Participatory Irrigation Management

The Water Sector Strategy and the Water Law adopts an integrated water resource management approach based on a transition towards river basin development and a strong role for local stakeholder and community participation. The Water Sector Strategy stressed the need for “end user” participation in decision making relating to water resource management, operation and maintenance of irrigation systems, as well as allocations of water use.To address the key capacity gap and encourage the active participation of the local stakeholders and end user in the decision-making process, under the ADB’s Water Resources Development Investment Program (WRDIP) which was approved under the funding mechanism of the bank, is supporting NVDA/MAIL to implement Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) and develop the capacity to support activities for operationalizing the institutional framework established in the Water Law, specifically, the organizational capacity development of NVDA/MAIL for Irrigation Associations (IAs) Water User Association (WUA) to support the implementation of participatory irrigation management (PIM). The project was successfully implemented in Balkh and Ningarhar Valley Development Authority (NVDA) in Ningarhar provinces, with the bellow objectives: Social mobilization to catalyze a demand from institutions and farmers for Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM); Outreach and public awareness to increase support for PIM and Develop a participatory assessment and diagnostic (PAD) framework to facilitate the implementation of PAD and give Irrigation Associations and water Users Associations and targeting communities a say in project formulation; Under the guidance of the newly approved by laws by MAIL, form and strengthen Irrigation Associations (IAs) and Water User associations; Plan, design and oversee the extension service and construction of secondary and tertiary level structures in consultation with the IAs and WUAs CDCs and DAA and other Women Group and other CBOs.