PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT AND USERS ASSOCIATIONS CASE STUDY: DOOSTI DAM AT THE BORDER OF IRAN-TURKEMINISTAN

Water plans are included among fundamental plans that result in social and economical development. These types of plans make the essential role of the government very crucial in terms of budget supply and the management of such plans. On the other hand, the limitation in governmental budgets and management calls for the participation of people in water plans. Because of the magnitude of these plans, a more supportive force than governmental budgeting and management is required. Article No. 107 of the fourth development plan law of the Islamic Republic of Iran permits government to involve the non-governmental sector (landlords and water right- possessors) in the water plans and make water and soil utilization organization to implement economizing policies and direct farming water users to improved utilization. In the direction of the fulfillment of this policy, the formation of public organizations at dam drains to deliver water and participate in the construction of irrigation network of agricultural lands at the downstream of the dams is necessary. From the legal point of view, communal irrigation organization means the organization of farmers that have the water embranchment (subscription) under the same farming water resource. Utilization organizations, also, include utilization companies, communal irrigation organizations or public groups who cooperate in the process of water utilization management. This condition had to be materialized in the case of the shared dam of DoosTI (Friendship) between Iran and Turkmenistan. The method of the formation of communal organizations has been considered in this study