BASELINE STUDY FOR COMMUNITY BASED WATER MANAGEMENT PROJECT (CWMPs)

Transcription

1 Inclusion Project/Mekong Water Governance Program Vietnam BASELINE STUDY FOR (CWMPs) TECHNICAL REPORT Prepared by Le Anh Tuan - Huynh Vuong Thu Minh Dinh Diep Anh Tuan - Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao Can Tho, August

2 This document can be cited as: Le Anh Tuan, Huynh Vuong Thu Minh, Dinh Diep Anh Tuan and Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao,. Baseline Study for Community Based Water Management Project (CWMPs). OXFAM DRAGON - WARECOD, Inclusion Project/Mekong Water Governance Program, Vietnam, Technical Report, 60 p. Cover photo: A rice filed in North Vam Nao Water Control Project site. (Photo: Le Anh Tuan, )

3 CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS... 3 Contents... 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENT... 5 ABBREVIATIONS... 6 LIST OF FIGURES... 7 LIST OF TABLES INTRODUCTION GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT STUDY SITES Water control projects in the Mekong Delta (MD) North Vam Nao Water Control Project O Mon Xa No Irrigation Project A comparison between North Vam Nao and O Mon Xa No Projects METHODS Research approaches PIM theory Thai Baan theory SWOT analysis theory FINDINGS Current institutional/strategies/policies Current institutional arrangements Participatory Irrigation Management Implementation Study sites context and situation Context and situation of the river and water resources Structure for community management of the water resources PIM implementation North Vam Nao Sub-region management operation OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 3

4 North Vam Nao Sub-region Management Gender analysis North Vam Nao Sub-region region Management lesson learn SWOT analysis for establishing a new SrMB for Tan Hoa Commune Thaibaan discussion Thaibaan operation (Vam Nao and My Hoa 3) Thaibaan Gender analysis Gender participation in My Hoa 3 and Vam Nao Thaibaan lesson learn CONCLUSION and RECOMENDATIONS Conclusion Recommendations REFERENCE APPENDIX Questionnaires Questionnaires Questionaires APPENDIX LISTS OF INTERVIEWEES APPENDIX Some pictures during the survey OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 4

5 ACKNOWLEDGMENT We gratefully acknowledge the participation of Mr. Phạm Văn Lê, Mr. Vương Hữu Tiến, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Hùng, Mr. Trần Quang Viễn, Mr. Nguyễn Quốc Luật, authorities of the Depertment of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Giang province, the Project Management Board of the North Vam Nao Water Control Project, the representatives of PIM Sub-regions under the project, who shared the data and information of North Vam Nao Water Control Project. We also sincerely thank Director of the Department Water Management of Can Tho City: Mr. Bùi Quang Minh and his staff Mr. Đặng Quốc Tân, for their kindly providing information of O Mon Xa No Irrigation Project. The financial source of this study was sponsored by Oxfam. The research is supported and collaborated by the Center for Water Resources Conservation and Development (WARECOD). Thanks also to two our undergraduate female students: Ms. Bùi Thảo Linh and Ms. Lê Thị Túy Kiều, they have joined the interview during our survey in project site. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 5

6 ABBREVIATIONS ACI Agricultural Cooperatives for Irrigation AG An Giang AMWRP Australian Government's Mekong Water Resources Program AU$ Australia Dollars AusAID Australian Agency for International Development CPC Commune People s Committee CT Can Tho CTU Can Tho University CWMP Community Based Water Management Project DRAGON Delta Research And Global Observation Network DFAT Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade GoA Government of Australia GoV Government of Vietnam IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management NVNWCP North Vam Nao Water Control Project NEDECO Netherlands Engineering Company MARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development ONL Oxfam Novib OMXN O Mon Xa No OMXNIP O Mon Xa No Irrigation Project PC People s Committee PIM Participatory Irrigation Management SrMB Sub-region Management Board SWOT Strength Weakness Opportunity - Threats VND Vietnamese Dongs WARECOD Center for Water Resources Conservation and Development WB World Bank OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 6

