Launching date: 1 October 2001

Theme coordinator: Martin Smith, FAO Land and Water Development Division, Rome

Theme 5 of the Email Conference on IMT will examine the type of support services needed for water users associations and farmers within irrigation systems and irrigated agriculture. This theme note introduces the different support services and its providers and briefly reviews the experiences reported in the case studies and country profiles that are posted on the Conference web site. Specific attention will be given to the training and capacity building of the different service providers.

We invite participants of the Conference to share their experiences in capacity building programs and activities that have been implemented as part of the IMT process and to address the issues indicated below.

Training and capacity building programs are an important component of support services for IMT, sometimes overlooked in the design of the IMT programme. Funding for training and institutional development for IMT have been limited in most cases.

• Is this an indication of the low priority attributed to capacity building or is it due to a lack of research and information on the impact of training, capacity building and other support services?

IMT programs have proven to be more sustainable in countries and regions where irrigated agriculture is more market and agri-business oriented, as agricultural productivity is directly linked to ability of farmers to pay for irrigation services.

• To what extent is support required to assist farmers in improving agricultural productivity, to facilitate agricultural credit and marketing and to identify opportunities in agri-business?
• In view of prevalent policies for privatisation of agricultural services, is there still a role for an agricultural extension service?
• What should be the role of the private sector in supporting irrigated agriculture?

Technical assistance programs often play an important role in piloting procedures for WUA formation and training and in providing support services.

• To what extent are external foreign assistance projects considered to be overly controlling and interventionist? Is interventionism needed to counter balance resistant bureaucracies?
• To what extent are procedures developed in pilot programs too co1mplex, costly and impractical?
• Should external assistance and pilot projects be extended also after IMT to strengthen support services?

Growing competition for dwindling water resources and growing concerns about water quality will require irrigation management organisations to negotiate water allocations and impose restrictions on water use and quality.

• To what extent should river basin institutions consult and support WUA in water allocation and water rights?
• What kinds of roles should government or other organizations play after IMT in regulation of the water sector and in dispute resolution?

1. Introduction

The IMT case studies and country profiles compiled for this E-mail Conference demonstrate the considerable efforts required to bring about institutional reform. Political commitment and a legislative framework are important to provide the basis for institutional reforms, but efforts devoted to institutional development and capacity building can determine to a considerable degree the success or failure of the devolution process. Defining which support services are essential to be provided is an essential step in the IMT process. Training of service providers should be an important component in this.

In this theme note a brief review is provided of the kinds of support services that may be needed for water users associations and farmers in particular after IMT? Such services may include capacity building in managerial, financial and regulatory needs of water users associations as well as technical support for irrigation system operations, maintenance, rehabilitation and upgrading.

Of particular interest will be to define which support services are needed to improve performance of irrigated agriculture.

2. Support Services after IMT

Capacity building is a long-term process and should not stop with the formal transfer of management responsibilities. Unfortunately, funding and support programs are often limited to the IMT process and WUAs are left at a critical stage without much further support, endangering the sustainability of the WUAs. The different support services, which may be needed after IMT are elaborated below.

Sustainability of water users organization will depend to a large extent on their capacity to provide an adequate water delivery service, to control and allocate water, to maintain the hydraulic infrastructure and to promote gains in agricultural services.

Support services that were previously provided by government agencies may also become part of the WUA responsibilities. These may include agricultural extension, technical assistance, legal matters and training programs. IMT in Mexico has shown that federations of WUAs can be fairly successful in providing a wide range of services in addition to the O&M and administrative services they have taken over.

Support and training for the WUA over an extended period will be needed to establish the capacities of the WUA to provide such services. Federations of WUA may pool resources to acquire more specialised support services. Local governments can play an important role in providing support services to the WUA’s as shown in the case of Turkey in particular in administration and financial control.

The irrigation agency has been the main player in many IMT programs during and after the IMT process. It is the main provider of support services, which typically include technical advise on O&M activities, and training and support in administrative and financial matters.

