Egypt

The Second National Seminar on PIM was held in Alexandria, Egypt, from November 15-18, 1998. The seminar was hosted by the Ministry of Public Works and Water Resources, and co-sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank (EDI). We will report on the outcome of this seminar in the next issue of this Newsletter.

India

Recent Activities
The State Governments were advised by the Ministry of Water Resources to set up high level Working Groups under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary to decide upon policy issues and monitor the implementation of Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM). They were also advised to amend their Irrigation Acts to facilitate PIM. Further, they were requested to make sufficient financial provisions in their budget for PIM and to take up some pilot projects on experimental basis. Accordingly, ten States have set up high level working groups.

In order to create awareness on PIM at the grassroots level, a number of State Level and Project Level Conferences were sponsored by the Ministry. A seven day Training of Trainers' (TOT) Course on PIM was held at WALAMTARI, Hyderabad during April, l998 which was jointly sponsored by EDI of the World Bank and Ministry of Water Resources. A total number of 23 participants attended the course which included Class Room lectures, Group Discussions, Presentations, Role plays and Field Visits. In addition to this, a number of training courses and study tours on PIM were conducted both at central as well as state levels.

The central Ministry of Water Resources has brought out a draft amendment to the existing Irrigation Acts on PIM which will facilitate the States in bringing necessary changes in their Acts. Three manuals on PIM have been prepared in local languages as well as in English for the benefit of States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu respectively.

At the State Sector, Government of Andhra Pradesh has introduced PIM on a large scale with the enactment of Andhra Pradesh Farmers' Management of Irrigation Systems Act, l997. Accordingly, a total number of 10, 292 Water Users' Associations were constituted covering an area of about 4 million ha. The Government of Goa also have enacted Goa Command Area of l997 to promote PIM in the State. Under centrally sponsored CAD Program, currently undertaken by 23 States, management subsidy is being provided at Rs. 500 (about US$12.00) per ha to encourage WUAs in the irrigated commands. At the central sector, it is under consideration to launch a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on PIM during the 9th Five Year Plan to give a boost to the Program of PIM in the country.

Jordan

During the Second National Seminar in Jordan in April 1998, participants proposed formalizing a INPIM national chapter in Jordan. Jordan currently has 16 lifetime members. The Jordan Valley Authority is experimenting with transferring the operation of the farm turnout gate valves to the farmers in the Northern area. An official announcement requested the farmers to install a gate valve at the entrance of their farms on the main pipeline. The prospect is that farmers' organizations will take over the management of the laterals. Jordan Valley Authority will remain responsible for the operation of the main pumping stations at King Abdullah Canal.

Morocco

Creation of a New INPIM Chapter
Last year the Rural Development Administration held a general assembly meeting to elect an administration council for establishing a national chapter of INPIM. The council is composed of 24 members representing all the irrigated sectors in the kingdom. This council, in turn, elected a national bureau of 15 members of whom 25% represent water users associations.

The PIM National chapter is composed of 163 paid members (103 officers and 60 farmers). We are preparing for the second national seminar on PIM, that will be held in Agadir in January 1999. It will by co-sponsored by the Agricultural Ministry and EDI of the World Bank.

Ali Moulid
Chief, Division de la Gestion des Ressources Hydro-Agricole/AGR
Rabat, Morocco
Fax: 212-7/69-8440
E-mail: biblio@mbox.azure.net

Nepal

National INPIM Chapter Formed
The INPIM Nepal National Chapter Ad hoc committee has been formed under the Chairpersonship of the Director General of the Department of Irrigation. A seven member Ad hoc committee is presently chaired by Mr. M.N. Aryal and members are M.M. Shrestha, N.N. Vaidya, K.R. Timilsina, P.N. Singh, S.K. Shrestha. Mr. R.P. Satyal, Project Coordinator is the member secretary.

PIM Project Activities
The Irrigation Management Transfer Project (IMTP) a joint program of His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMG/N), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and USAID completed its three years of implementation. Two of three phaseI subprojects under IMTP (Nepal Gandak 10300 ha and Panchakanya 600 ha) have been turned over to the Water Users' Association (WUA). A midterm review of mission of ADB has recommended for launching of IMTP phaseII program after its midterm review of the project.

The Marchbar Lift Irrigation Project, a HMG/N UNCDF funded Lift Irrigation Project located in western plain of Nepal has been turned over to WUA. The project is to irrigate 3500 ha. farmland serving about 6300 farm families in 14 Village Development Committees of Rupandehi district.

The Nepal Irrigation Sector Project (NISP), a participatory irrigation development and management program under World Bank assistance has been launched in the districts of three western development regions of Nepal from 199798.

FMIS Promotion Trust
Nepal is known for its tradition of farmer-managed irrigation systems (FMIS), which provide irrigation services to 70 percent of the country's total irrigated area of about one million ha. Mostly, these FMIS are indigenous in their management practices and representative of the local organizational needs and services to be delivered.

In late 1996, Consolidated Management Services Nepal (CMS), a management and engineering consulting firm, conceived the idea of promoting farmer management in the context of government-constructed and administered irrigation systems. This idea was enthusiastically supported by a concerned group of people in Nepal and abroad, and the FMIS Promotion Trust was initiated in January 1997 to provide financing.

For the legal recognition of the Trust, official registration was made under the Association Registration Act which recognizes the Trust as a non-profit non-governmental organization The first general body meeting of the Trust was held in August 1998.

Awards to FMIS associations are provided from a fund that is created from the contributions of the founding members of the Trust. Awardees will be selected through a self-assessment process; the competing FMIS will assess themselves by completing an assessment questionnaire. The Trust will encourage academic persons and students to undertake relevant research works at the FMIS. It will help disseminate research results to the FMIS and facilitate activities to share FMIS experience among farmers, water professionals, practitioners, and academicians. For more information please contact:

Dr. Upendra Gautam & Mr. Rajan Subedi
FMIS Promotion Trust
Min Bhavan, New Baneshwor
GPO Box No. 10872
Kathmandu, Nepal
email : cmsnepal@cms.wlink.com.np
Fax : 977-1-482002
Phone : 977-1-482201, 493664

Dr. Prachanda Pradhan, Chairman,
FMIS Promotion Trust
Kathmandu, Nepal
E-mail : pradhan@prachand.mos.com.np

Vietnam

The second national seminar on Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) was held in Sam Son-Thanh Hoa Province from March 9-12, 1998. The seminar was co-organized by the Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and EDI of the World Bank. It reviewed the draft policy guidelines from MARD for promoting PIM, made a proposal to establish two large pilot schemes on PIM in the World Bank assisted project.