OPTIMIZATION OF IRRIGATION PERFORMANCE THROUGH PHYSICAL CHANGES AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS: THE EXAMPLE OF IRAN

During the last three days, the participants to the tenth International Seminar on Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) have been discussing the issues and challenges of PIM in the field. They have shared their experiences in the three subthemes of the seminar that are related to the PIM frameworks and models, organizational reforms, legal strategies, socio-cultural and political grounds and support system for PIM sustainability. Before coming here, I again read the invitation to this Conference. I found refreshing that the Chairman of IRNCID, Dr. Rasoul Zargar, was confident that this event will also offer an opportunity to all participants, scientists, engineers, specialists and others to exchange ideas and transfer technologies relevant to water users and PIM in Iran and other countries. I would like in this keynote to respond to Dr. Zargar by addressing the technical changes needed to support PIM. It is increasingly accepted that combining physical changes and institutional reforms is required to optimize the performance of irrigation projects. I therefore believe it is appropriate to end up this Conference by addressing the complementarity of these two aspects. I will address that question by highlighting that our host country has already in place either the reforms or the physical infrastructure needed for modern irrigation in different regions of the country. However there are not yet examples where reforms and appropriate infrastructure are present together. Of great interest for the international community is the experience of Iran that is experimenting with an institutional arrangement which is expected to evolve towards privatization of irrigation management. That approach is seldom used in other countries, where irrigation schemes are managed either by government agencies or by organizations of user associations or jointly.