News from the Network

PIM SEMINAR IN INDIA: The Indian Ministry of Water Resources and the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank are co-sponsoring a seminar on Participatory Irrigation Management from June 19-23 in New Delhi. This is a follow-up to an earlier seminar held last June in Aurangabad, and also builds on the insights gained by Indian participants to the international seminar on PIM held in Mexico in February. The main objective of the seminar is to formulate state-level action plans for implementing PIM programs. Because of the large number of states, the focus will be limited to a few states -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Orissa -- that can serve as planning models for other states. A second objective of the seminar is to review various national-level policies and programs as they relate to PIM. The contact person for the seminar is Mr. L.K. Joshi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Govt. of India; tel: (91-11)-3710343; fax: (91-11)-3710253. A report on the seminar will be presented in the next issue of this Newsletter.

PIM SEMINAR IN PAKISTAN: A seminar to be held in October 1995 will be co-sponsored by the Ministry of Water and Power and the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank. As with the seminar in India (above) this is the third phase of a process initiated last year with a national seminar in Islamabad (October 1994) and continued through the international seminar in Mexico in February 1995. The upcoming seminar will focus on provincial-level action plans for incorporating PIM at much higher levels of irrigation management than have been considered in the past. The contact person for the seminar is Mr. Hafeezullah Ishaq, Chairman, Planning and Development Board, Government of Punjab; tel: (92-42)-731-0716; fax: (92-42)-731-0705.

MOROCCO INVITES EXPERTS FROM MEXICO, TURKEY TO LAUNCH PIM TRAINING PROGRAM: The Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture has invited PIM experts from Mexico and Turkey as resource persons in a national seminar to be held in November 1995. INPIM has been asked to help in identifying three candidates from Mexico (including at least one farmer leader) and one or two candidates from Turkey. Both countries share many features with Morocco, and both have recently adopted dramatic policies of transferring irrigation management to user associations. The seminar will begin with one-day of presentations and discussion in the capitol city, Rabat (aimed at high level policy makers) and then shift to the provincial city of Marrakech for 4-days of field visits, discussion, and planning. The contact person for the seminar is Mr. Ali Moulid, Chef de la Division DGRHA, Ministere de l'Agriculture et Mise en Valeur Agricole, Rabat; tel: (212-7)-690098; fax: (212-7)-690015.

IIMI STUDIES IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT TRANSFER IN MEXICO: The International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI), based in Sri Lanka, has expanded its research program on the topic of irrigation management transfer. A new office has been opened in Mexico to study the transfer process there, and particularly the issues of post-transfer: what are the effects of transfer on irrigation system performance, and on various segments of the rural population, and what is the relationship that develops between the public sector and the newly created water user associations. For more information on IIMI's work in Mexico, contact: Dr. Sam Johnson, IIMI-Mexico, c/o CIMMYT, Lisboa 27; Apdo Postal 6-641; CP 06600 Mexico, D.F. Mexico; tel: (52-5)-726-9091; fax: (52-5)-726-7559; Internet: SJohnson@CIMMYT.MX

FAO WORKSHOP ON IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT TRANSFER: The Food and Agriculture Organization, in association with the International Irrigation Management Institute, is sponsoring an "Expert Consultation on Irrigation Management" September 25-29 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.