| Abstract: | ![]()
This paper presents the results of a study on the effects of participatory irrigation management in Sri Lanka. The study is based on the application of a methodology developed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to assess the impact of irrigation management transfer on the performance of irrigated agriculture. Performance is measured from several perspectives: financial, irrigation management, and agricultural productivity levels. Piecewise linear regression models are fitted to compare trends in performance during the five-year period before transfer and five years after. The results show that there has been a significant drop in government's recurrent expenditure for irrigation over time. The decline is not confined to schemes where participatory management had been introduced but to other schemes as well. The cost of irrigation to farmers has remained the same before and after transfer. The analysis reveals that irrigation management transfer alone did not bring about significant improvements in the quality of irrigation or agricultural productivity levels. However, in schemes where both management transfer and physical rehabilitation had occurred, significant improvements in agricultural productivity were noted. |
