EVALUATION OF PARTICIPATORY IRRIGATION WATER MANAGEMENT IN GHARBIA GOVERNORATE

Authors

1 Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation

2 Department of Agricultural Economic, Faculty of Agricultural, Ain Shams University

3 Department of Environmental Agricultural Science, Faculty of Graduate and Environmental Research, Ain Shams University

Abstract

Water scarcity and difficulty of effective communication and coordination among all water users have become one of the most important obstacles to the agricultural sector development. Therefore, it was necessary for decision makers to take the necessary decisions to raise the efficiency of water resource use and conservation through participation of water users by establishing of non-governmental non-profit organizations that include all beneficiaries called Water User Organizations (Shindo & Yamamoto 2017). research problem is summarized in continuous deterioration of irrigation network infrastructure, where efficiency of water transmission and distribution is about 70% (Medium-Term Sustainable Development Plan, 2019), and due to insufficient allocations of the government sector to implement all infrastructure development procedures, which requires participation of farmers through branch canals water users' associations in the work of improving irrigation network infrastructure. Therefore, the research aims to identify the problems of participation and suggestions for solving these problems, and research also aims to conduct an assessment of the associations’ capability to financial participation in maintenance costs and study possibility of farmers’ financial participation in the maintenance costs that are currently implemented from the state budget, research depended on descriptive and quantitative methods of analysis, as well as on published and unpublished secondary data, as well as primary data from data collection of questionnaire forms that are completed in a personal interview from members of the study sample, whether from representatives of water users associations, and irrigation engineers. The most important results of the research are that 83% of associations’ members reported that they participate in maintenance work on the branch canals, and that 63% of study associations members stated that priorities of implement maintenance works are taken with participation of association board members and engineering. The most important problems of participation from point of view associations’ representatives were lack of irrigation water due to deterioration branch canals infrastructure, problem of some officials not being convinced of the associations’ role and their marginalization. The most important suggestions of the associations’ representatives to solve participation problems were improving active participation of water user’s associations with engineering, increase officials obligation towards association’s role. While problems of participation from irrigation districts engineers point of view were summarized in absence of a law that regulating work of water user’s associations, rejection of associations to be responsible of artesian wells. The most important distinguished practices of associations were infringements removal and violations and participation in maintenance cost at association expense. As for study results about possibility of farmers’ financial participation in maintenance costs of branch canals, four proposed scenarios were developed with rates of 25%, 50%, 75 %, 100% with the value of feddan participation estimated at 105 pounds, 211 pounds, 316 pounds, 422 pounds, respectively, Research recommended adoption of awareness campaigns and persuasion of farmers about the importance of maintaining canals and importance of participation in bearing maintenance cost, as well as holding periodic seminars and trainings for engineering engineers to consolidate concepts and policies of farmers’ participation and recognition as a partner in water management. The research also recommended importance of being guided by scenarios of participation of water user associations in maintenance costs commensurate with farmers' material capabilities so that water management is gradually transferred.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects