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Reform or Morph?: Unlocking Value in Asian Irrigation

Reform or Morph?: Unlocking Value in Asian Irrigation. Hypotheses from South Asia and Speculations about the rest of Asia. Tushaar Shah t.shah@cgiar.org 20 th January 2009. Command areas in South Asia are shrinking.

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Reform or Morph?: Unlocking Value in Asian Irrigation

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  1. Reform or Morph?:Unlocking Value in Asian Irrigation Hypotheses from South Asia andSpeculations about the rest of Asia Tushaar Shah t.shah@cgiar.org 20th January 2009

  2. Command areas in South Asia are shrinking..

  3. Why is surface irrigation shrinking? Received Wisdom: PIM/IMT can do the trick.. Govts. Plan, Design and Build Systems Without farmer participation Anarchy Farmer Opportunism-rampant anarchy that unaccountable bureaucracy is unable to check Atrophy With aging, systems atrophy; but are not maintained. Politicians keep irrigation fees low; farmers default; vicious cycle Noise With new technologies and markets, service demand changes, but system is unable to respond; so deeper vicious cycle. But irrigation communities of the old managed all these themselves. Participatory Irrigation Management/IMT is the silver bullet...

  4. In various forms, PIM has been tried in India & elsewhere for 50 years. Has it worked? What does the evidence show—on PIM success in minimizing anarchy, atrophy and noise? The definition of PIM success is progressively diluted.. “Mutual cooperation through mutual coercion with some coerced more than others..“ (Wade 1984); lack of mutual coercion is the problem. Farmer management works best when few large farmers share a command area (RSA Irrigation Boards); Govt. inspired PIM never seems to sustain, even with legal support (AP ‘big bang’-turned big fiasco). Over-capitalization is the big enemy of PIM/IMT NGO-supported WUA’s show success in anarchy and atrophy control; but involves huge facilitation cost. (DSC, Gujarat; Gal Oya). Replicable? Upscalable? Sustainable? Farmers in very high value farming (vine yards)make PIM work better (Ozar, Maharashtra). Farmer management works much better in tubewells than in flow irrigation systems (Gujarat tubewell companies; public tubewell transfer) Availability of cheap pumps and boreholes has been a kiss of death for PIM; it has made ‘exit’ an easier strategy for farmers than ‘voice and loyalty’ thru’ PIM

  5. Contingency Theory of Organization Design Applies to Organization of Irrigation in a Society. 1. There is no universal or one best way to organize and manage a business/economic activity; 2. The design of institutions and their subsystems must 'fit' with the overall socio-technical environment; 3. Effective institutions not only have a proper 'fit' with the socio-technical environment but also between its subsystems; 4. The needs of an organization are better satisfied when it is properly designed and the management style is appropriate both to the tasks undertaken and the nature of the work group. Contingency theory challenges the cookbook variety of management and leadership styles—e.g. 7 habits of highly successful people, etc. There is a similar need to question PIM, IMT and canal irrigation itself. The best way to Organize irrigation depends upon the socio-technical environment of each society.

  6. South Asia has huge groundwater irrigated Areas dependent on natural recharge; but It also has large groundwater irrigated areas In canal commands.

  7. Drivers of atomistic irrigation in India

  8. Policy at cross purposes with reality: The Example of Gujarat, Western India

  9. PIM/IMT will be difficult to sustain because Surface irrigation as a technology of water mobilization and Application is being crowded out by Atomistic irrigation. Strategy? Reinvent surface systems to support Atomistic irrigation

  10. China’s socio-technical environment is turning Similar to South Asia’s. If local party leaders remain Strong, the contractor system can be developed to Improve performance of surface irrigation systems.

  11. Best bet for farmer-participatory Irrigation management. Larger farms, better levy crop prices and ‘right’ capitalization will Promote PIM.

  12. Rapid rise of pump numbers. Does dry-season pump irrigation impair/modify socio-technical fundamentals?

  13. Irrigation Regime and Computing Regime in South Asia • Canal irrigation systems: Shallow Tubewells • IBM 1401: PCs

  14. Thank You. Some of the arguments for South Asia are developed in This book..

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