An alternative approach to sustainable water users' organization in national irrigation systems: the case of the Khlong Thadi Weir System, southern Thailand

Abstract

Thai national irrigation systems, serving a large number of small paddy farmers, require water users' organization for effective and sustainable joint management; however, water users' organizations (WUOs) presently cover only 27% of the total irrigation area. This three-year action research investigated the difficulties in organizing water users in the Khlong Thadi Weir System in southern Thailand by immersion into the socio-economic conditions of Muslim farmers in farm turnout No. 4 of the 1L-4R-LMC canal and the conventional on-farm irrigation development there. We found the following: (1) subsistence farming and unstable tenancy discourage farmers from increasing their formal participation in irrigation management; (2) kinship is important but effective only in a limited space; (3) the conventional method of providing short ditches in a limited project timeframe creates a structural bias; (4) intrinsic internal water conflicts make the hydraulic relationship alone an inadequate basis for water users' organization; (5) alternatively, the social relationship between individual farmers and their community emerges as a promising scaffold for water users' organization; (6) the state irrigation agency should consider adopting a more vital role by supporting WUOs, tambon administration organizations and villages with needed incentives, technical information, and capacity building so that the WUOs are ultimately the decision makers. RÉ SUMÉLes périmètres publics d'irrigation thaïlandais, qui desservent un grand nombre de petits riziculteurs, ont besoin d'organisation des usagers de l'eau pour une gestion commune efficace et durable; cependant, les associations d'usagers de l'eau (AUE) existantes ne couvrent que 27% de tout le domaine irrigable. Ce travail de recherche active de trois années a étudié les difficultés rencontrées dans l'organisation des usagers de l'eau du périmètre du Déversoir de Khlong Thadi, dans la partie australe de la Thaïlande, par immersion dans le contexte socioéconomique des riziculteurs musulmans du lot n84 du canal 1L-4R-LMC et dans les pratiques traditionnelles d'irrigation à la parcelle. Nos résultats sont les suivants: (1) l'agriculture de subsistance et la tenure précaire des terres découragent les riziculteurs de participer de façon effective à la gestion de l'irrigation; (2) les relations de parenté sont importantes mais elles ne sont efficaces que dans un espace limité; (3) la méthode traditionnelle de desservir les fossés courts dans une programmation de courte durée crée un bias structurel; (4) les conflits d'eau internes intrinsèques font que la relation hydraulique seule ne constitue pas une base adéquate pour le dével-oppement des AUE; (5) en revanche, les relations sociales entre les agriculteurs individuels et leur communauté apparaissent comme un levier prometteur pour le développement des AUE; (6) l'agence publique d'irrigation devrait jouer un rôle plus vital en soutenant les AUE, et en fournissant à l'organisation administrative tambon et aux villages les incitati...

Irrigation Governance in Developing Countries: Current Problems and Solutions

“…According to Hamada and Samad [4], one of the PIM objectives was to stimulate a more productive and self-reliant irrigated agriculture, which could support reliable, professional water management. Ounvichit et al [35], when analyzing an irrigation system in southern Thailand, reported that explicit economic returns from farming would increase all types of farmers' participation in WUAs. Unfortunately, donors and governments often have not focused on economic sustainability when selecting project proposals.…”

“…Some authors have recognized the importance of linking irrigation and agriculture. For instance, when analyzing the sustainability of WUAs in Thailand, Ounvichit et al [35] signaled that explicit economic returns from irrigated agriculture would have farmers participate in WUAs and to support their activities. Similar opinions were cast by Hamada and Samad [4] when listing the requisites for sustainable PIM processes: farmers must receive tangible benefits from using water.…”

Profitability and productivity barriers and opportunities in small-scale irrigation schemes

“…Araral (2010) argues that the rationale for water reform in developing countries has focussed on efficiency, effectiveness and fiscal sustainability rather than equity. The literature reflects a mix of inequity issues, including non-uniform and unequal plot boundaries, how well the marginalized sectors of the community are represented during the development of associations and resource allocation, and whether this sector can effectively use the participatory 'space' (Lévite & Sally, 2002;Ounvichit, Ishii, Kono, Thampratankul, & Satoh, 2008;Tankha & Fuller, 2010). In general, women in SSA are not well represented in irrigator groups or associations, or as owners of irrigation equipment (Namara et al, 2014); these are indicators of marginalization.…”

Socioeconomic Issues in Irrigation Literature: Approaches, Concepts, and Meanings

“…The participation subject in the context of the stakeholderresearcher cooperation is analyzed by Ritzema et al (2007), in this case as part of the research method. Ounvichit et al (2008) presents the social relationships between individual farmers and their communities as "a promising scaffold for water users' organization" while Vandersypen et al (2007) proposes didactic tools for participatory water management that could support water users' associations in coping with their responsibilities after the withdrawal of the State.…”