CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Wasambo, Jolly Ivan |
|---|---|
| Title | WATER GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABLE RURAL LIVELIHOODS: THE CASE OF IRRIGATION REFORM AT WOVWE, MALAWI |
| Summary | A case study of irrigation sector reform at Wovwe, Malawi examined the influence of irrigation reform on water governance and livelihoods of rural communities within a distance of approximately 20km along the entire Wovwe River course. Interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaire surveys, documents review, and non-participant observations were the primary techniques used in data collection. Data analysis involved both qualitative and quantitative methods employing a mixed methods approach. Findings reveal that achievement of the stated benefits of implementing irrigation reform cannot simply be guaranteed without serious and thoughtful consideration of other key factors such as spatial and temporal variations in water availability, existence of multiple and multi-sectoral users/uses across the river basin, legal and policy frameworks, the effects of extreme weather and climate events, social structure, demographics, and the capacity of local organizations taking over the management of the schemes. While irrigation management transfer (IMT) appears to improve household income, the dominance of agriculture as the main livelihood strategy counteracts possible environmental benefits of improved household economic status. Furthermore, there is a general deficit in the performance of the reform particularly with regards to meeting some key IMT objectives e.g. improving water delivery, ensuring environmental sustainability, reversing deterioration of infrastructure, and turning irrigation systems into financially self- sustaining entities. Key factors behind the apparent underperformance include lack of capacity of the Wovwe Water Users Association (WWUA), conflicting implementation of water rights between informal traditional irrigators and the WWUA, and effects of climate change. Despite the inadequacies, the IMT still manages to meet some of its stated goals e.g. reductions in government expenditure, improved rural people’s income, and bringing all land within the Wovwe Irrigation Scheme (WIS) under cultivation. However, the way government achieves expenditure reductions is counterproductive to the very sustainability of the irrigation system as it negatively affects critical irrigation services such as hydrological monitoring, planning, and technical advisory services. For any successful IMT implementation, this thesis strongly recommends a coordinated approach in enforcing conventional and customary water rights in the same basin especially where both formal and informal irrigation are simultaneously being promoted. Such implementation should be based on a thorough assessment of the water resource which will support both IMT and informal irrigation and socio-cultural parameters; and should be preceded by the establishment of functional hydrological and environmental monitoring systems. Furthermore, governments should consider building the capacity of recipient user organizations before the schemes are transferred from the state control to user. |
| Supervisor | Anthony, Brandon Patrick |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy PhD |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/wasambo_jolly.pdf |
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