Farmer's Behaviour in Rice Irrigation in Monsoon Asia: Facts and Fallacies

Abstract

Large-scale gravity-fed irrigation projects in Monsoon Asia have been for some years described in irrigation literature as 'anarchy-ridden', which threatens the sustainability of irrigation investment and lowers farmers' incomes. The literature attributed anarchy in the systems to farmers' opportunistic behaviour and corrup tion and inefficiency among irrigation officials. One major strategy suggested in irrigation literature to address this twin problem is to establish farmer organizations, which would mobilize farmers to participate collectively in irrigation management and also to check irrigation agency irregularities. This article examines the veracity of this model in a comparative context, by looking at five major irrigation systems in Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Although the study found some evidence to support this model, it however overwhelmingly shows that irrigation agencies have often to deal more with inappropriate technology and faulty con structions, water scarcity and poor water distribution planning, than with farmers' opportunistic behaviour. In fact, farmers have developed their own methods of mitigating adverse impacts of shortages and poor deliveries of water, which could hardly be labelled as 'anarchic'.