WP 62: Decentralised Governance of Irrigation Water in Cambodia: Matching Principles to Local Realities

Author: Anna THOMPSON, Chea Chou, Isabelle Whitehead, Nang Phirun, Phillip Hirsch - November , 2011

Working Paper Series No. 62

Khmer, 64 pp. Dec 2012 (Download)

English, 60 pp. Nov 2011 (Download)

This study found discrepancies between actual governance practices and the ideal governance principles, as well as between the spatial and infrastructural context of the schemes. Specifically, it was observed that the scale of the command area was beyond the scope of Farmer Water Users Community (FWUC) members and activists who did not have adequate technical knowledge or finances to repair, develop, and maintain irrigation infrastructure across their respective schemes. The actual practice of irrigation management at the scheme and sub-scheme level diverged significantly from the principles of PIMD and IWRM. Fixing the problems required a change in policy and FWUC mandates, as well as changes to the governance structure, to provide more support to FWUCs and to adapt them to be more closely aligned with existing governance framework.