Water user associations: a review of approaches and alternative management options for Sub-Saharan Africa

E. Aarnoudse, Alvar Closas and Nicole Lefore
Additional contact information
Alvar Closas: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Nicole Lefore: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

No H048782, IWMI Working Papers from International Water Management Institute

Abstract: Building on existing literature and the analysis of a portfolio of development projects (past and under implementation), this paper reviews the evolution of water user associations (WUAs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), reflecting on the conceptualization of how they operate, and the promised outcomes related to irrigation development, and the efficient and effective delivery of irrigation services. It also moves one step further from existing studies on WUAs, postulating that additional reflection is needed to understand the limitations of WUAs and proposes alternative, viable and context-based adapted models. This need is particularly strong in SSA where irrigation is incipient, and governments and donors are still consolidating their development approaches. Whereas a growing body of international literature takes into account the sociopolitical context of decentralized irrigation management, practical indication on what remains to be done to address the various limitations found in SSA stays meagre and scattered. The objective of this paper is not to challenge the myth of WUAs but to learn how to better deliver on the promised outcomes. The underlying message is that, if the SSA region is to be made water and food secure while respecting resource sustainability, community development, livelihoods and equality of resource access, the recurrent templates for WUA management and governance need to be revisited and adapted to local needs.

Keywords: Water; user; associations; Water; management; Water; security; Water; resources; Water; governance; Water; policy; Water; distribution; Stakeholders; Public-private; cooperation; Partnerships; Surface; water; Groundwater; irrigation; Irrigation; systems; Irrigation; management; Irrigation; water; Decision; making; Investment; Food; security; Cost; recovery; Community; development; Participatory; approaches; Public; participation; Agricultural; productivity; Socioeconomic; environment; Alternative; methods; Public; authorities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 43 pages
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Working_Papers/working/wor180.pdf (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iwt:worppr:h048782

DOI: 10.5337/2018.210

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in IWMI Working Papers from International Water Management Institute Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chandima Gunadasa ().