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From insight to action in reservoir management—lessons from Asia

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  • Peder Hjorth

Abstract

The World Commission on Dams (WCD) has now presented its final report on the problems with large dams. Many dam projects were found to be underperforming, especially those built for irrigation purposes. WCD also reports that many projects fail to meet current standards of social equity. A reallocation of costs and benefits is needed, but entrenched interests make this a difficult task. This article identifies shortcomings in large Asian irrigation projects: why the problems emerged, and what could be done to improve the performance of existing projects. The article argues that Asian irrigation agencies take mainly an engineering perspective, focusing on the dam itself. In a large number of cases, it takes over 10 years for the infrastructure to be installed and for the water to be delivered to the fields of the command area. Agencies need to improve their competence in dealing with social and environmental issues. This article argues that social and economic infrastructure is often inadequate; there is a need for an integrated view of the role of agriculture in development. Furthermore, adaptive management practices and water user participation can often be critical elements. To be successful, participation needs to be gender sensitive, and stakeholders at all income levels need to be consulted. To bridge the gulf between rhetoric and action, there is also a need for independent evaluation of dam projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Peder Hjorth, 2001. "From insight to action in reservoir management—lessons from Asia," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 25(4), pages 313-320, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:natres:v:25:y:2001:i:4:p:313-320
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2001.tb00772.x
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    1. Isham, Jonathan & Narayan, Deepa & Pritchett, Lant, 1995. "Does Participation Improve Performance? Establishing Causality with Subjective Data," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 9(2), pages 175-200, May.
    2. Bandaragoda, Don Jayatissa, 1999. "Institutional change and shared management of water resources in large canal systems: Results of an action research program in Pakistan," IWMI Research Reports 44579, International Water Management Institute.
    3. Dinar, Ariel & Balakrishnan, Trichur K. & Wambia, Joseph, 1998. "Political economy and political risks of institutional reform in the water sector," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1987, The World Bank.
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