Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Water Users Association'

For many decades in India, natural resource management (NRM) programs were implemented by government bureaucracies in a centralized, top-down manner. The programs were unsustainable and suffered from resource use inefficiency and inequity. In the 1990s, under pressure from civil society organizations and multilateral agencies, the Government of India and many State Governments introduced policies that decentralized NRM programs and mandated active participation of users in the management of resources. When implementation responsibilities were transferred to resource user-groups many of the problems associated with centralization could be reduced significantly. However, despite their proven capacity of being better resource managers than government agencies, the user-groups encountered difficulties as self-governed people's organizations. Participation of users declined and problems of equity resurfaced in many user-groups. This dissertation describes the research that examines the causes of problems in the governance of user-groups in villages of Mehsana District in Gujarat. Using an eight-fold criteria of good governance, the study looks at eight Water Users Associations (WUAs) that took over irrigation management responsibilities from the Irrigation Department. This program of decentralization of irrigation is called Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM). The assessment of each WUA on each of the eight criteria reveals a close link between characteristics of good governance and the process of democratization. It can be seen that the WUAs that performed well on participation, equity, transparency, accountability, rule of law and consensus-orientation were less likely to face situations of dysfunction than the WUAs that performed poorly on these criteria. These criteria for good governance are also the core elements of democratic governance. At the same time, the case-studies reveal the tension between the democratization process that is attempted within the WUAs and the historical and cultural legacy of the feudal, autocratic and patriarchal society that rural India has been for many centuries. The thesis supports the argument, with empirical evidence, that the decentralization process can be sustainable only when user-groups institutionalize democratic processes and the early leaders behave in a democratic manner. It also suggests that the transition from an undemocratic institution to a democratic one can be enabled when external support agencies play an important catalytic role.

Thesis (M. Tech) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2008<br>Food and water are two basic human needs. International projections indicate that water shortages will be prevalent among poorer countries where resources are limited and population growth is rapid, such as the Middle East, parts of Asia and Africa. Provisional estimates are that South Africa will run out of surplus usable water by 2025, or soon thereafter. Urban and peri-urban areas will therefore require new infrastructure and inter-basin transfers to provide safe water and adequate sanitation. Due to the high cost of these developments, such water is seen as being used for industrial and public needs only and not for irrigation. Currently, the agricultural water users consume the majority of the water used by humans. Taking cognisance of the before mentioned it is a reality that in the future the irrigation sector will have to sacrifice some of its water for public and industrial usage. This suggests growing conflict between the different water users and the agricultural water users. An attempt by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) to address this conflict has been the implementation of pilot studies to determine the steps Water User Associations (WUAs) could take to ensure more effective water use in the future by the agricultural sector. These steps include an increase in irrigation efficiency according to the benchmarks of crop irrigation requirements and more efficient dam and canal management. The Water Administration System (WAS) has been developed to fulfill this exact requirement as it ensures optimal delivery of irrigation water on demand. The program is designed as a management tool for irrigation schemes, WUAs and water management offices to manage their accounts, and also to manage water supply to clients more efficiently through canal networks, pipelines and rivers. The WAS program consists of four modules that are integrated into a single program. Three modules of the WAS program have already been implemented at the Vaalharts irrigation scheme. This scheme has been transformed from a government controlled scheme to a privately owned scheme, and is now known as the Vaalharts Water User’s Association (VHWUA). The main purpose of this study was to implement the fourth module of the WAS program at the VHWUA as only full functionality of the complete program will ensure effective water use at the scheme. The fourth module calculates the volume of water to be released for all the canals (main canal and all its branches), allowing for lag times, water losses and accruals in order to minimise waste and thus save water. The methodology followed in this study was to first of all develop an understanding of the distribution cycle and the current calculation procedure of the VHWUA. The fourth module was then applied on a typical feeder canal and used to calculate the release volumes in order to compare these results with the current values. The next step was then to verify all data abstracted from the database used by the WAS program to calculate the release volumes. The database consists of information like cross-sectional properties, positioning of the sluices, canal slope, as well as canal capacities. The verification of data was done by field work, by studying existing engineering design drawings, through meetings and consultations with all parties involved in the VHWUA as well as by mathematical calculations. Cross-checking and verification, if necessary, of all above mentioned data were done. After the verification process, the database was updated and another cycle of calculations were run to do the final calibrations. Accurate calibrations were done to the seepage and the lag time coefficient. Some final adjustments were also made to the canal geometry in the database. This was an important part of the study as only a trusted and verified database will deliver correct results, irrespective of the software program used. After calibration of the database, the fourth module was again applied, but this time water losses were included in the calculations and the results revealed trustworthy and accurate real-time release volumes. The study therefore succeeded in the implementation of the fourth module on a typical feeder canal at the VHWUA. The study was concluded by the compilation of a checklist, which the VHWUA can use to implement the module on the whole scheme. This would enable the VHWUA to implement and apply the complete WAS program, which offers all the benefits and answers in every need of any water management office. Sustainable water resource utilisation can only be achieved through proper management. Applying this most effective management program will ensure a cost effective and optimised process at the VHWUA.