7 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Some water control projects in the Mekong Delta Figure 2: Location of the North Vam Nao Water Control Project in An Giang Figure 3: Boundary of O Mon Xa No Irrigation Project Figure 4: The organization structure scheme of NVNWCP Figure 5: Monthly water volume in Tan Chau (Tien R.) and Chau Doc (Hau R.) Figure 6: Discharge of Mekong River through Vam Nao River ( ) Figure 7: Flood peaks recorded in Tan Chau hydrological station ( ) Figure 8: Organizational arrangements of project management Figure 9: Structure for community irrigation order and implementation Figure 10: Location map of 24 Sub-region irrigation units in North Vam Nao OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 7

8 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Basic differences between NVNWCP and OMXNIP Table 2: Offical decision concerned in povincial and district Table 3: The stakeholder roles of NVNWCP scheme Table 4: Agricultural areas of 24 Sub-region irrigation units in North Vam Nao Table 5: SWOT analysis for Tan Hoa Commune Table 6: Owners/access resources in My Hoa Table 7: Labor contribution in the households in My Hoa Table 8: Decision making procedure in the family in My Hoa Table 9: Owner/access resources in Hau Giang Table 10: Labor distribution in the households in Hau Giang Table 11: Decision making procedure in the family in Hau Giang OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 8

9 1. INTRODUCTION Oxfam s Mekong Regional Water Governance Program is led by Oxfam Australia and jointly implemented with Oxfam NOVIB (ON), Oxfam America and Mekong country teams. The program contributes to Oxfam s East Asia Joint Regional Analysis and Strategy and the Australian Government's Mekong Water Resources Program (AMWRP) The Inclusion Project is one of a number of subprojects within this program. The Inclusion Project/Mekong Water Governance Program in Vietnam is funded for the identification, management and delivery of events, training and capacity building on water governance and NRM under this project. Oxfam s partner in Vietnam, the Center for Water Resources Conservation and Development (WARECOD) has been implementing a Community based Water Resources Management Project in Tan Trung and Tan Hoa communes, Phu Tan district, An Giang province since January WARECOD employs ThaiBaan methodology of community participatory action research in the target villages. The current project seeks to understand the issues of integrated water resources management (IWRM) and enhance local capacity in water and aquatic resource management and environment protection in Vam Nao and My Hoa 3 villages. In the second year, Oxfam will support WARECOD to establish an irrigation sub-region management board (SrMB) in two target villages, currently outside North Vam Nao Water Control project as well as raise awareness of community s understanding and inputs on dialogue with local and provincial people s committee and maintain efficient operation of the SrMB. This baseline study is an important part of the project implementation process and the findings will inform WARECOD s intervention in the Oxfam s funded project site (An Giang); however, as WARECOD has commenced a research project in Can Tho City (O Mon Xa No) funded under Water, Land and Ecosystem (WLE), the comparison of literature in the policy and practices of the two provinces is seen essential for future DFAT s pillar linkages and policy dialogue space of the Mekong Delta region. The Research Institute for Climate Change Can Tho University (DRAGON Institute) expresses high interest and commitment to conduct this baseline study in An Giang and Can Tho provinces under the Inclusion Project. A 4-member research team, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of DRAGON Institute, has been working closely with Oxfam and WARECOD project team in two provinces to complete this study between 15th May and 10th August. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 9

10 2. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT STUDY SITES 2.1. Water control projects in the Mekong Delta (MD) The Mekong River Delta in Vietnam is the most downstream part of the Mekong River Basin before its water flows to both the East Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The total natural area of the Delta amounts to 3.9 million ha, or about 12 percent of total country area, of which 2.4 million ha of land is currently used for agriculture and aquaculture and 0.4 million ha for forestry. In 2009, the Delta is home to 18.6 million people. The Mekong River Delta is considered as a largest agriculture and aquaculture production region and also a biggest wetland region of the country (Tuan and Guido, 2007). In order to increase agricultural production as one of the national goals in the last three decades, many water control projects in the MD have been developed for rehabilitating and developing irrigation and drainage, domestic water supply, provising brackish water and flood protection infrastructures in the Mekong Delta (Figure 1). Two water control projects: North Vam Nao and O Mon Xa No are focused in this research. North Vam Nao Long Xuyen Quardrance South Vam Nao Go Cong Ba Lai O Mon Xa No South Mang Thit Tiep Nhat Quan Lo Phung Hiep Figure 1: Some water control projects in the Mekong Delta Source: (Compiled by authours) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 10

