Appropriate Social Organization? Water User Associations in Bureaucratic Canal Irrigation Systems

Abstract

Much of the investment in agricultural development has been in large-scale irrigation projects. Many of them, particularly in the less developed countries, have not realized their designed or potential productivity. A large part of this is thought to be due to an inefficient use of water and nonperformance of maintenance on the part of the farmers. The solution to this problem is thought by many to be Water Users Associations (WUAs).It is shown that WUAs are based on an analogy with what are called traditional systems. These traditional systems are reanalyzed as Irrigation Communities. A point-by-point comparison of WUAs with Irrigation Communities shows that they share only a few features, and, importantly, do not share the major ones, which are access to specific benefits, the systematic relationship among the various kinds of work, a clear charter for the authority of the leaders, and articulated responsibility from farmer to headgate for allocation of water.WUAs have been successfully promoted in smal...