PARTICIPATORY IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT IN PAKISTAN: OPPORTUNITIES, EXPERIENCES AND CONSTRAINTS

The contiguous Indus Basin Irrigation System of Pakistan covering an area of about 17 million hectares has been mostly operated and maintained by the government under the 130 years or so old Irrigation and Drainage Act of 1873. The mismatch between expenditures and revenues from the irrigation system resulted in continued deferred maintenance leading to poor performance and widespread inequity in water distribution to farmers, especially the tail enders. The Provincial Irrigation and Drainage Authority Acts were passed in 1997 for establishing autonomous and financially self reliant bodies at all levels of the irrigation system. Pilot studies were conducted by establishing Farmer Organizations (FOs) for transferring the operation and maintenance of the secondary irrigation system to them. The transfer of management was either partial, the so-called joint management, where the public agencies and FOs were managing the system jointly; or a complete transfer of management to FOs. The level of success has been varying from system to system and from province to province depending upon the motivation, capacity building and willingness of the agencies involved. There were cases where system performance had considerably improved in achieving a higher level of equity in water distribution, higher cropping intensity, higher revenues collection, reduction in conflicts and reduced operation and maintenance costs. Results from other systems with quasi participation of water users or the government departments have not been encouraging. The involvement of different organizations in different places with limited expertise, experience and resources for water users mobilization, capacity building and lack of democratic approach for establishing water users associations and organizations have been major factors for poor participatory irrigation management experience. While, experience with committed, expert and experienced organizations had been the other way round. Political involvement and fear of loss of authority have also contributed its share.