11 2.2. North Vam Nao Water Control Project The North Vam Nao Water Control Project had its origins in concepts developed under the Master Plan for the Mekong Delta completed by the Netherlands Engineering Company (NEDECO, 1993). Following an initial request from the Government of Viet Nam (GoV) to the Government of Australia (GoA) in 1992, the first pre-feasibility and design missions for the North Vam Nao Scheme took place in 1993 and From 2002 to 2007, the North Vam Nao Water Control Project (NVNWCP) was implemented in Phu Tan and Tan Chau districts, An Giang province. North Vam Nao looks like an island bounded by the Tien River and Hau River and connected by canal systems which divide it from adjacent parts of the island (Figure 2). NORTH VAM NAO WATER CONTROL PROJECT AN GIANG PROVINCE Figure 2: Location of the North Vam Nao Water Control Project in An Giang The Project s goal is to assist An Giang Province to establish and operate an effective water management system in North Vam Nao which is socially and environmentally sustainable and benefits the local economy by assisting in the alleviation of poverty. Moreover, the project aims to demonstrate the economic and social benefits to the Vam Nao community, in particular environmental improvement and poverty alleviation, through a coordinated approach to water and land management. Strengthening the capacity of provincial agencies in the An Giang Province to plan, operate, and maintain an integrated water control system in North Vam Nao that is efficient and effective and meets the requirements of multiple users. (Australian Agency for International Development - AusAID, 2007). OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 11

12 These objectives expect to upgrade living and livelihood conditions for the local people with the development of a participatory, service-oriented water management system. The NVNWCP involved the construction of water control structures combined irrigation and flood control system, including perimeter ringdyke, 16 major sluices and 39 culverts along the ring-dyke and the interior canal and dyke network, covering about ha of natural area, in which ha of agricultural land (counted 78%) used for rice and upland crops. The project area is located on 22 administrative rural communes, wards and town, belongs to Tan Chau district in the north (12% of total area) and Phu Tan district in the south (88%). The project was funded and supervised directly through AusAID and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Total project cost is approximately AU$ 35.5 million (GoA contribution AU$ 19.5 million and GoV contribution AU$ 16 million, including AU$ 8.4 million directly for the project and AU$ 7.6 million for the ring-dyke outside the specific scope of the project). The irrigation system has been in operation since O Mon Xa No Irrigation Project The objectives of the this projects: (i) proactively prevent salinity intrusion from the West sea during the dry season; drainage, drainage off alum and freshwater storage on site to serve the stability of agricultural production in the project area; (ii) proactively flood control for the entire sub-project area to increase 2-3 rice crops per year, (iii) to create favorable conditions for the development of water transport, and (iv) to contribute to the redistribution of labor in a scientific and reasonable. This project intents to bring advantages in the development planning of agricultural production. Estimation of the number of benefiting people from this project is 250,465 people. The area is 41,123 ha of agricultural land will be preventing salinity intrusion and protecting rice crops. The project supported the construction of 41 main sluices and 125 secondary sluices, about 234 km of dikes and other sections of existing dikes were raised to protect agricultural land from 1- in-20-year flood events (World Bank, 2011). The OMXNIP was started to construct since April, 2005 in Nhon Ai village, Phong Dien district running through O Mon and Xa No waterways, Cai Tu and Tac Ong Thuc rivers and was scheduled for completion by June, However, so far the system has not yet to be closed due to pending satisfactory sites clearance compensation for local people as it made slow progress. Besides that, some constructions have deteriorated or not enough space of the sluice gates for irrigation and drainage (Cau Nhiem sluice gate belong to Phong Dien district connects well as some sluice gates system in O Mon District, Can Tho City). OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 12

