Water user organizations for improving irrigated agriculture : applicability to Pakistan

SUCH LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED, FOR THEY WOULD SUPPORT IMPROVED IRRIGATION, INCREASED EMPLOYMENT, AND GREATER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY. SUCH ORGANIZATIONS COULD INVOLVE FARMERS IN LOCAL DECISION-MAKING, RESOLVE DISPUTES, AND CONSTITUTE A LEGAL CONTACT POINT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND WATER USERS. THE ORGANIZATIONS WOULD NEED TO BE SIMPLY STRUCTURED AND TAILORED TO THE RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND LEGAL SYSTEMS OF PAKISTAN. SUCH ORGANIZATIONS FUNCTION WELL IN OTHER COUNTRIES STUDIED. THE TRIBUNAL OF WATERS, IN VALENCIA, SPAIN, IS A GOOD MODEL OF THE TYPE OR ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE IN PAKISTAN. THE AUTHORS OFFER 28 RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE PROPOSED FUNCTIONS OF WATER USER ASSOCIATIONS IN THE INDUS BASIN AND MEANS OF DEVELOPING IT. THESE DEAL WITH A CHARTER, BYLAWS, OBJECTIVES, FUNCTIONS, FORMULATION OF RULES AND REGULATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, SANCTIONS, JURISDICTIONS, SEPARATION FROM POLITICS, MEMBER REPRESENTATION, MEMBER OBLIGATIONS AND RIGHTS, COST SHARING, WATER COURSE MAINTENANCE, EXTENSION AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES, INTERFACES WITH GOVERNMENT, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF SUCH ORGANIZATIONS.