Asian Irrigation in Transition: Responding to Challenges

There is today a crucial need to revamp the management and governance of water systems in Asia in order to cater to the increasing demands of a growing group of users with diverse needs-urban settlements, industry, food producers and environmental needs. This collection of twenty original essays contains informed views on what the 21 century will require of irrigation policies, institutions and governance. Written by a mix of international observers and practitioners, these essays cover a wide range of issues that are involved in this endeavor. Based on actual fieldwork in various Asian countries, the contributors collectively address three major themes: The response to the competition for resources including groundwater and aquifers, multiple water use, water reclamation, and watershed and basin management. The emergence of new partnerships and institutional reforms, such as the changing role of governments, participatory approaches, new accountability mechanisms and improving the infrastructure. The economic productivity of irrigated agriculture through water users’ associations, demand-oriented and pro-poor irrigation services, and agribusiness. Drawing vital lessons from the Asian experience, this important volume will greatly assist in the design of efficient and equitable water management systems as well as serve to outline an agenda for future research for practitioners and policymakers. Covering a topic of immense concern in today’s world, this volume will be widely welcomed by students and scholars of water resource management, development studies, and policy analysis.