13 Figure 3: Boundary of O Mon Xa No Irrigation Project 2.4. A comparison between North Vam Nao and O Mon Xa No Projects The two water control projects: North Vam Nao and O Mon Xa No are large rural infrastructures for the local areas. They have common goals on flood control, irrigation - drainage for increasing rice and upland crops cultivation. However, these two water control projects have some basic differences, as found in Table 1. Funded sources Table 1: Basic differences between NVNWCP and OMXNIP Items NVNWCP OMXNIP GoA + GoV WB + GoV Saline prevention No Yes Completed construction and full operation (up to now) Yes No (*) Multi-provincial water management No Yes Participatory Irrigation Management establishment (PIM) Yes No (*) OMXNIP is currently under-contruction its building items. Through discussions with the authorities of the Departments of Water Management of Can Tho City, the OMXNIP is not yet completed all its construction items as planned, so the project did not work effectively. OMXNIP expand through three provinces as Can Tho, Hau Giang and Kien Giang, led by the MARD. Each province has managed only its local construction items of projects and, up to now, there is no concrete plans to coordinate in project s multi-provincial irrigation operation. So, it is a big challenge if a PIM plan at the community level is expected to set up. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 13

14 3. METHODS 3.1. Research approaches There have been many documents and reports on irrigation operation and management in the Mekong Delta at the national, regional and provincial levels. A desk study was carried out in order to review how the Vietnamese government policies, including GoV legislation, have reformed their water control and irrigation schemes in relation to local farmers concerns. While a case-study oriented approach is needed, the study also combines with interviews with government officials/decision-makers/farmers in order to gain better insight into the rationale behind all of the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), with particular focus North Vam Nao Water Control Project in An Giang province. Parallel with policy review, other recent case to review the institutional arrangements, structures, operation and functioning of a representative sample of the existing 24 sub-regional management boards in Phu Tan district, An Giang province. Due to limit of time and financial sources, the interview survey was carried out in Sub-regions No. 10, 11, 18, 20, 22 and 23. According the advisory of An Giang DARD s authorities, these Subregions were chosen as three representatives of three different case studies: the most effective operation (Sub-region 18), the moderate operation (Sub-region 10, 11, 20, and 22), and the worse operation (Sub-region 23). In each Sub-region, 3-5 members/representatives of Sub-region were invited to discuss via open questions and answers. The secondary data collection was taken in Can Tho city about current institutional arrangements of Vietnamese government policy on the establishment, operation, and functioning, resource allocation of PIM at the national and regional level in O Mon Xa No project. Thai Baan research is involved partly on this survey. Based on empirical methods collecting data, documentation, analysis and peer review and grounded on traditional local values of cooperation, so fieldwork was undertaken as a communal activity. Collecting data, discussing and learning were social activities that helped build a sense of community. Involving an establishment a new Sub-region project nearby NVNWCP, a SWOT analysis (standing for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) is used in this research to evaluate possible capacities and other effecting factors for a plan, place, production or local people PIM theory Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) was introduced since late 1980s (Basavaraj, 2012). PIM is a participatory development dimension in order to OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 14

15 increase the involvement of local farmers as water users in irrigation operation and management. PIM is considered as a social organization representing farmers the collective interest of the irrigation users to State Water Management Department (usually represented Irrigation Project Management Board) to support local decision-making processes at all levels of the water control system and in all aspects of irrigation management that meets the requirements of multiple users. This implies a change in the way that farmers see themselves and widens their responsibility (Vella, 2004). Furthermore, PIM is also an approach to rural development that focuses on people: participatory rural development (David, 2003). During last three decades about 60 countries having significant irrigated area have adopted PIM in varying degrees and ways (Kulkarni and Tyagi, 2013). In Vietnam, following the policy on "the State and people working together", farmers in different regions have contributed significantly to the investments in irrigation systems with various 3 levels ranging from 12% of the total investment in the Red River Delta, to 30-50% in other regions and to % for small-scale irrigation schemes managed by their own (MARD, 2004). The Center for Participatory Irrigation Management (called CPIM) under the Institute for Water Resources Research was established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development through Decision on December 22, 2004 (Trung and Tuyen, 2009). According to MARD (2004, p.3): Since 1995, under the support of international organizations such as ADB, WB, DANIDA, non-governmental organizations such as Oxfam Great Britain, Oxfam Hong Kong, some PIM models such as Water User Cooperatives, Water User Associations in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Lao Cai provinces, etc have been established, operated and achieved certain successes. Especially, some Water User Cooperatives (WUCs) have undertaken managing structures, which were transferred by local authorities within the scale of intercommunes. These WUCs have effectively operated and supported actively by farmers. Efficiency of these models has been summarized and presented in many conferences and seminars. This is a premise and good chance for PIM development in Vietnam in both short-term and long-term Thai Baan theory The Thai Baan research research undertaken by villagers has recently emerged as a counter research approach, aiming to reveal local knowledge about the environment and how villagers interact with it. It reflects their practical understanding of the complexity and dynamics of natural resources, the way resources have been used, and the moral economy of those who depend on them for their livelihoods. Thai Baan research is more than conventional participatory research. Villagers chose what they wanted to study and their communities decided who were to be members of the research team and key informants. They collected data as they went about their everyday life on their crop and aquaculture OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 15

