Azerbaijan

WUA Situation in Azerbaijan: Formation and outlook for development

In 1996, Azerbaijan began initiating a program of agrarian reforms. In the framework of this program, the Parliament of the country enacted a number of important laws, creating legislative prerequisites for privatization of agricultural infrastructure, including on-farm irrigation and drainage networks and land privatization. Following this step, several international financial organizations, such as World Bank, IFAD and TACIS EC provided investment to the agricultural sector. In the framework of the Farm Privatization Project, financed by the World Bank, US $1.46 million was earmarked for formation of WUAs in 6 pilot regions of Azerbaijan and US$5.52 million was allocated for rehabilitation of the existing irrigation network and construction of new canals within the command of the newly created WUAs.

Total land area covered by WUA's is 9,000 ha with a population of 15,000 persons. In 1997 local independent consultants from ASPI Engineering Co, with project support, began a program technical assistance work to help establish the WUAs. The program was based on a package of legal and socio-economic documents regulating WUA activity in Azerbaijan. This package includes the following documents:

1. Model Statute on Water Users Association on Republic of Azerbaijan

2. The Consequent Contract of WUA

3. Rules on the Water Conflict Resolution between the Members of WUA

4. Conditions and Rules of Compensation of Damage, put by WUA with Rendering of Water Services

5. Rules for Payment of Water Services of the WUA

6. Contract on Water Delivery & Reception

Analysis of WUA activity in Azerbaijan, as well as investigations provided by ASPI Consulting Engineers in the framework of Samur-Absheron Canal and Main Mil-Mugan Drainage Collector Rehabilitation Project, has shown that the main obstacle to reforms the irrigation sector in Azerbaijan is the existing organizational system of management, requiring institutional reforms on national, regional and local levels, and not only in irrigation. Solving these systemic institutional problems will help improve the problems in the irrigation sector such as reducing water losses, instituting water pricing, developing small and low-cost irrigation, participation in the management of on-farm irrigation networks, and the transfer irrigation knowledge and technologies to farmers.

For more information on PIM in Azerbaijan, please contact:
Dr. Ibraghim Mamedzadeh
Business Development Director
ASPI Consulting Engineers Co.
Av. Bul- Bul No. 54
Baku – 370014
AZERBAIJAN
Tel/Fax: +(994 12) 951247, 951130
email: ats@aspi.baku.az

China

In May 1999, the China Irrigation District Association held a meeting on PIM. The goal was to expand influence of PIM. There were many participants from irrigation districts present. We now have four years of pilot projects in PIM. We have found some of the problems in the extension of PIM. First, people in charge of irrigation districts are not quite eager to implement PIM. Second, in many districts, the facilities are aging, so they are not attractive for handover. We will continue pilot projects, and extend the scope of PIM. A Chinese newsletter on PIM is occasionally being published.

For more information on PIM in China, please contact INPIM Board Member Mr. Feng Guangzhi.

Egypt

By Mr. Essam Barakat (from his comments at the Fifth International Seminar)

An amendment to the Irrigation & Drainage Laws has made Water Users' Associations legal entities. Under a USAID-funded agriculture project, WUA's have been formed to take on joint management of canals for one year. A new project, the Water Boards Project, has been established and will last for 5 years, and has as its aim to establish WUA's at the secondary level to engage in joint management. We are analyzing the need to change laws for legal management and provide flexibility for the future. 

For more information, contact:

Mr. Essam Barakat
Ministry of Public Works and Water Resources,
Irrigation Improvement Sector
Imbaba, Giza, Egypt
Tel: 20-2 44 46 322
Fax: 20-2 44 44 513
email: wbp@link.com.eg

India

The National Chapter in India, IndiaNPIM, has had a very active year. Our funding is provided by a grant from the Ford Foundation of $119,000. 

IndiaNPIM held elections for its Board of Directors during January 1999, during which 9 new board members have been elected. Mr. Rakesh Hooja was elected Chairman of IndiaNPIM's Board of Directors.

Mr. Ganesh Pangare became the Chief Executive Officer of IndiaNPIM during June 1999. He brings a rich and varied experience from working with academic institutions, policy-making bodies, and NGOs on issues related to participatory water management. Contact Mr. Pangare at gpangare@hotmail.com.

A National seminar on PIM was held during January 1999, organized by the Indian chapter of INPIM. The seminar was sponsored by the Ministry of Water Resources of the Government of India, and co-sponsored by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the IndiaNPIM chapter, the Ford Foundation, and EDI. Participants came from 17 Indian states outside of Andhra Pradesh. Over 120 persons participated, nearly all from inside India. About 40 percent of the participants represented WUAs, which included two women. Other participants included senior officials, irrigation engineers, researchers, NGOs, and staff of the World Bank. (IndiaNPIM) and the Government of India. 

The seminar appears to have achieved its main goal, namely, to motivate stakeholders in other Indian states to move forward with PIM reforms similar to the one implemented in Andhra Pradesh. The message of the seminar was clearly expressed by the keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Mollinga: "Reform is inevitable. Everyone can act. No need to wait." This message was reinforced by the strong commitments by the Governments of India and Andhra Pradesh, the field visits, the excellent presentations by officials, NGOs and farmers' organizations and other program items. The seminar consisted of presentations on PIM policy in India, the PIM reform in Andhra Pradesh, reports on PIM activities from other states, effects of PIM policies and post-transfer issues, presentations by researchers, and sessions with WUA chairmen and individual farmers. The program was videotaped by IndiaNPIM for producing training materials.

Three important issues emerged during the seminar. The first and most important is how to accelerate PIM reforms in other states of India on the basis of the knowledge and motivation acquired at the seminar. The second issue is establishing support services for WUAs, over ten thousand of which were formed in AP following a Big-Bang strategy. A third issue is women's participation in WUAs. The absence of women in the WUAs visited induced serious debate in the seminar sessions. Opinions on the need for more women's participation were deeply divided between male Indian participants and women/outsiders.

For more information on PIM in India, please contact IndiaNPIM at indianpim@hotmail.com