<p>India and many other developing countries confront serious problems of declining water tables. In India there is no real water shortage, but ineffective use of surface water leads to freshwater run-off. By building dams and irrigation water systems the Indian government has been trying to find a more effective use of surface water and thereby increase the agricultural productivity. But mismanagement of irrigation systems by local governments called for alternative management techniques, and during the last decades the central Indian government has been trying to decentralise management and governance of irrigation water to local water users. This Minor Field Study (MFS) focuses on a local implementation of Participatory Irrigation Management in the Indian state Madhya Pradesh. The aim of the thesis is to analyse the way the local government handles the decentralisation of irrigation water management, by identify and illuminate communication channels. The thesis is built on the basic idea that functioning environmental communication is the key to reach a functioning decentralised and sustainable water management. Interviews with local government officials, citizens of a local village, and staff from a locally involved NGO within a case study constitute most of the empirical data. Theories of decentralisation of natural resource management, community participation, communication, and NGO cooperation are presented. With starting point in the empirical material and the presented theories has way the local government handles the decentralisation process, and the role of the locally involved NGO, been analysed. The study shows shortcomings in: education of stakeholders, communication training among government officials, trust in the capability of local water users, and communication between stakeholders. The study also enlighten the government officials fear of losing political power, the NGOs role as communication channel, and the formation of locally rooted organisations.</p>

Water management in irrigation and in water supply and sewage sector is an essential factor for the sustainable development of the water management sector. The main purpose of this research is to create an innovative methodological framework for stakeholder identification and classification in water management sector. The stated purpose will contribute to theory by enriching the knowledge of stakeholder analysis towards water resources management fulfilling also the gap of implementation for this type of analysis in the literature specifically for WUA and WSSA entities. Beside scientific theoretical perspectives the research offers also a contribution to practice by facilitating decision makers and managers in the water sector by using a standardized methodological framework for stakeholder identification and classification of WUA and WSSA. For organizations in general stakeholder analysis is a hypothetic rule for leading them in the success of the firm. Literature review has included a wide range of research articles in stakeholder management in the context of stakeholder analysis by explaining different methods and techniques of different authors; on the other hand there is a limited number of papers in stakeholder analysis of water resources management or either natural resources and even less specifically for WUA and WSSA. The study was developed through case study method in the Lushnja WUA and Tirana WSSA consisting of qualitative data. These data consist of real evidences assembled mainly by water managers deriving an original contribution to the research knowledge. Basing on the results of research was identified and classified the definitive, expectant and latent stakeholders of WUA and WSSA. However the main finding of thesis was assessing the usability and relevance of a method and technique aimed at identifying and classifying relevant stakeholders in the WUA and WSSA, which can serve as directive framework for water managers in the sector. This method can be easily adapted and employed in other similar countries and regions

Magister Philosophiae (Integrated Water Resource Management) - MPhl(IWM)<br>The aim of the study is to understand the level of co-operation between emerging and commercial farmers in a Water User Associations. The effort is expected to inform policy and improve practice in the building of new water institutions as government strives to implement IWRM.<br>South Africa

