62) decentralised governance of irrigation water in cambodia - CDRI

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Cambodia is currently embarked on a significant programme of irrigation development.
Some of the irrigation projects are large-scale, others are quite small 1 . Expansion of irrigation
involves the construction of new schemes and the rehabilitation of defunct or poorly constructed
older ones, particularly those built during 1975-79 under the Khmer Rouge regime. The technical
design of irrigation projects has generally improved, but a number of challenges facing the
governance of irrigation hinder the schemes from working effectively and sustainably.
Irrigation governance is an essential part of the planning, construction and operation
of irrigation infrastructure. There are two main reasons for giving more attention to better
governance. First, irrigation water needs to be managed in such a way that it reaches the places
and people it is supposed to in a predictable way, in sufficient quantity and at the right time.
Second, the infrastructure that delivers water needs to be designed, provided and maintained so
that it continues to deliver livelihood benefits in an equitable manner. This is not simply a matter
of technical management. Experience with irrigation in many parts of the world has shown
that the questions of who makes management decisions, at what level and on whose behalf
have an important bearing on whether water and associated infrastructure will deliver properly
functioning irrigation and the expected benefits. These are questions of governance: the design
of authority structures and modes of collective action through appropriate institutions together
with less formal arrangements are fundamental to effective irrigation management, equitable
water allocation, sustainable use and conservation of water resources.
Governance has attracted a good deal of attention in Cambodia’s recent development
policy framework and decentralisation and deconcentration reform (D&D), including in
the irrigation sector. Innovations have introduced principles of international best practice,
particularly in the fields of participatory irrigation management and development (PIMD)
and irrigation management transfer (IMT) 2 . The decentralisation of irrigation governance is
manifest at scheme level in the form of Farmer Water User Communities (FWUCs), which
take on the primary governance role in partnership with Provincial Departments of Water
Resources and Meteorology (PDOWRAM) on the one hand, and the farmers served by the
irrigation schemes on the other. Governance challenges facing FWUCs include participation,
transparency, decentralisation, integrated water resource management and a move towards
“user-pays” based financing.
Irrigation governance involves the key tasks of water allocation, coordination to ensure
efficient use of water by upstream and downstream farmers along the same irrigation source,
system maintenance, and conflict management among those who share water and irrigation
infrastructure. While the adoption of the FWUC model provides institutional certainty and a
legal and policy framework for local irrigation governance, experience has been mixed. All
FWUCs work to a common set of guidelines and regulations. Nevertheless, the decentralised
irrigation governance enacted through FWUCs does not operate in a uniform physical or social
landscape.
1 For the purposes of this study, a large-scale irrigation scheme is defined as having a command area greater
than 5,000 ha, medium-scale scheme between 200 -5,000 ha, and small-scale scheme less than 200 ha.
2 IMT principles – where management of irrigation system is handed down to the Famer Water User Community
(FWUC) as set out in the water policy: Circular No.01, 11 January 1999 (Phnom Penh: MOWRAM).
CDRI Working Paper Series No. 62
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