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User Associations (user + association)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Engineering66%

Kinds of User Associations

  • water user association
    		•

    Selected Abstracts

    WICKED WATER PROBLEMS: SOCIOLOGY AND LOCAL WATER ORGANIZATIONS IN ADDRESSING WATER RESOURCES POLICY,

    JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 3 2000
    David M. Freeman
    ABSTRACT: Water policy problems are wicked, not in an ethically deplorable sense, but in the sense that they present us with especially difficult challenges of becoming more effective in our interdisciplinary collaboration, of integrating two very different types of knowledge, of working across several socio-political units of analysis simultaneously, and of better organizing water as a common property resource. Sociology, as a discipline, does not have a particularly rich history of successful interdisciplinary collaboration on water resources research and teaching, but it potentially has a most useful contribution to make by focusing on the analysis of local common property resource organizations that operate in the interface between individual resource users and State-Federal entities. These organizations (e.g., water user associations, mutual companies, irrigation districts, acequias, conservancy districts) have been the orphans of water policy discourse but their operations are critical to undertaking more effective 21st century social analysis, research work, and action programs. Sociologists who work to better comprehend the operations of, and constraints upon, these organizations build a sociology that can better collaborate with other water-related disciplines in addressing the challenges posed by the wickedness of our water problems. [source]

    Washing away poverty: Water, democracy and gendered poverty eradication in South Africa

    NATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 3 2004
    Barbara Schreiner
    Abstract This article discusses ways in which the South African Government and grassroots organizations envisage and implement democracy achieved since 1994 in the field of water resources management. The focus is on the democratic, political and economic freedom and equality in resource rights for poor black women, who are central to poverty eradication. While the new water policy and law provide an enabling framework for achieving these goals, implementation on the ground encounters both new opportunities and constraints. This is illustrated by several cases of establishing South Africa's new water management institutions: catchment management agencies and water user associations. The important nexus between state-led democratization of water resources management and bottom-up grassroots movements is also discussed. The article concludes that the Government's affirmative and targeted intervention is indispensable for redressing gender inequalities and eradicating poverty. [source]

    Irrigation water management policies: Allocation and pricing principles and implementation experience

    NATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 2 2004
    Ariel Dinar
    Abstract Food security and sustainable development require efficient use of water resources, especially in irrigation. Economic pricing can be an effective tool to achieve more efficient water use, provided it is supported by other policies in implementation. Applying various water pricing and cost recovery arrangements is suggested for efficient allocation. Any adverse impact on farmers' incomes must be addressed and more reliable service must accompany higher prices. Experience from several countries suggests a variety of implementation issues. Essential complements to water pricing are water distribution rules and technological choices at critical nodes in the delivery system that allow farmers flexibility in conserving water in response to higher prices. Among supporting institutions, water users associations seem a higher priority than water markets. [source]

