Canal Irrigation and Collective Action: The Case of Water User Associations in Southern India

Policies of devolving management of resources from the state to user groups like water users’ associations in India are premised upon the assumption that users will organize and take on the necessary management tasks. As devolution movements become widespread, that affects the management of land, water and forest resources as well as the livelihoods of millions of people, it becomes essential to examine the experience of such programs. The present paper analyses the different aspects of participation of farmers in canal irrigation by taking 40 water users’ associations in South India.