Impact of Institutional Change on Irrigation Management: A Case Study from Southern Uzbekistan
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International Water Management Institute (IWMI)-Central Asia Office, Apartment 120, House 6, Osiyo Street, Tashkent 100000, Uzbekistan
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Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany
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Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
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Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME), Kary-Niyaziy 39, Tashkent 100000, Uzbekistan
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Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 10, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Hydrometeorological Research Institute, 1st Bodomzor Yuli Street 72, Tashkent 100052, Uzbekistan
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Department of Water Resources Engineering and Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Box 118, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Water 2017, 9(6), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9060419
Received: 6 April 2017 / Revised: 30 May 2017 / Accepted: 6 June 2017 / Published: 10 June 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Future of Water Management in Central Asia)
Abstract
The rapidly growing population in Uzbekistan has put massive pressure on limited water resources, resulting in frequent water shortages. Irrigation is by far the major water use. Improving irrigation water use through the institutional change of establishing water consumer associations (WCAs) has been identified as a way to increase agricultural production and meet the food demand in the area. However, most WCAs are not fully able to organize collective action or generate sufficient funds to carry out their responsibilities. This study investigated the water-resource-related challenges faced by WCAs and local farmers in Kashkadarya Province in Uzbekistan, using semi-structured expert interviews and focus group discussions. The resulting data were analyzed using qualitative analysis software (Atlas.ti). The results indicated that outdated infrastructure, poor governance, and farmers’ non-payment of irrigation service fees hamper sustainable water management. Greater trust and communication within the WCAs would make an important contribution to effective collective action and to the long-term sustainability of local associations. View Full-TextKeywords:
collective action; common-pool resources; governance; irrigation infrastructure; Kashkadarya; sustainable development; water consumer association
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MDPI and ACS Style
Djumaboev, K.; Hamidov, A.; Anarbekov, O.; Gafurov, Z.; Tussupova, K. Impact of Institutional Change on Irrigation Management: A Case Study from Southern Uzbekistan. Water 2017, 9, 419.
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