16 cultivation, fishing, trading their agricultural and rural products to markets (Chayan, 2005; IUCN, 2005). Traditional research methods addressing natural resources and livelihood issues are sometimes limited. This is all the more common for complex river-based ecosystems and local economies that do not fit established thinking. These ecosystems support a wealth of biodiversity and natural resources, subject to dramatic seasonal changes of flood and recession. The complexity of local livelihoods is not fully appreciated and there is often a focus on one particular feature of local livelihood strategies. Thai Baan research illustrates that rural livelihoods are based on the combined use of a wide range of resources adapted to seasonal changes. While development interventions have largely focused on rice farming, Thai Baan reveals the importance rice farming as a component of diverse, integrated livelihood strategies. Thai Baan research offers a way forward for local people s wisdom and experience to be the cornerstone of natural resource monitoring and assessment, and for local people to take a leading role in local sustainable development SWOT analysis theory A SWOT analysis (alternatively SWOT matrix), originated by Albert S Humphrey in the 1960s, is a useful technique for understanding your Strengths and Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities open to you and the Threats you face (Source: SWOT involves specifying the objectives of the business - organization projects and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve those objectives. SWOT analysis groups key pieces of information into two main categories: internal factors the strengths and weaknesses internal to the organization; external factors the opportunities and threats presented by the environment external to the organization. In this research, SWOT can be used to "kick off" strategy formulation of a new PIM in proposed the 25 th Sub-region. It will help us to get an understanding the insights project need to craft a coherent and successful competitive position. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 16

17 4. FINDINGS 4.1. Current institutional/strategies/policies Current institutional arrangements In the last two decades, the participation of local people in irrigation development projects has been institutionalized by several legal documents such as: Resolution No. 06, dated 10 November, 1998 of the Party Politburo on some issues of agricultural - rural development has emphasized: "... have policies to encourage people to participate in the investment, management and exploitation of irrigation works... "; Ordinance No. 32/2001/PL-UBTVQH10, dated 04 April, 2001, of the National Assembly Standing Committee on "Exploitation and Protection of Irrigation Works"; Decree No. 143/2003/ND-CP dated 28 November, 2003 of the Prime Minister on "The detailed Regulations of some articles of the Ordinance on Exploitation and Protection of Irrigation Works"; Circular 75/2004/TT-BNN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, dated 20 December, 2004 on "Guidelines for the Establishment of Water Using Cooperative Organizations"; Official Letter No. 3213/BNN-TL of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, dated 30 December, 2004 regarding the "Strategic Framework for PIM development in Vietnam"; Circular 65/2009/TT-BNN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, issued 12 October, 2009, on "Guidelines on Operation Organisation, Decentralized Administration and Exploitation of Irrigation Works". Generally, the involvements or participation of the communities expressed as the basic forms are: (1) Contributing labours to build irrigation works; (2) Contributing finance through the annual irrigation fee (as thuỷ lợi phí in Vietnamese) for management and operation, maintenance and repairing of irrigation works. Since 2008, Vietnam Government has applied new policy on lifting annual irrigation fee regulation for farmers; local people only have to pay on-farm irrigation charge for irrigation water using. People s participatory management and exploitation of irrigation works are enhanced through the implementation of the State policy on decentralization, establishment and transferring of irrigation works management and exploitation to local water-user groups (WUG). WUG is understood that is a local water-user unit OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 17

