Abstract
The growth of groundwater irrigation poses opportunities and challenges, particularly in Africa where substantial potential exists for increased groundwater irrigation but has been constrained by limited access to energy, technology for pumps and drilling, markets, and other factors. Conventional groundwater governance concepts for state-led regulation or co-management are problematic for conditions where state capacity or political support for regulation to reconcile conflicting interests is limited. Experience in Africa and elsewhere does offer examples that may help recognize feasible patterns for collective action that can influence the equity, efficiency, and sustainability of groundwater development. An extended ladder of participation helps look beyond state-led water governance and co-management to a more diverse range of opportunities for supporting local autonomy and initiative to expand opportunities and solve problems in groundwater development. Collective action in groundwater governance can include well spacing; sharing of wells, pumps, and pipes; protecting domestic water sources; crop coordination; groundwater recharge; water imports; and aquifer management. Even where non-state organizations and collective action play primary roles in water governance, they may still be empowered by, receive advice from, or share information with government agencies and other actors. Polycentric groundwater governance can be supported by improving information, facilitating cooperation, endorsing standards, providing a legal framework for resolving conflicts and constituting governance agreements, and through polycentric social learning. Polycentric institutional artisanship by water users and their organizations can help find feasible solutions for improving groundwater governance.
Highlights
The question here is to better recognize and understand what forms successful collective action may take, and what actions may encourage the emergence of better groundwater governance
Establish autonomy: Institutions constituted by users such as through court-sanctioned dispute settlement, corporate structure for shared ownership, or special districts based on enabling legislation
As illustrated by cases such as those presented above, there are a variety of ways in which governments, non-government organizations, farmer groups, and others could support the growth of polycentric problem solving in groundwater governance, which can be seen as examples of state-supported self-governance [16,66]
Summary
There is increasing interest and enthusiasm regarding the potential of groundwater irrigation in Africa, including the prospects for solar-powered pumps [1,2,3,4]. The potential for increased groundwater usage for irrigation generates concern about possible problems. Those with advantages related to wealth, age, gender, political power, ethnic identity, or other social relationships might gain most benefits, with others excluded or marginalized, increasing social inequities. While irrigation benefits farmers who pump, their groundwater abstraction can reduce availability of water in nearby areas and downstream in basins, affecting other water users and ecosystems. It is often hard for groundwater users to observe or understand how their use may affect others. Water quality can be a problem, especially where groundwater contains hazardous chemicals such as arsenic or fluorine that are not observable
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