IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT REFORMS IN IRAN: LESSONS LEARNED FROM 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE AND ISSUES FOR THE FUTURE

Irrigation development in Iran has been started since 1961. From 1961 up to now, more than 1.5 million hectares modern irrigation networks have been constructed, but are not performed very well. From 1991 Irrigation Management Reforms (IMRs) have been initiated in Iran. It was evidenced; the results of IMRs would be obtained through program and its process. The final results and sustainability of achieved outputs long-term have more dependency on the level of active participation of local communities and governmental body in the process and their trusts to natural and inherent of participation. In this context the active participation in the process follows the assurance of the empowering and institutional capacity building for the construction of further Participation Irrigation Management (PIM). In fact, the new built capacities are the main sources for the principle evolutions and reforms. In this article, through rapid diagnosis (RD), IMRs’ constraints have been reviewed and lesson learned obtained from 15 years experiences in Iran. RD indicates that abilities and technical skills of local communities have no priority as a pre-requirements of PIM, but PIM has a high dependency on awareness of the executive team to this approach and their skills to conducting participatory methodology, transparency of national policies and strategies for IMRs, plans for principals evolution on community attitude to new approach, their managing abilities, their trusts to local government, etc. Based on this experience, adaptation of IMT/PIM plan with farmers’ perceptions is the key element of success and defined practical bylaws to conduct in actual situation as well. Execution of IMT/PIM in national level needs holistic plan for enhancing the institutional capacities (including: GOs, NGOs, private sectors and local communities) at all level and local managerial empowerments. In this case, empowered local authorities and communities can conduct the management of Irrigation networks, according to the national and local policies through reform process. However, over the three categories of intensive efforts, a number of policy adjustments on modern Irrigation networks’ management have been carried out in Iran. Such efforts are devolving the responsibility of irrigation management to users, but with inapplicable legislations for transferring the authorities. In addition, lack of methodology and clear IMT/PIM process to key staffs were main constraints on IMT/PIM process within the past 15 year’s efforts. At the moment, critical points of IMT/PIM, as well as, the and long-term strategies are well known for further application. This paper mid-term describes the efforts, constraints, lessons learned and issues for the future.

Keywords:

Management reforms , strategies , IMT/ PIM , Iran