Organizational Change for Participatory Irrigation Management

In many countries, the record of irrigation fee collection too is not encouraging, there is
a tendency for the WUAs to seek other sources of revenue. Based on regional experience it is
doubtful whether the WUAs could be financially viable as long as their mandate is limited to
irrigation management. Their scope of work may have to be expanded to include non-water
factors, specially the integration of water with other factors of production, diversified cropping
(following the principles of comparative advantage), value addition and enhancing the
bargaining power of users. In this, it is imperative that FOs establish business links more with
the organized private sector, for services, including input and output marketing.
Multi-functional Organizations
It is clear that unless farmers enhance their incomes through increased productivity
both land and water, their organizations will not be in a position to undertake O&M functions
of irrigation in a sustainable manner. In addition, it is proposed that the "takeoff" from
agricultural base to achieve the industrialization goals of certain countries (where agriculture
sector still plays a dominant role as the provider of food and employment etc.) should rely on
rural agricultural diversification, specialization, market-oriented modernization and promotion
of agro-industries. Such a strategy would also provide the necessary impetus for minimizing
uneconomical agricultural activities, which have resulted in small and frequently fragmented
holdings. Instead, it would help consolidate lands into more economically viable units by
pooling of resources under new organizational structures of farmers. It may also speed up the
processes of mechanization of agriculture and the application of improved technologies
resulting in greater productivity, inducing movement of excess people away from agricultural
production into agro-based and other industrial pursuits. In that strategy, the management of
irrigation, including O&M responsibilities would become an integral task of a special " arm"
of the business organization.
1. Adjustments in Local Institutions to Cope Up with New Demands
In this context, it is believed that the matured organizations/institutions would benefit
if federate upwards and expand their scope, for instance by expanding their area of work to
cover main irrigation system, the watershed/river basin as well, and most importantly, enter
into other economic activities. Thus, new activities, roles and functions will be added and new
skills will be required. Then the organizational structure should be adjusted for efficient
handling of these new tasks and roles: it may be diversified and division of management and
labor may be necessary to undertake special functions. One alternative may be to form taskbased
groups within a single organization to handle different tasks. Similarly, in order to
achieve economies of scale (or to enhance collective bargaining power), the organization may
be federated upwards to higher levels, or councils/shareholder companies may be established.
For example, in Malaysia, the FOs are organized as a federated system at three levels, namely;
area, state and national farmers organization at the apex level. The membership of an area FO 6
6 Actually there are smaller informal farmer units at the base, within the area of a given FO.
a farmer unit comprises of villagers as members. Each unit has a unit chief, who maintains
close links with the area FO, and a working committee. Similarly, an agro-based
cooperative society has its own Board of Directors or a "committee of management". From
each farmer unit and agro-based cooperative, members are elected to form a "members'
Representative Assembly". This is the "formal authority" of the area FO.
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