The thesis investigates the processes of the formation and functioning of Water Users Associations (WUAs) which have been implemented under the policy of Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) in Maharashtra, Western India. The thesis explores (1) how social and economic hierarchies shape the process of participation in WUAs; (2) the roles played by the State and Non-Governmental Organisations in the process of participatory development; (3) the ways in which processes of neo-liberalisation have influenced water reforms in a developing country like India. The study draws on different critiques of neo-liberalism, and it explores theories of participation to provide a holistic understanding of PIM (Participatory Irrigation Management) reforms carried out in Maharashtra. The study uses a qualitative approach, based on ethnographic fieldwork carried out over twelve months at two Water Users Associations in a village in the Nashik district of Maharashtra. The study finds that processes of participation are complex, and characterized by the vested interests of the different actors involved in the process of the formation and functioning of WUAs in the village. The WUAs have been able to provide water to many farmers in the area. However, the policy has been unable to achieve much success in terms of resolving conflicts among farmers and enhancing the participation of small landholding and marginalized farmers in the WUAs. I found that the process of neo-liberalisation does not challenge or reform traditional institutions such as caste and gender, but rather that it uses them to entrench market reforms. The implementation of WUAs' policy in the wider neo-liberal context has increased the powers of the State and NGO intervention in the formulation and implementation of WUAs policy. Processes of WUAs' formation and functioning are significant examples of the ways in which neo-liberalisation is taking shape in India, including the commodification of water, and thereby, the reproduction of existing hierarchies and power imbalances. The study contributes towards developing an understanding of the wider processes of neo-liberal governance in the water sector.

This thesis examines whether and under what conditions the recent decentralization of irrigation management in Turkey can deepen democracy through a comparative study of irrigation management decentralization in two provinces in Turkey: Urfa and Aydin. In Turkey, the state agency, which planned, built, and managed all major irrigation schemes, transferred the duty of water management, fee collection and maintenance to Water User Associations (WUAs) starting in 1993. The democratic processes established by WUAs in Urfa were plagued by allegations of bribery, corruption, embezzlement and service delivery failures; whereas Aydin WUAs have proven to be the very definition of successful decentralization in irrigation management. The hypothesis is that inequalities in access to resources, unequal power structures, low-levels of education and inexperience with civic activism lead to weaker links between decentralization and democratic deepening. Moreover, these same factors increase the likelihood that decentralized organizations will fail to satisfy their users in the provision of efficient and effective services. Hence, I hypothesize that the same factors are responsible for hampering the performance of decentralized institutions. I argue that divergent outcomes in decentralized irrigation management are a result of diverging social, economic and political contextual variables. The study shows that if there are significant inequalities in access to resources and power, decentralization does not promote democratic deepening and does not improve the performance of service delivery. This is especially true if the actors do not have a past of civic activism.<br>Cette thèse considère si la décentralisation récente de la gestion de l'irrigation en Turquie peut approfondir les processus démocratiques, et sous quelles conditions, au moyen d'une étude comparative sur la décentralisation de la gestion de l'irrigation dans deux provinces turques : Urfa et Aydin. En Turquie, dès 1993, l'organisme de l'État qui avait planifié, construit et géré l'ensemble des plans d'irrigations a transféré les tâches reliées à l'aménagement des ressources en eau, la collecte des frais et l'entretien aux associations des usagers de l'eau (AUE). Les processus démocratiques établis par les AUE se plaignaient d'allégations de trafic d'influence, de corruption, de détournement et de retards de livraison de service tandis que les AUE d'Aydin ne manifestaient que du succès en gestion d'irrigation décentralisée. L'hypothèse propose que l'accès inéquitable aux ressources, l'inégalité des dynamiques de pouvoir, les faibles taux de scolarité et le manque d'expérience en activisme communautaire contribuent à l'affaiblissement des liens entre la décentralisation et l'approfondissement des processus démocratiques. Or, ces mêmes facteurs réduisent les probabilités que les services de ces organismes décentralisés seront fournis aux utilisateurs de manière efficace. Ainsi, je propose que ces facteurs mêmes contribuent à la pauvre performance des organismes décentralisés. Mon argument démontre que les résultats divergents relatifs aux structures décentralisées de gestion d'irrigation sont liés aux variables sociales, économiques et politiques du contexte. L'étude démontre que les inéquations d'accès aux ressources

