a food-secure world

11. Success by complexity
PIM is
marginally
more
successful in
Simple
schemes
more
Water for a food-secure world

12. Success by crops grown
PIM in Non-
paddy systems
succeed
significantly
more than
paddy systems
Water for a food-secure world

13. Rehabilitated systems fare better
than non-rehabilitated ones
Water for a food-secure world

14. Cases where full O&M is transferred
perform better
Water for a food-secure world

15. Higher Failure of PIM in Schemes
Implemented by Government Agencies
Water for a food-secure world

16. 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
Water for a food-secure world

17. 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
Water for a food-secure world

18. Why has PIM/IMT has largely a limited
Impact?
1. Conceptual Problem?
2. Implementation Failure?
Water for a food-secure world

19. Conceptual Problem?
1. Central concept of PIM is collective action by
farmers
1. Collective action by user/beneficiary groups have
2.
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)
Water for a food-secure world

20. 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
Water for a food-secure world

21. Throw the Baby and the Bathwater?
Water for a food-secure world

22. 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)
Water for a food-secure world

23. 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.
Water for a food-secure world

24. • Irrigation schemes should be run as
enterprises (public or private)
• Replace administrative systems with
service delivery arrangements
Water for a food-secure world

25. 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
Water for a food-secure world

26. • 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
Water for a food-secure world

27. • 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
Water for a food-secure world

28. Andhra Pradesh: Mobile Phone based
Information System for Efficient Water
Management
Mobile phone technology used to develop two
applications:.
1. First one is Reservoir Storage Monitoring System
(RSMS)
2. Canal Network Flow Monitoring System
(CNFMS).
Water for a food-secure world

29. Mobile Phone Based Information System for Main
Canal Management – Andhra Pradesh
Water for a food-secure world

30. Water for a food-secure world

31. Water for a food-secure world

32.  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.
Water for a food-secure world

33. Thank you
Water for a food-secure world