SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PARTICIPATORY IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT

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SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PARTICIPATORY
IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT

• INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF WATER USER
• ASSOCIATIONS IN IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE
• MANAGEMENT
• The Case of ALBANIA
• Ylli DEDJA
• 14 18 June 2004

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SUMMARY

• AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION IN ALBANIA
• INSTITUTIONAL ORGANIZATION AND REGULATORY
  FRAMEWORK
• DEVELOPMENT OF WUAs
• WORLD BANK IRRIGATION REHABILITATION PROJECTS
• INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES
• ASSESMENT OF REFORMS
• MAIN ISSUES AND ACTIONS
• NATIONAL UNION OF WUAs
• RESTRUCTURING OF WATER ENTERPRISES

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1. AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION IN ALBANIA

• THE IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
• LOCATION AND CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
• IRRIGATION
• WATER SOURCES
• IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE
• SYSTEM SIZE AND FRAGMENTATION

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2. INSTITUTIONAL ORGANISATION AND REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK

• Introduction of Agrarian Structure in ALBANIA
• By 1991 500 Cooperatives, 150 state farms
• After land reform 400,000 farm holdings
• Water Enterprise
• Legal and Regulatory Framework (up to 1994)
  Irrigation Code

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3. DEVELOPMENT OF WATER USER ASSOCIATIONS

• Background
• Legal steps for WUA formation
• Sharing a water source(Law Amended)
• Registered WUAs
• Government incentive and approach for WUA
  development
• Water fees
• Farmers and WUAs(Top down approch)

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FIRST IRRIGATION REHABILITATION PROJECT

• Introduction and background (7 districts)
• Rehabilitated 21 irrigation schemes (88,000 ha)
  18 drainage schemes (99,000 ha)
• About 100,000 farm holdings (1,2 -1,4 ha farm
  size)
• WUA component

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HISTORY FOR WUA ESTABLISHMENT

• California and Turkey Case
• Legal Framework
• WUA Unit
• Technical Assistance
• Village based WUAs
• Weakness of village-based WUAs

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STRATEGY FOR WUA CONSOLIDATION

• Hydraulic based WUAs
• Power of Local Government
• Transfer of OM of Canals and Irrigation Systems
• EC explore members interest- bottom-up approach
• AC prepare brief proposals
• Official proposals - DDAF - MoAF

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SECOND IRRIGATION DRAINAGE REHABILITATION
PROJECT

• First challenge extend rehabilitation
• Second challenge sustainability of irrigation
  management
• Third challenge restructuring of Water
  Enterprises
• Federation responsibility of major irrigation
  infrastructure

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OBJECTIVES OF SIDRP

• To emerge small private farmers to increase
  agricultural production through rapid
  rehabilitation of existing of Irrigation and
  Drainage infrastructure
• To reduce risks of flood

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COMPONENTS OF SIDRP

• Physical rehabilitation 20 irrigation and 16
  drainage schemes, 50,000 ha, 50,000 farm families
• Institutional development and management capacity
• Development strengthening of WUAs/FWUAs
• Restructuring of WE
• Political support(WUA Unit,Training,Dev.Polic)
• Technical studies

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CRITERIA FOR SIDRP

• Main irrigation drainage canals
• Farmers organized to WUAs
• Membership over 80
• FWUA establishment take responsibility for main
  works
• System transfer before rehabilitation
• For secondary irrigation canals by gravity
• Contribution up to 3 000 leke/ha
• For schemes by pumping height less than 50 m
• 10 of total investment
• For schemes by pumping height more than 50 m
• 10 of total investment plus 1 per each 5 m
  above
• 50 m

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INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES

• 2001 MBU address Supervising to PMU
• WUA/FWUA development policies
• 386 WUA 22 FWUA
• Training system about 850 WUA staff trained
• Financial audit(Real cases)
• Physical audit

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WUA SUPPORT PROGRAMME

• Publicity and awareness campaign
• Formulation and adoption of internal rules and
  regulations
• Transparency and accountability
• Irrigation service fee collection
• Operation and maintenance of tertiary canals
• Improved water management activities
• National Union of WUA - (May 2004)

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STRUCTURE OF WUA

• Administrative Council every 2 years
• Executive Council
• Chairman
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Water masters

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WUA FUNCTIONS

• Draws maintenance plan
• Finances and budget
• Cropping plans

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ASSESMENT OF REFORMS

• Transfer of about 184 000 ha
• Government subsidies to WE reduced
• Demand driven rehabilitation will prevent waste
  of resources
• Farmers are satisfied with the removal of
  Government involvement and are ready to pay the
  cost

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ASSESMENT OF REFORMS(main future actions)

• Practical support to WUAs/FWUAs through training
• Training at tertiary level
• Training at secondary level
• Training in financial administration and
  management
• Rehabilitation through demand driven
• Supervision and regulation to prevent abuse and
  malpractices(some practice stories)
• Restructuring of WE to address drainage problems
  Drainage Boards

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IMPACT IN WUA DEVELOPMENT

• Increasing cost recovery (45-50 of OM)
• Consolidating the public role in irrigation and
  decreasing fiscal expenditure
• Uniting newly emerging private farmers
• Leadership role and specialization
• Increasing equity in water rights and the role of
  women
• Timely delivery of water
• Conflict resolution

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DRAINAGE BOARDS

• Management structure
• Staff levels and skills
• Financial management
• Assets
• Maintenance planning
• Procurement management and supervision
• Area of uncertainty

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• Thank You
• Tirana, 14 June 2004
• ALBANIA