La thèse porte sur l'analyse de l'action publique dans le domaine de l'eau d'irrigation au Maroc. Nous analysons la rencontre entre un projet étatique d'aménagement, et un territoire rural au Maroc, à travers les configurations des acteurs et les enjeux locaux de ses composantes sociales et politiques. Comment le projet d'irrigation a-t-il permis d'accélérer une reconfiguration des rapports de pouvoirs et du leadership local, que nous avons analysé à travers les logiques des différents acteurs. Nous avons adopté un cadre analytique emprunté à la sociologie politique et basé sur l'analyse de l'action publique dans le domaine de l'irrigation. Ce cadre analytique nous a permis de mobiliser en parallèle deux modèles d'analyse : 1) le modèle synoptique pour l'analyse d'une action publique monopolisée par les acteurs publics, 2) celui des ajustements mutuels pour l'analyse d'une multitude d'acteurs dans une situation où l'Etat n'a plus le monopole de l'action publique. Nous avons fais le choix méthodologique d'analyser les acteurs en action, en privilégiant un travail empirique basé sur l'analyse des pratiques, et en décryptant une généalogie fine du projet d'irrigation du Moyen Sebou au Maroc. C'est une zone aménagée par les pouvoirs publics dans une perspective de gestion centralisée par l'administration agricole. Les négociations avec le bailleur de fonds, surgies lors du débat international sur la Gestion Participative en Irrigation, ont amené l'administration à confier la gestion de l'irrigation après aménagement à des agriculteurs organisés en associations<br>The subject of this thesis is the analysis of public action in the field of irrigation water in Morocco. We analyze the confrontation of a state-led irrigation project, and a rural territory in the North of Morocco, by looking at the configuration and interaction of actors and local issues of its social and political components. How did the irrigation project contribute to the acceleration of a reconfiguration of power relations and local leadership in the area? Our analysis examined this question through the logic of the different actors. We worked within an analytical framework borrowed from political sociology and based on the analysis of state action in the field of irrigation. This analytical framework allowed us to identify two parallel models of analysis: 1) the synoptic model for the analysis of public action monopolized by public actors, 2) the mutual adjustments for the analysis of a multitude of actors in a situation where the state no longer has the monopoly of public action. We have made the methodological choice of analyzing the actors in action, focusing on empirical work based on the analysis of practices, and by decrypting a fine genealogy of the Moyen Sebou scheme in Morocco. The area is managed by public authorities in the context of a state-centralized management of the agricultural administration. Negotiations with the financial donors, that took place during the international debate on ‘Participative Irrigation Management', led the public administration to entrust the management of irrigation to farmers who are active in associations

Cette recherche porte sur la place des petits périmètres irrigués (PPI) dans le système national de gestion de l'eau en Afrique du Sud. Nous avons choisi une approche par les représentations pour étudier et expliquer les difficultés rencontrées au sein des PPI par la création des water user associations (WUA) prévues par la réforme sur l'eau de 1998. Cette étude mène en parallèle un travail de déconstruction de la politique publique sud-africaine et un travail d'exploration des représentations sociales de petits agriculteurs. L'analyse des interprétations et des choix réalisés par les politiques dans la définition et la mise en place des WUA met en évidence une négation progressive de la capacité de participation des PPI par le biais de révisions successives du modèle de WUA. L'étude des représentations des agriculteurs est menée à l'aide d'un protocole de recherche novateur combinant méthodes discursives et visuelles. Elle révèle des représentations de la gestion de l'eau dépersonnalisées et dissociées du concept de contrôle. La notion de contrôle, centrale au discours des politiques, cristallise les problèmes rencontrés dans la participation des PPI au système national de gestion de l'eau : elle est la marque d'une divergence de représentations entre politiques et agriculteurs et la marque de la marginalisation des PPI. Notre recherche conclut en proposant de redéfinir le rôle des comités d'irrigation existants au sein des PPI mais oubliés de la réforme sur l'eau. Elle propose d'en faire des sous-comités des WUA à la fois indépendants et intégrés, des catalyseurs de la participation des PPI, et des intermédiaires entre agriculteurs et politique nationale de gestion de l'eau.

