3rd Mekong Forum on Water, Food & Energy. Presentation from Sessions 4 & 6: M-POWER Solutions for Mekong Region Governance

1. M-POWER Research Fellows
LOCAL PARTICIPATION IN
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT IN
RED RIVER DELTA OF VIETNAM
– A Case Study in Que Vo district, Bac Ninh province –
NGUYEN MAU DUNG
HANOI UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, VIETNAM
HANOI, 19 NOV 2013

2. 1. Justification of the research

Improved AWM is very important in RRD (50% of labor force,
70% of pop. living in rural, main income from agri...)

Inefficiencies in AWM in RRD (uneven distribution of water across
system and farm HHs, inappropriate timing, loss of water…)

Local participation in AWM is recently seen as a crucial
prerequisite for the conservation and sustainable use of
scarce water resources; as a key driver of increased
efficiency in AWM (N., and A. Neef, 2004; Hetland, 2008).

Few researches on I&D system management, but nearly no
research on local participation in AWM in RRD of
Vietnam.

3. 2. Research Question?
• What is current institutional arrangement for AWM in
RRD of Vietnam?
• How or in which ways do local people currently
participate in AWM in RRD?
• What factors do affect to the local participation in
AWM in RRD?
• What should be done to enhance the relevant local
participation for better AWM and better efficient use of
AWM in RRD?

4. 3. Research methodology
3.1. Analytical Framework
Local Participants:
- Farmers
- Communities
- I&D team
- Local Authority
Activities to participate:
Local
participation
in AWM
- In formulating I&D plan
- In leading water
- in controlling water
- in improving canal system
- in paying I&D service
Factors affecting on
participation in AWM
- Farmers’ awareness
- Economic condition of
farm household
- Institutions & arrangements
- Geographical conditions
Participation levels or how:
- Passive
- Giving information
- Consultative
- Giving material and labor
- Functional participation
Implications for enhancing the local participation in AWM

5. 3. Research Methodology


Site selection: Que Vo district
Secondary data
Data on agri.land, crop system, situation of I&D system (local canals,
pumping stations, dykes), organizational system of AWM, its functions or
responsibilities… :gathered from DARD, Extension Service Center, I&D
Company.

Primary data
- Survey of 90 farm households in 3 selected communes using
questionnaires: HH profile, crop production in HH, participation of HH in
AWM, implication for better AWM through HH participation.
- Focus group discussion:

With HH and local staff, I&D team staff
Analysis Procedures:
Descriptive statistics, Comparative Analysis

6. 4.Result and Discussion
4.1. Institutional Arrangement in AWM in Que Vo district
4.2. Local participation in AWM in Que Vo district
4.3. Factors affecting the local participation in AWM
4.4. Suggestions for enhancing local participation and better
AWM

7. 4.1. Institutional Arrangement in AWM in Que Vo district
a. I&D system in QV
+ 25 Pumping stations in QV
+ For level of canals: 1-4 (level 1
is big and level 4 is small canal)
+ 2 types of canals by purpose:
irrigation and drainage
- Irrigation: 140 km of canal 1&2
(57km solid), 313 km of canal 3&4
(60km solid)
- Drainage: 96km of canal 1&2;
178km of canal 3&4 (37.5 km solid)
Table 4.3: Areas to be well irrigated and drained in 2011 and 2012 in Que Vo (ha)
Crop season
2011
2012
Share in 2012
(%)
1. Spring season
6,987
7,249
88.9
2. Autumn season
6,913
6,996
85.8
3. Winter season
2,371
2,174
53.4%

8. 4.1. Institutional Arrangement in AWM…
- QVIDE (with 25
stations) pumps the
water from rivers to
canal level 1-2
- I&D teams manage
the water in canal 34 (open/close water
gate to get water
from canal 1or 2).
- Farm HH lead the
water to their fields
(open gate or pump);
maintain the field
bank to keep water
- QVIDE sign I&D contract with coops (represent for farm HHs)

9. 4.2. Local participation in AWM
4.2.1. In formulating irrigation plan
- Preliminary plan (before crop): based on crop calendar proposed by QV DARD: No of
time of water pumping, timing and duration (no. of days) of each time during crop season
- Adjusted plan (during crop season): on request of agri.coops (based on I&D team and
HHs).
- Farmer participation: (1) require water provision through I&D team/cooperative.
(2) Require better plan during biannual meeting

10. 4.2.1. In formulating irrigation plan

11. 4.2.2. In leading/lifting water to the fields
1. Information on timing of water pumping:
QVIDE  coops/ I&D team  farm HH
2. I&D team will be ready for opening/closing
water gate
3. Farm HH will lead the water to their fields by
opening the field bank. In some cases, farmer
have to lift water to the field (by pump or
bucket) when water could not flow by itself

12. 4.2.2. In keeping water in the fields
Farmers have responsibility to keep water in the fields:
- Improve the earth-bank to ensure the water could not leak out
- Create the border-edge between plots to keep water in their own
fields
- Often visit their fields to know if the water in the fields is fine

13. 4.2.3. In maintaining/upgrading canals
- QV District People Committee: annually organize Irrigation month (15 Nov –
15 Dec when dried season) for (1) cleaning out the canal; (2) improving the
canal banks; and (3) deepening the canal-bed where exists the sediment.
- QVIDE and QV-DARD set up the plan for upgrading canal level 1&2
- Agri. Coop set up the plan for upgrading canal level 3&4.

14. 4.2.4. In maintaining/upgrading canals
Result in the district in 2012:
- Around 100 thousand working days of local people be mobilized during
Irrigation Months
- 45.750 m3 of mud was taken out from the canal bed
- Water hyacinth and lotus were cleared out from 71 thousand m2 in the canals

15. 4.2.5. Local contribution for irrigation services
- The contribution is to pay for I&D team member salary
- Average salary for one member is 1 ton of paddy per crop

16. Summary of the local participation in AWM
Activities
Farmers
I&D team
Coop.
Commune
1. Formulating preliminary plan
+
+
+
++
2. Adjusting the irrigation plan
++
+++
+++
+
3. Leading/lifting water to fields
+++
+
+
+
4. Keeping water in fields
+++
+
+
+
5. Maintaining/upgrading canals
+++
++
+++
+
++
+
+
+++
+++
+
6. Payment for I&D service
7. Formulating the I&D team
Level of active: (+++++) very active; (+) little active

17. 4.3. Factors affecting local participation in AWM

Awareness of the local people on AWM
• Exemption for irrigation fee since 2008: several farmers think it is not
necessary to save water because water will be freely provided when needed 
less participation in keeping water in the fields.

Socio-economic condition of the farm households
• farmers with main income from crop participated more actively

Topography and location of crop plots
• Field with high topography need more participation

Organizational structure and mechanism of mobilizing local
participation
• Keep organizing Irrigation month;
• Contributing money if HH could not participate in

18. 4.4. Recommendation for better local participation in AWM

Raising farmers’ awareness of agri-water saving
•

Organizing the training course for I&D team member
•

each HH should be responsible for maintaining the canal section that attached to the field
of that HH: Clear the grasses; take out water hyacinth, upgrade canal banks; take out
mud;
Encourage farmers to participate more in upgrading I&D
infrastructure
•
•

When to open/close water gates to save water; which canal should be maintained/
upgraded…
Assigning the canal maintenance to farm HHs
•

Water shortage situation; farmers’ responsibility in water saving; and way to save
agri.water.
Keep organizing Irrigation month;
Require some contribution if HH do not participate in
More consultations in formulating the irrigation plan
•
With cooperative staff, I&D team

19. Thanks for your attention!