Irrigation management transfer in Mexico : a strategy to achieve irrigation district sustainability

As a result of the shortage of funds, the irrigation districts deferred maintenance, leading to a serious reduction in output and decline in the infrastructure. To solve this problem, the government in 1989 instituted a program of transferring management from the National Water Commission (CNA) to the water users. The program took off very quickly and by the end of 1996 more than 88% percent of the 3.3 million hectares of publicly irrigated land in the country had been transferred to joint management. Water user associations have proven capable of jointly operating and maintaining irrigation districts. Water tariffs collected by the users (in excess of US$180 million in 1995) have supported not only water user operation and maintenance (O&M) activities, but also the majority of the O&M activities by CNA staff. In particular, maintenance activities carried out by the water user associations have stopped the deterioration in the infrastructure and hence have accomplished one of the major objectives of the transfer program. To sustain the transferred districts, the users need to establish an investment fund to cover emergencies and future development. In addition, it is necessary to clarify the water laws to protect agricultural water rights. (Author abstract)