Participatory irrigation management practices in Vietnam : a comparative study of Bac Kan and Tuyen Quang Provinces | |
| Author | Pham Thi Dung |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.NR-04-11 |
| Subject(s) | Irrigation--Vietnam--Management Irrigation--Citizen participation |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. NR-04-11 |
| Abstract | Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) is considered a sound policy approach towards improved performance of irrigation systems in irrigated agricultural countries. In Vietnam, PIM was launched nearly ten years ago. So far, the implementation is still facing obstacles. So, the questions raised here are: (i) whether current government policies and mechanisms are appropriate and enable PIM to develop? (ii) In practice, how PIM is adopted and implemented? (iii) What is farmers' perceptions on the effectiveness of existing irrigation management models in their locality and their participation in those models? (iv) What are the lessons learnt from success and failure in the adoption of PIM in practice? The study was conducted in two mountainous provinces of Bae Kan and Tuyen Quang of Northern Vietnam. Out of these, Tuyen Quang is successful in transfer of all irrigation systems within province to farmers while almost all irrigation systems in Bae Kan are still under local authority management. The findings of the study showed that, the practices of PIM/IMT implementation in Tuyen Quang and Bae Kan provinces again confirm the advantage of PIM as an effective policy alternative to improve performance of irrigation systems. The success of Tuyen Quang province in IMT implies that the provincial governments can carry out fruitfully the reform of irrigation management within their province. So, the decentralization in irrigation management is a good solution to promote PIM development. To perform IMT successfully, it also requires that the provincial government should have an appropriate strategy with a comprehensive policy system for IMT/PIM. The limitation in implementation of PIM in Bae Kan shows that the province lacks a proper strategy for implementation of PIM. However, the underlying cause here is that the provincial officials do not have strong incentives to conduct the reform in irrigation management in their province. Farmers' perceptions of performance of irrigation systems have consolidated the logic of PIM as a good solution to improve irrigation performance. Farmers in all three types of irrigation systems studied expressed their willingness to participate in irrigation management. This is a very convenient condition to conduct successfully the transfer of irrigation systems to farmers. Overall, the major obstacles constraining PIM development in Vietnam is the insufficiency, inappropriateness, and the lack of harmony of the current policy system. So, the recommendation from this study is that, to promote PIM adoption in Vietnam, the central government should improve current policy and implement strongly the decentralization policy at local level. The local governments, in tum, need to formulate a proper and comprehensive strategy for PIM development within their provinces. |
| Year | 2004 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. NR-04-11 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Natural Resources Management (NRM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Ganesh P. Shivakoti |
| Examination Committee(s) | Gautam, Ambika P.;Clemente, Roberto S.;Soparth Pongquan |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | The Government of Netherlands;AIT Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2004 |