Ruth Meinzen-Dick

Beyond panaceas in water institutions

The past 50 years of water policy have seen alternating policies emphasize the state, user groups, or markets as essential for solving water-management problems. A closer look reveals that each of these solutions has worked in some places but failed in others, especially when policies attempted to spread them over too many countries and diverse situations. A study of the variable performances of user groups for canal irrigation in India illustrates the factors that affect institutional performance. Research that identifies the critical factors affecting irrigation institutions can lead to sustainable approaches that are adapted to specific contextual attributes.

Gender, Property Rights, and Natural Resources

This paper analyzes the ways in which gender issues affect property rights and the use of natural resources in developing countries. It examines the informal practices of resource use, usually involving multiple uses by multiple users. Traditional systems of access to land, water, and trees reflect complex dynamics among community members that must be understood in order to design successful policy interventions concerning natural resources. Drawing on examples from developing countries worldwide, the paper identifies broad patterns in how property rights are determined. It discusses the effects of privatization and commoditization of resources, and it identifies key issues to consider in the context of proposed resource management programs.

Negotiating water rights.

This book presents a thorough exploration of water rights in the context of growing water scarcity and competition. It uses case studies from across the globe to identify: *the range of water rights and basis for claims on the resource. *local experiences in negotiating water rights and opportunities to empower farmers in water resource management. The book reviews conceptual framework which can help to better manage and understand conflicts over scarce water. Cases are presented from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Burkina Faso, Spain and New Mexico. The book concludes with a chapter on implications for research and action. This volume recognizes the growing demands on a scarce and essential resource and argues that only negotiated approaches which involve the water users themselves can ensure equitable, efficient and acceptable outcomes. - This book will be of interest to professionals involved in water resource management, food policy, rural development, irrigation management and property law/property rights as well as agricultural economists and social activists.

The gender implications of large-scale land deals

This article introduces a discussion of gender dimensions into the growing debate on large-scale land deals. It addresses the current information gap on the differential gender effects of large-scale land deals through (1) an overview of the phases of large-scale land deals and discussion of related effects on rural men and women based on new literature on large-scale land deals and past literature on the gender effects of commercialization and contract farming; (2) a presentation of further evidence using several case studies on the gender effects of large-scale deals; and (3) a conclusion that looks at knowledge gaps and areas for further research as well as broad recommendations for gender equitable large-scale land deals.

Gender and Sustainable Forest Management in East Africa and Latin America

This paper presents a comparative study of forest management across four countries in East Africa and Latin America: Kenya, Uganda, Bolivia, and Mexico. It focuses on one question: Do varying proportions of women (low, mixed, high) in forest user groups influence their likelihood of adopting forest resource enhancing behavior? We found that higher proportions of females in user groups, and especially user groups dominated by females, perform less well than mixed groups or male dominated ones. We suggest that these differences may be related to three factors: gender biases in technology access and dissemination, a labor constraint faced by women, and a possible limitation to womens sanctioning authority. Mixed female and male groups offer an avenue for exploiting the strengths of women and men, while tempering their individual shortcomings.

Gendered participation in water management: Issues and illustrations from water users' associations in South Asia

The widespread trend to transferirrigation management responsibility from the stateto “communities” or local user groups has byand large ignored the implications ofintra-community power differences for theeffectiveness and equity of water management. Genderis a recurrent source of such differences. Despitethe rhetoric on women‘s participation, a review ofevidence from South Asia shows that femaleparticipation is minimal in water users‘organizations. One reason for this is that theformal and informal membership criteria excludewomen. Moreover, the balance between costs andbenefits of participation is often negative forwomen because complying with the rules and practicesof the organization involves considerable time costsand social risks, whereas other ways to obtainirrigation services may be more effective for femalewater users. Although effective, these other andoften informal ways of obtaining irrigation servicesare also typically less secure. More formalparticipation of women can strengthen women‘sbargaining position as resource users withinhouseholds and communities. Greater involvement ofwomen can also strengthen the effectiveness of theorganization by improving women‘s compliance withrules and maintenance contributions. Furtherdetailed and comparative research is required toidentify the major factors that affect women‘sparticipation and control over resources, ifdevolution policies are to address the tensionbetween objectives of transferring control overresources to community institutions, and ensuringthe participation of all members of the community,especially women.

Engendering agricultural research, development and extension.

