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]