It is important that irrigation agencies support the IMT process and have a clear understanding of their tasks and roles towards WUA’s. Several programs (such as Mexico, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia) have designed special training programs to prepare agency staff for their new participatory approach and support tasks and to develop the necessary training skills to train WUAs.

Continued support to WUAs after IMT is essential. In Turkey, the irrigation agency assist the irrigation associations for a number of years in operation and maintenance of the system after IMT, including auditing of association accounts. Also, in Andra Pradesh, continuing support to WUAs by the irrigation agency is foreseen and a program of maintenance and rehabilitation is underway, in which the irrigation agency will provide further training in O&M, budgeting and bookkeeping. A system of joint technical, financial and social audits of WUAs is being developed after IMT.

Upgrading and modernization of irrigation systems will require specialised technical support services from the irrigation agency and research institutes after IMT. Governments should specify clear policies so as to promote local self reliance rather than inefficient and unsustainable dependence on the government.

There appears to be a strong correlation between the productivity of irrigated agriculture and the sustainability of waters users organizations. Success of IMT in Mexico and Turkey represent two cases which coincide with a relatively strong market-oriented production system and more sophisticated organizational development of WUAs.

Hence, there is rationale for governments to promote development of agricultural production potential, intensification of farming systems, and development of agri-business and marketing opportunities. Support services in IMT should therefore not be limited to water delivery and O&M tasks only, but should comprise support in all aspects that will improve performance and sustainability of irrigated agriculture.

Agricultural extension and research played an important role during the years of the green revolution in promoting improved agricultural practices and contributing to substantial leaps in agricultural productivity. Trained to work closely together with farmers, agricultural extension could also play an important role in providing direct support to WUA’s in intensifying irrigated crop production and promoting agri-business. Agricultural research institutes could play a role in advising on appropriate crops and production methods in irrigated cropping systems.

With governments committed to the privatisation of services, many extension and research agencies, however, are suffering from a lack of funding and decreased capabilities. Moreover, inter-agency competition is constraining or preventing an effective synergy of activities between agricultural and irrigation agencies and is reducing the inputs and support of the agricultural agency in many IMT programs.

The following questions arise: Is there indeed a need to re-design and re-vitalise government extension systems, particularly in countries with weak agri-business sectors? Or is there need and potential for private sector or non-governmental organisations to take over agricultural extension services? Is there a role for the agricultural research institutes?

The private sector can play an increasingly important role in supporting irrigation management organizations. Suppliers of agricultural inputs, farm machinery and on-farm irrigation equipment may offer technical advice and assistance in further improvements of the irrigation and agricultural production system.

Several countries (including Turkey) report on the difficulties experienced by WUAs in owning and maintaining equipment for transport, desiltation, land leveling and construction works. It is apparent that many operation and maintenance tasks could be entrusted to specialized private sector contractors. Consultancy firms may provide specialized services in the design of irrigation system improvements, taking over some of the tasks of the irrigation agency.

Further, marketing and agri-business organizations and suppliers of agricultural inputs may promote more profitable agriculture and assist in the supply of equipment and provision of credit and technical advise. This will likely involve contract farming and other business linkages with suppliers of agricultural support services.

Agricultural credit plays an important role in intensifying irrigated agriculture. Several IMT country profiles (including Senegal and Zimbabwe) report on attempts to establish mutual savings and credit organization to provide agricultural credit and facilitate the supply of agricultural inputs to farmers.

More effective use of water at farm level can contribute importantly to increasing and intensifying agricultural production. On-farm water management programs promote the rehabilitation of field irrigation and drainage systems, and may introduce more effective field methods through land-leveling and sprinkler or micro irrigation systems that can increase significantly the irrigated area and yields.

In most countries irrigation agencies have little experience and interest in on-farm water management, while in most cases agricultural extension workers have no expertise in water management. Irrigation advisory services or on-farm water management programs may need to be considered to introduce appropriate field irrigation technology and methods.

