Reforming Institutions in Water Resource Management: Policy and Performance for Sustainable Development

✍ Scribed by Lin Crase, Vasant P. Gandhi

• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 385
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

As water scarcities increase, nations throughout the world are in search of better institutions to manage water resources. India has been making substantial efforts to develop its water management systems since independence and significant increases in irrigated agriculture have taken place through both public and private initiatives. However, scarcities are increasing and major problems presently confront the management of water resources and irrigated agriculture. Resolving these problems is crucial for the future. The main purpose of this book is to provide a new approach for the analysis and design of water institutions that govern the use and development of water resources, particularly for agriculture which is the largest user. Drawing on the theory of New Institutional Economics and comparisons with Australia (as a developed country) and other less developed nations in Africa and Asia, the authors present original empirical data from three Indian states. Detailed analysis of these data is used to identify and recommend attributes and features of water management institutions that are conducive to effective resource management, its long-term success, and its best contribution to development.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 8
List of Figures, Tables and Boxes......Page 10
List of Contributors......Page 16
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations......Page 20
Part 1 Theoretical Dimensions of Institutional Analysis......Page 22
Introduction......Page 24
Scope of this book......Page 28
Objectives of this book......Page 34
Structure of the book......Page 35
References......Page 39
Introduction......Page 41
Institutional background......Page 42
Generic institutional design features......Page 47
Empirical techniques for measuring institutional performance......Page 55
Concluding remarks......Page 61
References......Page 62
Introduction......Page 66
An overview of Australian water reforms......Page 67
The transaction costs of altering water policies......Page 70
Lessons for institutional change and a cautionary note on transaction costs......Page 74
Concluding remarks......Page 79
References......Page 81
Introduction......Page 83
ACT water resources, the Cap and Trade......Page 86
Water supply options for the ACT......Page 88
Empirical insights into the perceptions, motivations and interests of organizational stakeholders......Page 90
Lessons for institutional analysis......Page 96
Notes......Page 99
References......Page 100
Part 2 Water Resource Development and Management in India......Page 102
Introduction......Page 104
The nature and role of institutions and institutional dynamics......Page 105
Analysis of institutions......Page 109
Critique of earlier institutional analyses......Page 115
Concluding remarks......Page 117
References......Page 118
Introduction......Page 121
Institutional responses in irrigation and water management in India......Page 122
A preliminary comparative assessment of selected water institutions......Page 130
Discussion......Page 137
Notes......Page 139
References......Page 140
Introduction: Regulatory frameworks and rights for better water management......Page 144
Water and the Constitution of India: States’ jurisdiction, mandate for local bodies and water rights......Page 145
National legal context on ground-water regulation and management......Page 147
State legal context on ground-water regulation and management......Page 153
Controlling extractions to sustainable limits: Mapping the experience of devising legal instruments in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh......Page 155
Towards better irrigation management: Legally empowered water user associations in states......Page 159
Concluding remarks......Page 161
Notes......Page 162
References......Page 165
Introduction......Page 167
The macro water situation in the world and in India......Page 168
Water resource development in India......Page 172
Institutions for water resource development......Page 181
References......Page 185
Part 3 Water Institutions and their Performance in Three States in India......Page 188
Introduction......Page 190
Synoptic overview of conceptual background and sampling......Page 191
Profile of farmer households and agro-institutional features......Page 194
Key governance and institutional considerations......Page 199
Institutional actions to address national priorities for water management......Page 205
Institutional performance......Page 209
Results of multivariate analysis: Factor analysis and TOBIT analysis......Page 218
Concluding observations......Page 227
References......Page 228
Introduction......Page 229
Background to surface water irrigation in India......Page 230
Study overview and decision-making domains......Page 239
Governance......Page 241
Institutional performance and empirical analysis......Page 243
Summary and conclusions......Page 255
References......Page 257
Introduction......Page 258
Growth of ground-water irrigation in India......Page 259
Synopsis of empirical data on ground-water institutions......Page 263
Empirical testing of New Institutional Economics fundamentals, governance concepts and performance......Page 268
Concluding observations......Page 277
References......Page 279
Introduction......Page 281
Background......Page 282
Sampling and characteristics of respondents......Page 284
Decision making......Page 286
New Institutional Economics fundamentals......Page 288
Measuring institutional performance......Page 289
Understanding institutional performance......Page 292
Concluding observations......Page 297
References......Page 298
Part 4 Policy Implications of Institutional Analysis......Page 300
Introduction......Page 302
Definitions and nature of institutions......Page 304
Theoretical frameworks......Page 305
Institutional reforms......Page 307
Concluding remarks and policy implications......Page 315
Notes......Page 316
References......Page 317
Introduction......Page 321
Decentralized decision making......Page 323
Decision-making processes......Page 326
Information, scale and hierarchies......Page 329
Concluding remarks......Page 337
Notes......Page 338
References......Page 339
Introduction......Page 341
Poverty in India......Page 342
The poverty, agriculture, irrigation nexus......Page 346
Equity considerations......Page 351
Poverty and irrigation technology......Page 357
Concluding observations......Page 358
References......Page 359
Introduction......Page 362
What theoretical and conceptual insights would be useful for the institutional analysis of water resource management?......Page 363
What is the magnitude and contour of extant water resource management in India?......Page 365
What empirical methods can be harnessed from the theoretical insights offered by New Institutional Economics and related disciplines, and how might these assist in guiding policy and institutional reform?......Page 368
What does empirical analysis tell us about institutional performance with different water sources?......Page 370
What lessons might be derived for policy makers?......Page 373
Index......Page 377