Irrigation Sector Reform in Asia:

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Irrigation Sector Reform in Asia

• From Patronage with Participation to
• Partnership with Empowerment

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3 Phases of Irrigation Development

• Expansion (1950-1982)
• Improvement (1982-present)
• Restructuring (1986-present)

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Expansion Phase

• 1970s - 10-15 billion USD/yr
• One-third of development budget
• From 100 to 255 M ha (1950-1995)
• 1970-82 2/yr
• 1990s - lt 1/yr

4
Improvement Phase

• Rehabilitation upgrading
• Training
• New technologies
• New management tools
• Water users associations
• Irrigation service fees

5
Expansion phase produced

• Sectorized government as engine of development
  owner of water resources
• Large bureaucracies
• Dependence on foreign loans
• Farmers as beneficiaries and supplicants
• Construction bias
• Patronage with participation

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Improvement phase

• Structure of patronage with participation was
  entrenched by
• Accepting the structure building capacity
• Augmenting the structure with farmer
  participation at low levels
• Result a malignant equilibrium

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Legacies of Patronage With Participation

• Design/management mismatch
• Chronic under-investment in maintenance
• Poor water delivery drainage
• Corruption inefficiency
• Waterlogging salinity
• Unaccountable bureaucracies
• Weak incentives for farmer investment
• Lack of clear property rights

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PWP in Sri Lanka

• PIM policy of 1988
• Transferred OM at subsidiary levels
• Transferred responsibility, not authority over
  OM plans, budgets, staff or fees
• Govt responsible for rehabilitation subsidizes
  maintenance (w/o requirement for cost sharing)
• WUA rules crop plans require Govt. approval

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PWP in the Philippines

• From late 1970s to FIOP
• NIA partially responsible for revenues
• NIA sets keeps irrigation service fee
• OM transferred at subsidiary levels
• Decision to transfer with NIA
• NIA staff remain till retirement (under NIA)
• Only 10-15 of schemes transferred (rest under
  management contracts)

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Partnership With Empowerment

• Objectives of PWE
• Transform malignant equilibrium
• Client-based service orientation
• Sustainable productivity of irrigated agriculture

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Six Principles of PWE

• Restructure government
• Empower water users
• Farmer financial control
• Create mutually accountable partnerships
• Redesign govt assistance to stimulate local
  investment
• Develop choice of service providers

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Partnership With Empowerment in Andhra Pradesh,
India

• White Paper of 1996 public consultations
• APFMIS Act of 1997
• Water charges tripled - Rs 60 to Rs 200/acre
• June 1997 nearly 10,292 WUA created
• Nov 1997 174 DC created
• Minor rehabilitation, capacity building

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Restructure Government(PWE in Andhra Pradesh)

• Clear role change from management to support
  service
• Asst engineers reassigned to Distributory
  Committees as competent authorities
• Field operations staff reassigned to WUAs and
  DCs

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2. Empower Water Users(PWE in Andhra Pradesh)

• Clear legal status, strong sanction powers
• Collective water right
• Automatic membership democratic selection of
  rules leaders
• Full control over OM, budgets, fees, staff
• WUA federate to scheme level
• Apex body at state level for lobbying

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3. Farmer Financial Control(PWE in Andhra
Pradesh)

• WUAs keep 90 of fee collected
• WUAs determine use of fee other funds
• Cost sharing
• 50 at watercourse level
• 20 at distributory level
• 20 at project level (in major schemes)

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4. Accountable Partnerships(PWE in Andhra
Pradesh)

• Clear cost sharing arrangements
• ID staff assigned to WUA
• Open access to all information
• Irrigation management audits (technical,
  financial, organizational)
• Maintenance contracts issued through WUA

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5. Stimulate Local Investment(PWE in Andhra
Pradesh)

• Clear cost sharing at each level
• WUA obligated to do maintenance to receive grants
  for repairs improvements
• WUA given grants to commission maintenance
  contracts
• WUA motivated to add local investment to
  government assistance

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6. Choice of Service Providers(PWE in Andhra
Pradesh)

• Right to accept or reject seconded ID staff
• Right to make contracts with third parties
• Right to select contractors

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Partnership With Empowerment in Indonesia

• Water Sector Adjustment and Irrigation Sector
  Reform Program
• Government Regulation 77/2001
• Ministerial Decrees on WUA and IMT (2001)
• Advanced implementation in ten provinces with WB,
  ADB GON assistance

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Restructure Government(PWE in Indonesia)

• Stop governing irrigation schemes
• Regulation, planning support services
• Provide some irrigation services (based on
  request service agreements)
• Subsidiarity to level that contains scheme
• District Irrigation Commissions

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2. Empower Water Users(PWE in Indonesia)

• Democratic legal status of WUA
• WUA federate to scheme level
• Full transfer of authority for OM, financing,
  staff
• Choice of service providers
• Water use infrastructure rights
• Member of District Irrigation Commission

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3. Farmer Financial Control(PWE in Indonesia)

• WUA determines type level of fees
• WUA determines budget allocations
• Fees not transferred to govt (unless special
  services contract)
• WUA determines how govt assistance used

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4. Accountable Partnerships(PWE in Indonesia)

• District regulations
• Transfer agreements
• Service agreements
• Irrigation management audits

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5. Stimulate Local Investment(PWE in Indonesia)

• Main responsibility for maintenance
  rehabilitation transferred to WUA
• Replace rehabilitation model with incidental
  repair improvement approach
• District Irrigation Improvement Funds
• Demand-based allocation
• Eligibility criteria (legal, positive audit)
• Selection criteria (size of local investment)

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6. Choice of Service Providers(PWE in Indonesia)

• WUA have choice to use farmers, hired staff,
  government staff, contractor, etc.
• Service agreements with government
• WUA can select staff
• WUA can provide honoraria/transportation
  payments, to enhance accountability

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Extent of Implementation(PWE in Indonesia)

• 39 districts have begun implementation
• Federated WUA in 227 schemes (353,778 ha)
• Transfer of 53 schemes
• Service agreements in 26 schemes

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Thank You