Rupsha Banerjee and Regina Birner Tropentag 18th September 2013 The Role of the Individual Agency in Participatory Irrigation Management: Lessons from India Rupsha Banerjee and Regina Birner Farmers Challenges: Adoption and Innovation in the Process of Empowerment Tropentag 18th September 2013

Relevance The issue of water related innovation and technical change sits at the heart of agricultural development in the semi-arid regions In addition to appropriate technology, necessary to have viable institutional arrangements The devolution of authority for natural resource management seen as an important approach Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) conceived as way for effective irrigation management

Issues in PIM Involved only partial devolution of responsibilities by respective administrations Assumptions of performance based on ‘technical’ rather than institutional factors Conflict arose when water was scarce and delay in arrival of water Knowledge gaps still remain on why some local governance challenges remain while others are reduced Critical question: what and who are the driving forces for successful irrigation management Source: Google Images 3

Role of Individual Agency Crucial to examine reasons for success/ failure of interventions The role of seemingly ‘idiosyncratic’ features should not be neglected Involvement of particular people The motivation/incentive to get involved Trusted leaders can provide the assurance necessary for people to be willing to cooperate Source: Google Images 4

Location of Study Villages Source: http://www.timesofindiatravel.com/political-map-india-big-size.html 5

Data Collection FGDs 4 16 Individual Interviews 68 71 62 10 273 V 1 Office Bearers Total FGDs 4 16 Individual Interviews 68 71 62 10 273 6

Snapshot: Study Villages WUA President V 1 Canal Inspector V 2 Exec Sec V 1 V 3 V 4

Data Analysis Inductive Research : The role of individual agency Emerged as a driving feature for institutional innovations that enabled success of WUAs Recordings of FGDs and interviews transcribed in verbatim without letting the researcher’s opinion or ideas influence it Field notes initial memos which were integrated in the final stage of analysis as a method of filling up the gaps Qualitative analysis using NVivo 8

Functioning of the WUAs Indicators V1 V3 V2 V4 Water Distribution System 2 rotations in rabi (winter) 1 in summer Usually 3 rotations during paddy season Usually 1 rotation but subject to claims of water availability No track of rotations as claimed Collective Choice Farmers consulted before water cuts Cropping patterns discussed No visible involvement of farmers Complete absence of meetings Monitoring Water measured using mobile phones application Water measured in designated inches No existing mechanisms Conflict Management Use if community pressure Water stopped to neighbouring fields Conflict within the WUAs itself Use of WUA to strike against DoI* Elite Capture Minimal instances High levels of elite capture for water access Role of Support Organization Claims of high level of involvement Claims of partial involvement Claims of minimal involvement Claims of hostility *Department of Irrigation 9

Role of Individual Agency ‘No one is going to steal the water as they are all their own brothers and community members. There might be there but as far as the department is concerned, it is more of the job of the WUA to monitor it. So if there is anything that is going wrong, one fellow will complain and then they have their own meetings so that if someone is doing wrong, the other person will point out there itself. Between us we control it and co-ordinate things well amongst ourselves’ ‘ (President WUA V3 on water theft and conflict management) ‘Maybe if there was a person like Bharat Bhau with the kind of authority and influence he has he could have made all of them work together, because everything else was done. The WUAs were formed, registration was done but then it didn’t work and doesn’t work. There is no leadership or a driving force to make sure that it is working well’ (FGD Small Farmers V2 on being asked their opinion about the WUA) ‘There is no leadership or a driving force to make sure that it is working well. To make these WUAs work, there needs to be very strong organization and very close monitoring of the canal water and this is not done and is not available, the system is not there ‘ (Canal Inspector V2 over an informal lunch conversation on the WUA functioning) 10

Conclusions Collective action and collaboration among various levels comes about only with either a high incentive or a strong individual force The systems are effective because of the efforts of certain individuals and passing over leadership to carefully identified successors to carry on the process forward Hence it is worthwhile in further understanding the conditions under which these particular leaders are created and can be sustained WUAs are now being expected to take up the role of training and capacity building where water management is concerned 11

Thank you for your attention!!