18 for irrigation management made up of a group of small -scale water users, such as irrigators. Initially, establishment of WUGs were conducted by local government and the Managing Board of Irrigation Projects. According to the statistical data of the General Department of Irrigation, local people have independently managed irrigation works for 2.4 million hectares of rice, equal to 50% of large irrigation system built and managed by the statecontrolled enterprises Participatory Irrigation Management Implementation In An Giang province, there were concerning local policies implementation of North Vam Nao water control Project, provincial and district decision documents have been released as in Table 2 in An Giang province, Phu Tan and Tan Chau district. In general, the project management, coordination and supervision bodies and mechanisms were logically structured and performed effectively. This highly participatory approach helped to strengthen local ownership as well as creating goodwill amongst the partners and local communities. North Vam Nao Water Control Project involved many stakeholder groups in its organizational structure, government authorities from provincial to commune levels; the agriculture and rural development and irrigation technical staff members; local communities, cooperative and different farmers groups; and private sector as water construction companies and irrigation service units. Currently, the organization structure scheme can be drawn as in Figure 4. Table 2: Offical decision concerned in povincial and district No. Decision No. 1 No. 1779/QD-UBND dated 12/9/2006, signed by People s Committee of An Giang Province 2 No. 44/2007/QĐ-UBND, dated 27/08/2007, signed by People s Committee of An Giang Province 3 No 55/2010/QD-UBND dated 17/11/2010 signed by People s Commitee of An Giang Province 4 No. 1687/QĐ-UBND dated 17/05/2010, signed by People s Commitee of Phú Tân district Main content Decision on the establishment of the Management Board for North Vam Nao Water Control Project Decision on decentralized management and exploitation of irrigation works in North Vam Nao system Promulgate regulations on management, exploitation and protection of irrigation works in An Giang province Promulgating the Regulation on organization and operation of subregional irrigation management in North Vam Nao system in the Phu Tan district. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 18

19 People s Committee of An Giang Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Other Departments People s Committees of Tan Chau and Phu Tan Districts Management Board of North Vam Nao Project Order Irrigation Works Exploitation Co. Lmt. Commune People s Committees (22 communes, towns, wards inside project Target households in project sites Sub-region Management Board (SrMB) Tender or Consultation Contract - Agricultural Cooperatives for Irrigation - Cooperative Units for Irrigation Service Figure 4: The organization structure scheme of NVNWCP Based on the organization structure scheme of NVNWCP as in Figure 4, it is found that the provincial and district States, through the Management Board of NVNWCP, still keep a key role in managing irrigation works towards putting policy from the top down decision making. They arrange actively the operation calendar regulation as open/closed the large water divides (primary sluices and canals). Local farmers are allowed to participate in the water management partly in their sub-region as bottom-up requests. They contract with Agricultural Cooperatives for Irrigation to provide irrigation water taken from the secondary sluices and canals. The functions and roles of each stakeholder in this scheme are presented in Table 3. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 19

20 Table 3: The stakeholder roles of NVNWCP scheme No. Stakeholders Functions and Roles 1 An Giang Provincial People s Committee Providing concrete guidance and decision in public water management policies 2 An Giang DARD and others involved Departments Concretizing provincial policies and informing to District and NVNWCP-MB. Supervising all NVNWCP operation and maintains procedures 3 Tan Chau and Phu Tan Districts People s Committee 4 NVNWCP- Management Board 5 Provincial Irrigation Management and Exploitation Company Reporting to AG PP. Receiving official documents and working with NVNWCP-MB. Conducting commune PP and SrMBs Reporting to AG DARD and others. Implementing AG PP s decision on water control in project site. Managing project and operating irrigation calendar and maintaining main water control works (primary sluices and canals). Contracting with Irrigation Management and Exploitation Company for water works construction and operation. Conducting SrMBs organization. Operation and financial reporting to AG DARD, district PPs and others district departments. Working as a Public Interest Enterpriser (Stateowned mainly) for water control and irrigation works construction and operation. Operating the irrigation calendars given from NVNWCP- Management Board 6 SrMBs Working as community representatives in irrigation management to district and project authorities. Monitoring secondary sluices, canals, dykes, and embankments in their sub-regions. Receiving and informing all irrigation requirements of farmers in their sub-regions. Solving possible water conflicts 7 Farmers Raising their irrigation needs to their SrMB. Contacting with ACI for on-farm irrigation Paying water pumping to ACI 8 Agricultural Cooperatives in Irrigation Working as a Private Enterpriser for irrigation services. Contacting with farmers for on-farm irrigation Collecting water pumping fees from farmers OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 20

