The experience of irrigation management transfer in two irrigation schemes in Malawi, 1960s–2002

Nkhoma, Bryson G.; Mulwafu, Wapulumuka

doi:10.1016/j.pce.2004.09.007

Cited by 25 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The Land Act of 1965 provided for the creation of settlement schemes to foster increased peasant production (GOM, 1965). These schemes came to be closely identified with the Malawi Young Pioneers (MYP), a paramilitary wing of the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) (Nkhoma and Mulwafu, 2004). Established in 1965, the MYP was originally a movement meant to integrate the youth into agricultural development.…”

Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

If government failed, how are we to succeed? The importance of history and context in present-day irrigation reform in Malawi.

Ferguson¹,

Mulwafu

2007

Community-Based Water Law and Water Resource Management Reform in Developing Countries

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This chapter examines the interface between new, formal irrigation, water policies and laws and long-standing customary practices in two smallholder irrigation schemes earmarked for transfer to water user associations in Malawi. It documents how local histories and practices are shaping access to critical land and water resources in ways not anticipated by technocratic irrigation and water reform implementers. At this point, rather than creating a climate encouraging more equitable economic growth by making smallholder farmers' rights to land and water resources more secure, the opposite seems to be taking place as formalization opens the door for local elites to use diverse strategies to capture these resources.

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Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

If government failed, how are we to succeed? The importance of history and context in present-day irrigation reform in Malawi.

Ferguson¹,

Mulwafu

2007

Community-Based Water Law and Water Resource Management Reform in Developing Countries

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“…Irrigated agriculture is regarded as a means to boost incomes and food security and is considered a way to reduce poverty by government and donors (Mulwafu and Nkhoma 2002;Mulwafu et al 2003;Ferguson and Mulwafu 2004;Kambewa 2004;Nkhoma and Mulwafu 2004;Peters 2004;Mangisoni 2008;Chidanti-Malunga and Weatherhead 2009). There is a big potential for irrigation in Malawi, which can impact positively on food security, and every effort needs to be taken to harness this potential.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agronomic and socio-economic analysis of water management techniques for dry season cultivation of common bean in Malawi

et al. 2012

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A study was carried out in Malawi to compare agronomic and socio-economic aspects of different water management practices for two advanced bean lines. Four irrigation technologies and one control were studied in Chingale Area Development Program in Zomba District in southern Malawi. The technologies encompassed motorized pumps (MP), treadle pumps (TP), water cans, gravityfed surface irrigation (GR) and a non-irrigated practice that used residual moisture. The study found that technologies that used \2 labour hours m -3 were appropriate for such small-scale irrigation systems. The aggregated bean production labour cost and labourday thresholds were $893 ha -1 and 2,978 LD ha -1 , respectively. An irrigation supply in the range of 7,000-10,000 m 3 ha -1 for the TP, MP and GR would be adequate. Assuming 20 irrigations season -1 , 400-600 m 3 irrigation -1 would be adequate, supplying 40-60 mm every 5-7 days. The study found that poor small-scale farmers in Malawi, particularly those using MPs, need fuel subsidies in order to offset operational costs. Basing on the findings in the study, we recommend further research on several bean lines in different agro-ecologies of Malawi using technologies that showed high yields, low labour efficiency and high water use productivity.

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“…In the second category, a central agency (private or government) is responsible for main‐system operation and maintenance, whereas WUAs are responsible for water management at subsystems, typiczally at the tertiary level [ Groenfeldt and Svendsen , 2000; Hearne , 2004; Johnson et al , 2004]. WUAs do not arise spontaneously in most cases but are imposed on farmers in a top‐down way by national governments, NGOs, and international donors [ Abdelhadi et al , 2004; N'Khoma and Mulwafu , 2004; Jamin et al , 2005]. In the process, existing forms of organization are frequently neglected despite the fact that the importance of involving local decision makers in setting up WUAs and building upon existing organizational capacity has been repeatedly pointed out [ Meinzen‐Dick and Reidinger , 1995; Vermillion and Sagardoy , 1999; Mosse , 1999; Sokile and van Koppen , 2004; Maganga et al , 2004].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formal and informal decision making on water management at the village level: A case study from the Office du Niger irrigation scheme (Mali)

Vandersypen

Kéita

Coulibaly

et al. 2007

Water Resources Research

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Water Users Associations (WUAs) are all too often considered a panacea for improving water management in irrigation schemes. Where grassroots movements are absent, they are usually imposed on farmers by national governments, NGOs, and international donors, without fully considering existing forms of organization. This also happened in the Office du Niger irrigation scheme in Mali, where after a partial irrigation management transfer, WUAs were created to fill the resulting power vacuum. This paper demonstrates that, despite active efforts to organize farmers in WUAs, informal patterns of decision making remain dominant. Given the shortcomings of these informal patterns, WUAs could provide a much‐needed platform for institutionalizing collective action, on the condition that farmers accept them. Therefore WUAs should adopt some crucial characteristics of informal patterns of decision making while avoiding their weaknesses. First, making use of the existing authority of village leadership and the central management can improve the credibility of WUAs. Second, allowing flexibility in procedures and rules can make them more appropriate for dealing with collective action problems that are typically temporary and specific. Last, formalizing the current pattern of conflict management and sanctioning might enhance its sphere of action and tackle the current absence of firm engagement with respect to some informal management decisions. In addition, WUAs should represent and be accountable to all farmers, including those residing outside the village community.

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The experience of irrigation management transfer in two irrigation schemes in Malawi, 1960s–2002

Cited by 25 publications

References 4 publications

If government failed, how are we to succeed? The importance of history and context in present-day irrigation reform in Malawi.

If government failed, how are we to succeed? The importance of history and context in present-day irrigation reform in Malawi.

Agronomic and socio-economic analysis of water management techniques for dry season cultivation of common bean in Malawi

Formal and informal decision making on water management at the village level: A case study from the Office du Niger irrigation scheme (Mali)

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