This study is an investigation into water management policies in South Africa, their effect on water users and the perceptions users have of these policies. The investigation begins with an exposition of concepts such as water demand management (WDM), as well as integrated water resource management (IWRM). A sub-discourse of the main theme is the societal tendency to neglect its common property. Garret Hardin's groundbreaking observations on the "tragedy of the commons" (1968) are explored in an effort to locate issues of relevance in effective water management strategies. In contemplating the commons, it is evident that aspects of morality and ethics are involved. The morality of a society be it in a global or national context, seems to manifest itself in legislation and policies, and in the way these are implemented. The relevance of good governance, hydropolitics and sustainable development is also discussed to provide the necessary theoretical background to an understanding of the relationship between consumers and the water commons. Access to safe drinking water is protected in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, 108 of 1996. Flowing from the government's obligation to take reasonable legislative and other measures to achieve the progressive realisation of fundamental human rights stipulated in section 27(2) of the Constitution, the challenge since 1994 has been to provide access to water for all inhabitants and to manage the available water resources effectively. Furthermore, the objective of subsequent water legislation such as the National Water Act, 36 of 1998 and regulatory plans, like the National Water Resource Strategy has been to incorporate international trends in water governance. The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs (DWEA) divided South Africa into 19 regions, called water management areas (WMA). In this study, attention is focused on what constitutes a catchment and how a catchment management agency (CMA) governs its water resources. A description is provided of the functions of water user associations (WUAs) and how ththe Lower Orange Catchment Management Area is, for example, the blueprint from which stakeholders develop their goals. In this study, the water situation in the Lower Orange Water Management Area is under scrutiny. The focus is on the three main institutional components of water management (the Lower Orange catchment management, the Upington Islands Water User Association [UIWUA] and the //Khara Hais Local Municipality). The progress of the establishment of the Lower Orange Catchment Management Agency is outlined over a period of five years. Meanwhile, the Upington Islands Water User Association was developed and this has grown in stature. The work being done by these institutions is investigated by looking at grassroots effects, especially in respect of irrigation activities. The unique water management circumstances of the //Khara Hais Local Municipality are then investigated along with the plans outlined in their Integrated Development Plan {lOP) and their Water Services Development Plane Internal Strategic Perspective (ISP) of(WSDP). Because local irrigation operations consume most of the available surface water in the Lower Orange Water Management Area, irrigation farmers and their activities warrant closer attention. A historical overview is given of the development of irrigation in the region followed by an assessment of the role of two of the most prominent historical figures in Upington, Reverend Adriaan Schroder and Abraham "Holbors" September. Ultimately, however, the focus falls on the current state of irrigation in the area. It is possible to distinguish between the approach of large commercial farming operations and that of smaller irrigation farming units to irrigation. Specific attention is given to the perceptions of irrigation farmers as far as the policies and legislation pertaining to water issues is concerned. This study will hopefully provide the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs(DWEA), //Khara Hais Local Municipality and organised agriculture with some recommendations on efficient integrated water management strategies. It might well be of value to other municipalities who are experiencing similar problems. The aim has been to identify typical problems and potential disputes between water management institutions and relevant role-players.<br>Thesis (Ph.D. (Public Management and Administration))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

The countries of the Nile Basin are on a collision course that could result in disastrous military action to determine control of the region’s main water source. In the wake of the Arab Spring, the Egyptian government has lost much of the regional clout that allowed it to maintain it’s ‘lion’s share’ of the Nile as outlined by the 1959 agreement. Population and economic growth in upstream countries, specifically Ethiopia, have resulted in intensified calls for a more equitable water-sharing agreement. Just weeks after Mubarak stepped down, Ethiopia unveiled plans to build the Grand Renaissance Dam. The GRD will significantly reduce the water that reaches Egypt’s borders but will significantly increase Ethiopia’s hydroelectric power and irrigation potential. Egypt’s population and agriculture sector rely heavily on the maintenance of this status quo; the country also faces the mounting effects of climate change, rising food prices and immense population growth. In order to avoid a severe water crisis, Egypt must be proactive and look to improve efficiency within its own borders. This paper will examine the inadequacies of Egypt’s agricultural and irrigation sectors. It will then use examples from Mexico’s successful irrigation reform and advocate a shift of control to local Water User Associations. Other domestic and basin-wide efforts to increase water-use efficiency will also be examined.

