Water Users’ Associations (WUAs/BCWUAs)

Meet Yazid AreaResearch team:Dr. Edwin RapDr. François MolleDr. Doaa EzzatEng. Ahmed IsmailDr. Waleed Abu Hassan

Objectives

Assess the functioning of WUAs at collective pump stations in IIP and IIIMP projects

Carry out a comparative survey on the working of BCWUAs

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WUAs - Methodology

• Rapid Appraisal of 50 pump stations, IIP and IIIMP in Meet Yazid command area

• Additional surveys and literature review• 4 Masters students

WUAs at pumping stations

Functioning of WUAs1. Normative plans: no WUA functions as planned, # WUAs not formally active

2. Board not farmers considered as WUA members, few re-elections, assemblies, or other (formal) meetings

3. Decision-making is often informal, fundamental role of the pumping station (PS) operator

4. Very little participation in design of PS and network; limited recollection of training; reception of PS often problematic

5. Large diversity of water distribution arrangements, with rotations only during peak summer time

6. Running costs and fee collection relatively un-problematic; investment decisions by consensus when needed

7. Conflicts happen when supply/demand ratio too low (tail-ends, or), which social relations can amplify/reduce

BCWUA survey

Activity• Methodology:

– Use earlier literature study on successful cases and surveys

– Focus group with BCWUAs on management options

– Interviews with key-informants

– Survey of 15 selected BCWUAs

Output

Focus group with BCWUAs

BCWUA survey

Activities• Comparative survey of 15

BCWUAs in Mit Yazid• Discussion topics:

– Trajectory of the BCWUA– Election & composition Board– The role of IIP improvement– BCWUA resources &

responsibilities– Relations with Project and

Irrigation Management Staff– Effectiveness of BCWUAs– Law for BCWUAs, etc.

BCWUA presidents

Main Findings I

• Laudable efforts of BCWUAs and irrigation staff to deal with O&M problems at BC-level

• BCWUAs have no legal recognition, resource base (fee collection), office and records

• BCWUAs have no large O&M role, even in success cases

• Weak link between WUAs and the BCWUAs, which affects enforcement rotation

• BCWUA leaders need the authority of district engineers to implement rotations

Main Findings II• BCWUA leaders selected to promote improvement, cannot

effectively represent users with design & construction problems

• How representative are BCWUAs when many water users along BCs are not aware of them?

• Women in BCWUA appears a token measure, driven by donor pressures

• Efforts focused on (re-)elections of BCWUAs and less on sustaining them

• Egyptian Revolution discontinued regular interactions BCWUAs - engineers

BCWUA representation

Main Findings III

• In sum, BCWUAs are financially, representationally and institutionally weak organizations, which potentially might, but presently do not play a significant role in the O&M of BCs

• Even when a law and additional maintenance

responsibilities would strengthen the legitimacy of BCWUAs, it is questionable whether they would be sustainable

Key-messages

• The need to adopt a law to recognize BCWUAs with fee collection capacity and concrete O&M responsibilities

or: • Give up the idea of BCWUA participation

Future investment