Guidelines for Good Governance. Stage 1 Report.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify methods to enable equitable and sustainable management of water resources by beneficiaries, with an improved poverty focus for water resource and effective input by poor farmers into policy formation. The study is being carried out in Nepal and China.

The outputs from the study will include:

• an inventory and review of schemes, covering performance, systems of management, conflicts, and constraints to reform;

• Recommendations for improvement in water management by reformed institutions, incorporating interests of poor farmers and indirect users as well as beneficiaries based on pilot studies in up to five schemes;

• Guidelines for good governance, which encompass the means to adapt rules and institutions to suit local requirements.

• Recommendations for national policy reforms

This report provides a summary of the first stage of the project, and is based on a rapid review of 20 projects in Nepal and 4 projects in China, supplemented by an inventory of all medium and large-scale irrigation in Nepal. It provides a summary of the progress in establishing participatory irrigation management and performance of water users' associations, and outlines the problems that have been encountered as a first stage towards identifying potential improvements.

Citation

Guidelines for Good Governance. Stage 1 Report.

Published 1 January 2002