À la suite de l'effondrement de l'Union soviétique, les états nouvellement formés de l'Asie centrale ont entrepris, à différents niveaux, des réformes de leurs secteurs agraires. Du point de vue de l'utilisation de l'eau d'irrigation, les réformes consistent notamment en des changements aux régimes fonciers et dans la décentralisation de la gestion du système de drainage et d'irrigation. La plupart des institutions qui, durant l'époque soviétique, géraient le système d'irrigation et de drainage ont été abolies. Cela a créé un vide institutionnel et permis le développement d’institutions au niveau local qui puissent être participatives et appartenir aux utilisateurs. Pourtant, le contexte historique et contemporain de la région pose des défis particuliers pouvant nuire à un tel développement. Les associations d'utilisateurs d'eau ou le gouvernement local gèrent l'irrigation et les systèmes de drainage au niveau local. Ces associations représentent souvent des initiatives conduites par les donateurs internationaux. Parallèlement, les institutions informelles et les modes traditionnels de coopération qui ont survécu à l'ère soviétique deviennent importants et quelques institutions créées durant cette ère demeurent toujours pertinentes. Cette recherche consiste à évaluer le rôle d’action collective dans un système de gestion d’irrigation et de drainage dans le bassin versant de la rivière Syr-Darya dans un contexte changeant concernant les droits d’usage de l'eau et de la terre. L'étude cherche à (1) saisir l'importance de l'eau d’irrigation dans les moyens de subsistance des utilisateurs dans la région de recherche; (2) explorer certaines caractéristiques des institutions formelles et informelles à travers lesquelles les fermiers dirigent des systèmes de drainage et d’irrigation; et (3) identifier les institutions qui appuient l'action collective et celles qui entravant son développement. La méthodologie de recherche repose une revue bibliographique et sur un travail de terrain dans la vallée de Ferghana, au Kirghizistan, entre le 30 avril et le 31 juillet 2008. Les résultats de la recherche sont présentés comme une étude de cas.<br>Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the newly independent countries of Central Asia undertook reforms of their agrarian sectors with varying degrees of speed and depth. In general, the reforms consisted of changes in the nature of land tenure and in the decentralization of irrigation and drainage management. Through these reforms, former state management institutions were abolished leaving an institutional vacuum that presented an opportunity for the development of local-level management institutions. However, the historical context of the region poses particular challenges that may impede users to capitalize on such opportunities.     Water User’s Associations or the local administration manage irrigation and drainage systems at the local level. Water User Associations represent international donor-driven initiatives to introduce equitable, democratic and participative institutions for irrigation and drainage management. There are indications that those informal institutions and traditional modes of cooperation that survived the Soviet era are gaining importance. This study maps out the various institutions, defined as "rules in use", that farmers employ to manage the irrigation and drainage system in the Ferghana Valley within the context of changing land and water rights. The key objectives of the study are (1) to understand the importance of irrigated water for local livelihoods in the research area; (2) to explore certain characteristics of the formal and informal institutions through which farmers manage irrigation and drainage systems; and (3) to depict ways in which “collective action” in irrigation water management can be strengthened. The methodology consists of a synthesis of existing literature and fieldwork in the Ferghana Valley in Kyrgyzstan, from April 30 until 31 July, 2008. The results of the research are presented as a case study.

<p>The aim of the study is to understand the level of co-operation between emerging and commercial farmers in a Water User Associations. The effort is expected to inform policy and improve practice in the building of new water institutions as government strives to implement IWRM.</p>