Participatory Irrigation Management Practices In Azerbaijan and Future Development Needs

During the last two decades Azerbaijan has initiated reform of irrigation water management through a complex of measures, including realization of irrigation management transfer (IMT) for decentralization and redelegating of management responsibilities at on-farm level by establishment of water users' associations (WUAs). The purpose of this study is to analyse and demonstrate experience gained from the past, success and difficulties arising from IMT policy in the country in a local and international comparative context and, based on the current situation, to propose development needs. WUA concept development is being implemented under World Bank rehabilitation programmes, but not all WUAs have yet been covered with the rehabilitation programme. Considering this situation, the measures should be elaborated for three types of WUA, which are: (i) already rehabilitated; (ii) WUAs under rehabilitation: (iii) those not yet included in the rehabilitation programme due to lack of investment and insufficient eligibility criteria of their current performance. International experience with different development backgrounds shows similarity and difference in realization of IMT in Azerbaijan and supports better understanding of the emergence of WUAs. Besides institutional development of WUAs, improvement works should cover the entire service area, including on-farm infrastructure, land reorganization and levelling works. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.