Seminar Series on PIM

A seminar series on Participatory Irrigation Management is being offered to selected countries by the World Bank's Economic Development Institute (EDI). A series of three one-week seminars over a one-year period introduces policy makers to the practical implications of transferring irrigation management responsibilities from public sector agencies to private associations of water users.

The seminar series was launched in India and Pakistan during 1994, and brought participants from both countries to Mexico in February 1995 (an article in this Newsletter reports on the Mexico seminar). All three seminars have received highly favorable response. Upcoming seminars during 1995 will include the third phase seminars for India (June) and Pakistan (October) and a first phase seminar in Morocco (November).

Background

In most developing countries, irrigation development projects and their operation and management are heavily dominated by the public sector. Conventional wisdom has assumed that only the state was capable of handling large modern projects requiring heavy capital investment, complicated technical inputs, and the legal mandate to distribute water, and collect fees.

Recent experience challenges these assumptions. Government-operated irrigation systems are often poorly maintained with steadily deteriorating infrastructure. Yet some of these same systems show dramatic improvement when their management is transferred to water user associations (WUAs) who enter into contracts with the government for operating and maintaining portions of the system or in some cases entire systems.

Since the mid-1980s, countries including Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia, Philippines, Colombia, India, Sri lanka, and Nepal have adopted policies to encourage greater management participation by water users. One of the most dramatic management transfer programs has been in Mexico, where the government adopted a policy to gradually transfer all its large scale irrigation districts to 78 WUAs. As of mid-1993, the management of more than 1.2 million ha of irrigated lands has been transferred to WUAs.

EDI Seminar Program

In response to interest expressed both within the World Bank and in a number of borrowing countries, the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank has initiated a five-phase program on participatory irrigation management. For each country where it is offered, the program comprises (1) a 5-day national seminar, (2) a one-week international study tour to either Mexico or other selected countries, (3) a follow-up national seminar, (4) assistance during implementation of PIM programs, and (5) evaluation.

The overall purpose of the EDI activity is to stimulate high level policy dialogue on participatory irrigation management within the country, leading to policy commitment and programmatic action. Specific objectives are to:

• Consolidate national experience in participatory approaches to irrigation management;
• Learn from the experience of countries that have successfully adopted policies to transfer management to WUAs;
• Identify the policies best suited to national conditions;
• Formulate an Action Plan for implementing those policies;
• Assist during the implementation of PIM programs, and
• Assist in evaluating programs during and after implementation.

The Seminar Program

In each country where the seminar is program is offered, the first activity is a national seminar aimed at formulating an indicative action plan for enhancing participation in the irrigation sector. This seminar is followed several months later by an international seminar in Mexico (or other country with a record of success in this area) and then a second national seminar to revise and expand the initial action plan. During the implementation and evaluation of PIM programs, additional training activities may be arranged to meet specific needs. Selection of countries is based on the relevance of participatory irrigation management to ongoing or planned World Bank loans, and on the level of interest expressed by the host country and the concerned operational division.

Style and Methods. The seminar format is designed to encourage the active participation and open discussion of all participants. The seminar has the very practical goal of drafting an indicative action plan regarding participatory irrigation management. Presentations from international and national cases, and in particular the field visits, provide ideas to consider for including in the action plan. Much of the real work of the seminar is done in concurrent small group sessions where participants focus on a specific topic and discuss ideas in terms of their relevance to national conditions. The ideas that emerge from the small groups are presented to the plenary session for further discussion and possible incorporation into the indicative action plan.

Sponsorship and Cost-sharing. Each seminar is co-sponsored by EDI and one or more host country organizations, agencies, or ministries. The national co-sponsor normally covers all expenses for the national participants (including air travel in the Part-II international seminar), with the understanding that funds can be drawn from ongoing World Bank loans. EDI covers the costs of all international resource persons and Bank staff.

For More Information on INPIM Seminars, contact INPIM.