Chapter 9 - Trust and cooperation in managing small-scale irrigation systems of Nepal

Abstract

This chapter is based on the case studies of 30 irrigation systems from different physiographic regions of Nepal covering 17% from mid-mountains; 43% from mid-hills/valleys; and 40% from the Siwalik/Terai. The command area size of the sampled irrigation systems varied across the regions, small-medium in mid-mountains and mid-hills/valleys to medium-large systems in Siwalik/Terai. Household-level data were collected from 519 households from those 30 irrigation systems. The off-season water availability situation varied across the systems of different physiographic regions. Given the difference in water availability situation, the participation of farmers and the resulting cooperation and collective action in irrigation management also varied. Trust and reciprocity was useful in determining the level of collective action and thereby the impact in performance of irrigation systems. Higher trust and reciprocity led to higher availability of water at tail-end during off-season. Logistic regression model showed that the benefit received from irrigation, distance of land from main canal, land holding, and command area of irrigation system had the positive significant impact in the collective action where as head of the system and number of villages in the command area, distance from the market, and number of economically active family members had negative impact on collective action. Result revealed increased likelihood of farmers’ participation in irrigation system management with the increase in economic return received from irrigation.