    Optimization of water management in the RUT Irrigation District, Colombia,

    IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE, Issue 1 2004
    Herman Depeweg
    canaux d'irrigation; régulation de canaux; simulation des écoulements en canal Abstract The RUT Irrigation District is a flat polder area with an infrastructure for irrigation, drainage and flood protection. Water is pumped out for drainage, mainly during the wet season and is pumped in for irrigation during the two growing seasons. The RUT Irrigation District is one of the 16 districts that were transferred by the Colombian government to a water users' association. During this process the farmers agreed to take over the management and to give up governmental subsidies. It appeared that the farmers grossly underestimated the future energy costs and nowadays they complain about high costs for operation and maintenance of the pumping stations. In addition, the service provided is not adequate and the condition of the pumps is declining. The supplementary irrigation is based on the rainfall deficit, but a distinct criterion to supply water according to daily rainfall and cropping calendar does not exist. Hence, it is possible that more water than required is supplied to the area, affecting not only the pumping costs for irrigation but also for drainage. The present situation has been evaluated with a water balance at scheme level and an analysis of the measured groundwater fluctuations. Consecutively, a water balance at field level with an unsaturated groundwater flow model has been simulated to determine the irrigation requirements, yield reduction and drain flow based on a 20-year analysis. The water balance at field level and the one-, two- and three-day rainfall with a return period of 5 years resulted in design drain flows. Finally, these flows were used in hydrodynamic simulations to analyse the pumping requirements for optimal drainage. The simulations also indicated the inundated areas to be expected for different rainfall intensities and frequencies. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Le district de RUT possède un système d'irrigation et de drainage avec une protection contre les inondations. L'eau est non seulement pompée pour assurer le drainage du polder durant la saison humide, mais aussi pour alimenter le système d'irrigation durant les deux saisons agricoles. Le district de RUT est l'un des seize districts transférés par le gouvernement colombien à une association d'usagers de l'eau. Durant ce transfert, les exploitants agricoles ont accepté de prendre en charge la gestion et d'abandonner les aides gouvernementales. Il est apparu alors que les exploitants agricoles se plaignent des couts élevés pour l'opération et la maintenance des stations de pompages. De plus, le service fourni n'est pas adéquat et les pompes se détériorent. L'irrigation de complément est fonction des précipitations, mais il n'existe pas de critère précis pour la fourniture d'eau en fonction de précipitations quotidiennes ou du calendr des récoltes. Il est ier possible qu'une quantité d'eau supérieure à celle requise soit apportée au système, affectant non seulement les exigences de pompage pour l'irrigation mais aussi pour le drainage. L'évaluation de la situation actuelle est basée sur un bilan hydrique à l'échelle de système et sur une analyse des fluctuations des eaux souterraines. Par la suite, un bilan hydrique a l'échelle de la campagne délivré par le model WASIM a été utilisé pour déterminer les exigences d'irrigation, la réduction des récoltes et le débit dans le drain basé sur une simulation de 20 ans. Enfin, le drain principal fut simulé avec DUFLOW pour analyser les caractéristiques du pompage pour le drainage utilisant le débit de drainage fourni par un bilan hydrique pour des durées deun, deux et trois jours de pluie fréquence de quinquennale. La simulation a aussi permis d'identifier les étendues des inondations pour différentes intensités et fréquences de pluie. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

    Assessing the efficiency of irrigation water users' associations and its determinants: evidence from Tunisia,

    IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE, Issue 5 2009
    Aymen Frija
    association d'usagers de l'eau; irrigation; efficacité; data envelopment analyies Abstract This article analyses the efficiency of water users' associations (WUAs) in the Cap Bon region of Tunisia and studies its main determinants. The analysis is performed in two stages. First, the efficiency is measured via the non-parametric "data envelopment analysis" (DEA) technique. The DEA models are constructed not only to assess the overall WUA efficiency but also to evaluate the management and engineering sub-vector efficiencies separately through a mathematical modification in the initial DEA model. In a second stage critical technical and organizational determinants of efficiencies are assessed using a Tobit model. Results show that on average, 18.7% of the used inputs could be saved if the WUAs operated on the frontier. The inefficiencies found can furthermore be mainly attributed to the number of years of experience in operating a WUA, in addition to the number of water pipes managed and the irrigation ratio. The average scale efficiency, which can be calculated as the ratio between constant and variable returns to scale efficiencies, was around 71%, indicating that many WUAs are not operating at an efficient scale. The scale inefficiencies result mainly from administrative and organizational variables. Sub-vector efficiencies show that on average, the inefficiency of WUAs is more linked with inefficiency in expenditures related to their internal management and functioning, than to engineering inefficiencies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Ce travail analyse l'efficacité des associations d'usagers de l'eau (AUE) d'irrigation dans la région du Cap Bon (Tunisie) et étudie ses principaux déterminants. L'analyse est effectuée en deux étapes. Dans la première, l'efficacité est mesurée par le biais de la technique non paramétrique «Data Envelopment Analysis» (DEA). Des modèles DEA ont été construits pour calculer l'efficacité globale ainsi que l'efficacité de gestion et l'efficacité de maintenance. Dans la deuxième étape, les déterminants techniques et organisationnels des efficacités calculées sont recensés à l'aide d'un modèle Tobit. Les résultats montrent qu'en moyenne 18,7% des dépenses totales des AUE pourraient être économisés si toutes les associations étaient gérées à l'optimum. Les inefficacités sont liées principalement au nombre d'années d'expérience des AUE, au nombre de bornes gérées et au ratio des superficies irriguées. L'efficacité d'échelle moyenne de l'échantillon étudié est de 71%, indiquant que plusieurs AUE ne sont pas gérées à une échelle pertinente. Les inefficacités d'échelles sont principalement liées à des variables administratives et organisationnelles. Les résultats montrent aussi, qu'en moyenne, l'efficacité des AUE est plus affectée par leurs dépenses de gestion et de fonctionnement interne que par leurs activités de maintenance et d'entretien. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]