GENDERED LOCAL IRRIGATION INSTITUTIONS: IMPLICATIONS ON ACCESS TO WATER IN THE CONTEXT OF CHANGING WATER AVAILABILITY

SMRITTEE KALA PANTA

12TH JANUARY 2015

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

• Increasing feminization of agriculture in Nepal

• Changing water availability

•Association of irrigation as male domain

•Gendered irrigation institutions such as WUAs, water rights, water

allocation rules

OBJECTIVE

• To illustrate the crucial role of local formal and informal

institutions in shaping water access of women and men farmers of

different castes particularly during water scarce situations

DESCRIPTION OF FMIS UNDER STUDY

AFMIS

• Constructed by farmers in 1934

• Perennial rain fed water source

• Command Area- 350 ha

• Wards Covered -5,6,7,8

• Canal Length-4Km

• Increasing competition for irrigation

water

• Unorganized water users and lack of

formal committee

GFMIS

• Constructed under government

investment in 1987

• Perennial rain fed water source

• Command Area- 200 ha

• Wards Covered -1,2,3

• Canal Length-5.5 Km

• Increasing competition for irrigation

water

• Organized water users and formal

committee

GENDERED INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS OF AFMIS Lack of definite organizational structure such as WUA -VDC chairperson, political leaders, contractors organizing canal maintenance activities Formal committee formation in 2003 through political consensus- inactive after completion of SISP project Rule making process undeveloped

Informal groups of politically active upper caste men and previous irrigation leaders after peace treaty

Gender neutral unwritten water right - user title of land within the reach of canal - contribution in canal maintenance activities Rule in practice: whoever diverts the water first, gets the water

Gendered access to water in AFMIS

“My husband works in Kathmandu….I myself go to divert water to irrigate our field for rice transplantation in

summer and for potato in the winter. We neighbors go collectively in a group of 4-5 women at night when

others are sleeping. It’s risky to go during night but we have to. We don’t get chance to irrigate during the day

time. 6-7 years ago we didn’t need to struggle so much to get water. There used to be timely rainfall and several

water sources used to emerge locally…Now because of the water shortage we have to quarrel with others to get

water. The person near the source and person with able bodied male members can transplant rice timely and

get good yield while others have to wait for the rain. This is the reason why we could transplant rice in our field

only in July instead of June. It took 20 days instead of 7 days to finish the transplantation due to irregular water

supply”.

Mrs B10’, an upper caste woman irrigator from middle section, 2010

Source: Semi Structured Interviews, 2010

Gendered access to water in AFMIS

GENDERED INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS OF GFMIS

Composition of Executive Committee According to

Caste/Ethnicity and Gender

IMPROVED ACCESS TO WATER IN GFMIS

“I have been cultivating garlic for the last 3 years in bari (upland). Other

farmers were getting profit from it long before but I couldn’t take risk as it

needs much water. So I used to cultivate wheat instead which could give yield

even if its rainfed. Now the water is more reliable as we have fixed schedule of

irrigation and I am now benefiting from garlic”. Mrs J12, a woman from

Bhujel (middle) caste

“Now, we don’t need to argue with other irrigators like before. We can get

water by turns” Mrs D9, women irrigator from dalit caste.

IMPROVED ACCESS TO WATER IN GFMIS

Rotation schedule followed in winter

Committee actively involved in allocating and distributing water

- Access to water of women and men residing at different location

improved

- Less dependence of women irrigators

- Access to water still challenge in rainy season

Forceful assertion of water right ---- assertion on the basis of

contribution

CONCLUSION

• Continue to maintain the dominance of men (mostly higher caste and elite)

in irrigation management

• Having water rights does not automatically translate to secure access to water

• Gender inequality more striking in irrigation system with poorly developed

institutional arrangements

• Role of inclusive irrigation institutions in decreasing vulnerability of

marginalized populations in FMISs