Obstacles of Participatory Irrigation Management in the Central Plain of Thailand: Stakeholders and Interorganizational Relationships

Abstract

This research has 3 objectives: 1. To explore the obstacles of participatory irrigation management (PIM) in irrigation water users (IWU) organizations. 2. To determine the primary stakeholders and factors influencing interorganizational relationships between the IWU organization and its stakeholders, and 3. To recommend a practical approach for strengthening IWU organization performance. The research was underpinned by theory of stakeholder identification and interorganizational relationships, and the data collection was based on in-depth interviews and focus group discussion of 18 key informants from 3 low-performing IWU organizations of an irrigation project in the Central Plain of Thailand. The results indicated that the most important obstacle was the internal management, which involved lack of regulatory enforcement and group communication. Meanwhile, there were 3 primary stakeholders involved: definitive (government officials at regional and local levels), influencing (IWU committee members), and dependent (non-participating IWU members) groups. The most significant factor determining interorganizational relationships between the IWU organization and definitive stakeholders was the efficiency of irrigation management itself. In achieving participatory irrigation management, it is recommended that collaborative network among stakeholders be created through developing social capital both inside and outside the group of water users.