An Institutional Analysis of the Effects of Different Modes of Assistance on the Performance of Farmer- Managed Irrigation Systems in Nepal

Abstract

"Thousands of irrigation systems in Nepal are managed by farmers themselves. Some of these farmer-managed irrigation systems (FMIS) have been in operation for centuries. It has long been accepted by policy makers and donors that FMIS in Nepal would benefit greatly from the availability of financial capital in order to construct permanent diversion structures to line key parts of a canal, and to undertake other capital intensive work that would improve the technical efficiency of the systems. Consequently, a number of different policy interventions have been undertaken in Nepal that are intended to enhance irrigation performance by improving physical infrastructures of FMIS. Despite the similar objectives of the intervening agencies, however, the consequences of the process of intervention have varied substantially. Given the increasing emphasis on the importance of interventions to improve irrigation performance, it is of great concern to assess why there is a difference in the performance of diverse types of interventions.

"In this paper, we first briefly overview the history of irrigation development in Nepal. Then, we describe the institutions involved with the interventions in the irrigation sector development along with the processes of intervention. In the third section, we discuss the rationale of the study and some methodological procedures employed in the study. In the fourth section, we discuss the findings of the study focusing on the factors affecting the performance of irrigation systems in relation to interventions. In the final section, we address the issues that need action by intervening agencies in order to enhance irrigation performance."