Research has shown that women, when given the capital and opportunity, make unique, positive contributions to development outcomes ranging from agricultural productivity to poverty reduction. It comes as little surprise, then, that agricultural research, development, and extension systems are generally more successful when scientists, researchers, and extension agents pay attention to gender issues. However, women continue to be underrepresented and underserved, and their contributions remain mostly untapped in national and international agricultural research. Worldwide, gender roles are culturally defined in all aspects of farming, from control of resources to production and marketing, and these definitions constrain and marginalize women. Even within the agricultural research community, most scientists and extension agents are male.Engendering Agricultural Research, Development, and Extension argues that the paradigm for agricultural and food security development needs to move beyond a focus on production and toward a broader view of agricultural and food systems, one that recognizes womens distinct role in ensuring the food security of their households. Incorporating gender issues into agricultural research and paying attention to gender sensitivity when developing extension systems is necessary to meet the needs and preferences of men and women, satisfy the food needs of future populations, and improve the welfare of the poor.

Farmer participation in irrigation – 20 years of experience and lessons for the future

This article examines trends in the understandingof and policies toward farmer participation in irrigationmanagement over the past 20 years, with special attention toexperiences with induced participation and management transferprograms in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Senegal,Columbia Basin USA, and Mexico. Key lessons relate to the valueof social organizers as catalysts; the role of the irrigationagency as partner; and the enabling conditions for participation.As levels of income and infrastructure rise, we can expect moreformal organizations that enable farmers to deal with bankaccounts, service contracts, water rights, water markets, andadvanced technology in irrigation systems. The impact ofparticipation on irrigation performance needs to be evaluated notjust in terms of reductions in government costs, but by whetherimprovement in physical structures and farmers‘ control overwater are great enough to offset the farmers‘ costs ofparticipating.

Multiple Uses of Water in Irrigated Areas

Although irrigation systems have long been evaluated andmanaged as though they existed only to produce irrigatedcrops, in fact many irrigation systems also provide water forother uses, especially in much of Asia. The quantities ofwater used in these activities may be small, but these useshave high value in terms of household income, nutrition, andhealth. Recognizing the multiple uses of water in irrigationsystems is critical for better water allocation policy. First,the value of water in irrigation systems has been undervaluedbecause of a failure to recognize the many uses. A moreaccurate assessment that includes all uses will better informdecisions about allocating water (and financial resources)between irrigation and other uses. Second, even withinirrigation systems, taking all uses into account can lead tomore productive and environmentally sustainable use of water.Third, recognizing the rights of all users of water can leadto more equitable and socially sustainable outcomes ofmanagement, rehabilitation, and any proposed reallocation ofwater resources. Recognizing all uses of water makes watermanagement and economic and institutional analyses morecomplex. Because many of the interactions between uses areaffected by water quality at least as much as quantity, italso brings environmental and health issues to the fore. Thisarticle reviews these issues, drawing upon the case studyarticles from Sri Lanka and India, which are presented in thisspecial issue.

Water rights and multiple water uses: framework and application to Kirindi Oya irrigation system, Sri Lanka

The growing attention to water rights inrecent years reflects the increasingscarcity and competition for this vitalresource. Because rights are at the heartof any water allocation system, they arealso critical for any reallocation. Notonly efficiency, but also fundamentalissues of equity are at stake. Tounderstand water rights requires goingbeyond formal statutory law (which may ormay not be followed), to look at the manybases for claiming water. Because of thevital nature of this resource, state law,religious law, customary law and localnorms all have something to say in definingwater rights. Delineating water rights isfurther complicated when we take intoconsideration multiple uses (irrigation,domestic, fishing, livestock, industries,etc.) as well as multiple users (differentvillages, groups of farmers in the head andtail, fishermen, cattle owners, etc.) ofthe resource. These overlapping uses bringin different government agencies, as wellas different sets of norms and rulesrelated to water.This paper provides a framework forexamining the statutory and customary waterrights of multiple users of water andapplies it in the Kirindi Oya irrigationsystem in Sri Lanka, based on amultidisciplinary study conducted in1997–1998. It demonstrates that thestakeholders of an irrigation system go farbeyond the owners and cultivators ofirrigated fields. These groups are notonly claimants on the ongoing management ofwater resource systems, but also need to beincluded in any considerations oftransferring water from irrigation to otheruses.