Growing competition for water between different sectors has led to the formation of basin-wide organizations to regulate water management and to the basin-wide allocation of water to different interest groups within river basins and watershed catchment units. Agreement on procedures for water allocation and watershed management among different water users are important in this and require a forum for negotiation and consultation, entrusted to river basin organizations. Although institutional arrangements are, in many countries, still in formative stages, the role of river basin management organization in providing support services to irrigation management organizations may become increasingly important and may include legal advice and development and adjudication of water rights within basins. Local governments may play an important coordinating role in this.

Even though initial legislation for the formation of management organization may be provided for at the start of IMT, continued support may need to be given to water users organizations to assist them to improve and modernize the regulatory framework in the water sector. Normally, further support and guidance will be required for matters of water rights, water allocation rules and regulations, protection of assets, resolution of disputes and imposition of sanctions.

 

3. Training and Capacity Building

Training and extension is an important tool for developing the knowledge and skills of farmers and WUA officials to undertake management responsibilities and develop more profitable irrigated agriculture. In most of the IMT country profiles, training of WUAs was reported as an element of the IMT program. Generally, this included training in financial and administrative management as well in technical aspects of operation and maintenance. However, the quality of training varies greatly and it is often reported to be not adequate or ineffective.

Countries with a more focussed effort and commitment to IMT, (such as Mexico, Andra Pradesh and Turkey), developed extensive training programs for both WUA and staff of the irrigation agencies. Training has been directed to developing skills in financial and administrative management and technical operation of the system, but has been used in particular also as a tool to sensitize and motivate farmers, local leaders and staff of the irrigation agencies.

Less than half of the IMT country profiles report that their IMT programs included training for the irrigation agencies. This is surprising given the fact that the irrigation agency is normally required to play a central role in the transfer process.

Training often proved to be ineffective and more effective training approaches need to be developed. Agency staff at almost all levels need to be involved with trainers-of-trainers programs. Some WUAs provide training to their members, in particular in agricultural production methods and in development of markets and agri-business.

Some of the specific aspects of WUA training are reported below.

In view of their commitment and work with local communities, several countries have involved NGO’s in the promotion and development of IMT programs (such as Andra Pradesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia). Their role has proved relevant in motivating farmers to take over responsibilities in IMT and in the formation and training of the WUA. Community organizers have been assigned to work directly with farmers and to assist them in administrative and financial procedures. Training of special interest and disadvantaged groups such as women have been often done by NGOs.

NGOs have also been instrumental in facilitating the development of savings and credit associations and successful promotion of marketing and agri-business initiatives.

In many countries the IMT process is promoted, (sometimes imposed) by international development agencies, such as the World Bank. Results are mixed when staff in the irrigation agency are not committed to the changes imposed by outsiders (such as is reported in the Bulgaria and Ecuador profiles).

A range of technical assistance programs has been implemented for IMT and has been directed towards the formation and assistance to water users associations. IMT pilot programs and training manuals, seminars, workshops and exchange visits were prepared under such programs. Outside consultants and international agencies and research institutes were often brought in, co-operating with the national agencies in the implementation of IMT programs. They have played an important role in introducing participatory training programs.

The inputs of the external agencies are not necessarily in line with the goals and targets pursued by the government (such as reported for Colombia), and may have resulted in dispersed efforts with limited impact. Moreover the efforts of external agencies are often limited to pilot activities and are regarded by government officials in some cases (such as in Pakistan) as too complex and expensive.

In many IMT programs, budgets provided for institutional development, training and capacity building have been limited. In Mexico, which had an extensive training program, expenditures for institutional development for the IMT program amounted to $6 per ha, compared to $75.00 per ha for rehabilitation works.

As the IMT process is often driven by the government’s lack of funds (Turkey, Nepal, Colombia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, etc.), many countries fail to allocate the minimal funding required to establish an effective support program to ensure the formation of sustainable irrigation management organizations. This may constitute a serious threat to the sustainability of WUAs after IMT.

The impacts of well-designed training and capacity building programs have not been studied in a systematic way and may be one of the reasons for the limited funding allocated to institutional development.

Contact: imt-moderator@fao.org