Irrigation management by a private irrigation operator (PIO) under a fixed-term management contract: An alternative approach to managing irrigation in Nepal
{"title":"Irrigation management by a private irrigation operator (PIO) under a fixed-term management contract: An alternative approach to managing irrigation in Nepal","authors":"Umesh Nath Parajuli","doi":"10.1002/ird.2889","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Most of the agency-built surface irrigation systems in Nepal the operation and maintenance (O&M) of which are being managed by irrigation agencies jointly with farmers are not performing satisfactorily. The unreliable delivery of irrigation services to farmers is one of the reasons for this. Thus, the most important challenge in the past and in the present is how to enhance the delivery of irrigation services to farmers.</p><p>If one examines the private sector management of other public enterprises, they are efficiently delivering services to their clients. Considering this aspect, the government of Nepal recognized that irrigation systems or parts of them may also be managed through private irrigation operators (PIOs) under a fixed-term management contract to enhance their service delivery.</p><p>This paper analyses the O&M of jointly managed irrigation systems (JMISs) and suggests that a lack of capacity, accountability and incentive mechanisms on the part of irrigation agencies are the principal causes pertaining to the deficient delivery of irrigation services in them. It further suggests that introducing PIOs in managing the operation and maintenance of part of the JMISs can address these causes. The paper argues that the said PIO approach is viable from financial, technical and managerial perspectives.</p>","PeriodicalId":14848,"journal":{"name":"Irrigation and Drainage","volume":"73 2","pages":"649-662"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Irrigation and Drainage","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ird.2889","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"AGRONOMY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Most of the agency-built surface irrigation systems in Nepal the operation and maintenance (O&M) of which are being managed by irrigation agencies jointly with farmers are not performing satisfactorily. The unreliable delivery of irrigation services to farmers is one of the reasons for this. Thus, the most important challenge in the past and in the present is how to enhance the delivery of irrigation services to farmers.
If one examines the private sector management of other public enterprises, they are efficiently delivering services to their clients. Considering this aspect, the government of Nepal recognized that irrigation systems or parts of them may also be managed through private irrigation operators (PIOs) under a fixed-term management contract to enhance their service delivery.
This paper analyses the O&M of jointly managed irrigation systems (JMISs) and suggests that a lack of capacity, accountability and incentive mechanisms on the part of irrigation agencies are the principal causes pertaining to the deficient delivery of irrigation services in them. It further suggests that introducing PIOs in managing the operation and maintenance of part of the JMISs can address these causes. The paper argues that the said PIO approach is viable from financial, technical and managerial perspectives.
尼泊尔大部分由灌溉机构与农民共同管理的地表水灌溉系统的运行和维护(O&M)情况并不令人满意。向农民提供不可靠的灌溉服务是原因之一。因此,无论过去还是现在,最重要的挑战都是如何加强向农民提供灌溉服务。考虑到这一点,尼泊尔政府认识到,灌溉系统或部分灌溉系统也可以通过签订定期管理合同的私人灌溉运营商(PIOs)进行管理,以提高其服务水平。本文分析了联合管理灌溉系统(JMISs)的运营和管理情况,认为灌溉机构缺乏能力、问责制和激励机制是导致其灌溉服务水平低下的主要原因。论文进一步提出,引入 PIO 来管理部分 JMIS 的运行和维护可以解决这些问题。本文认为,上述 PIO 方法从财务、技术和管理角度来看都是可行的。
期刊介绍:
Human intervention in the control of water for sustainable agricultural development involves the application of technology and management approaches to: (i) provide the appropriate quantities of water when it is needed by the crops, (ii) prevent salinisation and water-logging of the root zone, (iii) protect land from flooding, and (iv) maximise the beneficial use of water by appropriate allocation, conservation and reuse. All this has to be achieved within a framework of economic, social and environmental constraints. The Journal, therefore, covers a wide range of subjects, advancement in which, through high quality papers in the Journal, will make a significant contribution to the enormous task of satisfying the needs of the world’s ever-increasing population. The Journal also publishes book reviews.