Transcript Slide 1

Workshop:
“Support to FWUC:
Reviews of Experiences and Strategies”
Funded by
Phnom Penh Hotel
25 March 2010
Organized by the Irrigation Service Centre
Encouraging membership in the
Irrigation Scheme of ‘5 Kumpheak’
By Long Piseth
With inputs from Antoine Deligne
ISC Kompong Thom
GRET
Geographical position of 5
Kumpheak irrigation system
Svay Tiep Commune
Lvea Leu Commune
Chamkar Leu District
Kompong Cham Province
Map of 5 Kumpheak irrigation scheme
in Lvea Leu commune
Main infrastructure
Reservoir Kbal Hong Chas
Main gate
Main canal
Basic information about 5 Kumpheak
irrigation system

Built in 1972 under Pol Pot regime

Rehabilitated in 2000 by MoWRaM

FWUC established in 2003 by MoWRaM
(for 2 communes together)

4 reservoirs, 5 main gates

Total command area: > 1000 Ha

Number of farmers: > 1000 families
Detailed assessment by ISC team
1.
April 2009: first visit by ISC
2.
July to August 2009: Detailed study about the
scheme and the FWUC
-> Decision to work only in Lvea Commune for the use
of 2 reservoirs:
- Kbal Hong Chas reservoir for 3 villages, 261 ha and
243 farmers
- Phum Bey reservoir for 3 villages, 231 Ha and 316
farmers
Results of the detailed assessment
Opportunities
 The main gate and canal are in good condition
 Some double cropping in the wet season (early wet
season rice) on about 39 ha
 The soil are quite fertile with yields from 2 to 4 tons
per ha depending on practice
 The price for rice is increasing
 There is already a FWUC recognized by MoWRaM
 The FWUC president wish to improve the system
 The commune has the plan to rehabilitate some
secondary canals
Identification of the field limits
for each village
Reasons for FWUC low functioning
Constraints
 No water control structures for sharing water
-> a lot of water is wasted during irrigation
 The water source is insufficient to irrigate all
the command area់
 Conflict and competition for water between
upstream and downstream farmers
 Limited knowledge about FWUC management
Field study of canals and structures
Proposal to set up 2 new
Farmer Water User Groups
 October 2009: the commune sign a contract with
ISC to set up 2 FWUG in Lvea Leu Commune
 December 2009 – March 2010: first service
implementation
Village meetings during service implementation
Government policies regarding
membership in FWUC
 Circular No.1 (1999), objective:
“To encourage farmers to receive ownership of operation and
maintenance of irrigation systems”
 Official FWUC statutes, article 5:
“Farmers must apply for membership by apposing their thumb
print.”
 Prakas 306 (2000), Policy for Sustainable Operation and
Maintenance of Irrigation System, Article 2.3.5:
“Farmers who want to use water for cropping must apply for
membership in the FWUC and agree to pay the water fee fixed
by the FWUC.”
-> The ISC policy to encourage membership is in
line with government policies.
Main purposes
for the membership registration
and membership fee collection
1) To measure farmers’ motivation for participation
in FWUC management
2) Provide authority and legitimacy to the FWUC for
implementing decisions
3) Ensure that farmers are ready to collaborate in
ISC service implementation
4) ISC own procedures require the payment of the
service
-> The minimum level of participation = 67%
Other advantages of
membership fee collection
 Starting fund for the group
functioning
 Precise membership registration
process
 Encourage clear information
towards the farmers
 Allow the creation of a database
with members (and non-members)
 Clarify the rights of the members in
the FWUG decision process
Difference between Irrigation Service
Fee (ISF) and Membership Fee (MF)
 ISF payment is compulsory for all farmers
(as long as they get water, members and non-members alike)
 MF is paid according to the farmer own wish to
participate
(also paid by farmers who don’t get water yet)
 ISF is collected annually or seasonally
 MF is collected only at the creation of the FWUG or
before election
 ISF amount is fixed according to FWUG budget
requirements
(and/or farming incomes)
 MF amount is fixed according to members capacity
(and/or ISC service fee)
The MF can be used for which purpose?
1. To pay ISC service
(1.5 million riels per FWUG)
2. Starting fund to cover FWUG functioning costs as:




Incentives for FWUG representatives and staffs
Small maintenance and repairs
Election costs
Members assembly organization
3. To attract outside funding
(the fund is a proof of the farmers commitment to manage their
scheme on the long run)

Farmers are not empty handed when they ask
for support
MF collection procedure
1. Form a Working Group (WG) for discussion and decision
making (before committee election)
2. Fix the MF amount (in 5 komphheak: 15,000 riels / family)
3. Village meeting to explain the MF purpose and the collection
process (by small groups of farmers)
4. MF collection by group
5. MF collection by individual family
6. MF collection results verification by WG
7. Public display of the members list and MF collected in each
village for transparency
8. Each member receives a membership card
9. All the money is placed in a bank account
The result of MF collection
in 5 Komphheak
 497 members paid MF for a total of 559 landowners
 89% of all landowners have paid MF
 Total amount collected = 7,445,000 riels (~1800$)
 Farmers have shown their satisfaction regarding this
process
Rights and role of members
 Elect their representatives in the FWUG committee
 Discuss and validate the statutes and internal rules
 Examine and validate the FWUG budget and
activity plan
 Decide priorities for repairs and constructions
 Decide the cropping calendar and water sharing
rules
 Fix the ISF level and the ISF collection system
Rights of the non-members
 No right to vote during election
 No right to take part of decision during assemblies
 But the non-members obligations are the same
with members:
 To pay the ISF (on the condition they really get water)
 To respect internal rules
But the motivation of the farmers to
become members is not only to get
voting right
 The farmers want to engage in collective action and to
participate together with other villagers in the FWUC
management
on the condition that:
 They believe in the system functioning and that water will
be sufficient.
 They get real benefits from the irrigation system.
 They trust the committee and the financial management.
 They make their own free choice to participate.
 Previous conflicts are solved.
Membership registration is just the first step:
Future services from ISC to
support 5 Komphheak scheme
 Support the FWUG representatives election process
 Train the representatives on operation and maintenance
 Organize the cropping & irrigation calendar
 Design effective water management rules
 Set up budget and financial procedures
 Organize ISF collection
 Ensure rules enforcement and sanctions
 Rehabilitate and build new secondary infrastructures
 Extend the irrigated area
Conclusion
The ISC believe that it is fundamental to involve
the farmers in the decision making in the very
first step of irrigation projects:
-by asking them if they really want to manage
the irrigation system or not,
-and if they are ready to invest their own money
in irrigation or not.
Let’s the farmers make their choices !
Thank you for your attention.
Long Piseth
Coordinator and O&M Technical Advisor
Irrigation Service Centre
Kompong Thom
Tel. 077 888 968
E-mail: [email protected]