21 4.2. Study sites context and situation Context and situation of the river and water resources In the Mekong River Delta in general, as well as in An Giang province in particular, the rainy season usually begins in May and ends in November, about 90% of total annual of achieves 90% in the rain season, accounting for 90% of total annual rainfall in rainy season (May to November). During the period of July to December, the flood water from the Mekong River combined with rain-amount of the heavy rain season make a poorly drained depression area like Vam Nao with inundation lasting up to 4 months, affecting a great number of production activities and lives. Flood flows are about times greater than dry season flows (Figure 5). In the 20th century, the Delta had 11 very high floods recorded as equal to or higher than 4.50 m above mean sea level (MSL) at Ha Tien Datum (reference level 0.00 m), in 1904, 1923, 1937, 1961, 1966, 1978, 1984, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2000 (Le Anh Tuan et al., 2008). In 2000, the Mekong Delta faced a historically high flood, as severe as that of 1961 and the most destructive flood in 70 years. The flood in 2000 was extreme, not only in terms of its very high peak level and discharge but also in the earlier than usual arrival of the flood, approximately 4-6 weeks (MRC, 2005). The peak of the water level in 2000 was 19 cm higher and 12 days earlier than the flood recorded in 1996 (Figure 6). After the history flood in 2000, the MD had 3 high-flood-years, i.e. 2001, 2002 and 2011 (Figure 7). Figure 5: Monthly water volume in Tan Chau (Tien R.) and Chau Doc (Hau R.) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 21

22 Figure 6: Discharge of Mekong River through Vam Nao River ( ) Figure 7: Flood peaks recorded in Tan Chau hydrological station ( ) (The red bars show the high flood years) Structure for community management of the water resources Since 2007, NVNWCP s organizational structure was arranged as Figure 8. Under the leading of Project Management Board, 24 Sub-regions were divided based on hydraulic compartment. Each representative has responsibility for operation and maintenance of all internal irrigation infrastructures. Project Management Board s standing office has responsibility to contact with contractors for construction, operation and maintain of the project infrastructure. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 22

23 NVNWCP Management Board (Mr. Do Vu Hung, Head) PMB standing office (Mr. Vien) District/ Commune People Committee Contractors (Irrigation Construction & Exploitation Co.) 24 Sub-regions Figure 8: Organizational arrangements of project management When farmers have irrigation needs, they will propose to the Sub-region Management Board. The SrMB will take this request on to the Commune People s Committee (CPC) and the Board of Management (BoM) of North Vam Nao Water Control Project (NVNWCP). Based on all requests, the BoM of NVNWCP will plan an irrigation distribution schedule and notify everybody. Then, the SrMB will order and contract with the Agricultural Cooperatives for Irrigation (ACI) to implement irrigation for farmers. Irrigation Cooperative will collect water pumping fee directly from farmers. The process is presented in Figure 9. It seems that the provincial and district authorities and SrMBs members have accepted this structure without any suggestion to change. Through farmer interview (10 persons), about 90% interviewees (5/6), as water users, think that this structure is productive and satisfy to maintain them. Others, about 10% interviewees (1/10) considered that SrMBs are not so necessary. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 23

24 Order for irrgation ACI Collect pumping fee Farmers CPC Propose for irrigation SrMB Irrigation Implementation for farmers Irrigation Plan NVNWCP Ordering line Informing line Implementing line Figure 9: Structure for community irrigation order and implementation 4.3. PIM implementation North Vam Nao Sub-region management operation During the implementation phase, the NVNWCP project developed a participatory water management strategy by establishment of 24 Sub-region Management Board (SrMB) units based on irrigation areas instead of administrative boundaries (Figure 10). Each SrMB area covers around 1,000 hectares in average, the largest agricultural area belongs to Sub-region No.9 as 2,528 ha and the smallest one is in Sub-region No. 15 having only 300 ha (Table 2). The irrigation areas were divided by the consideration of NVNWCP Management Board, not from the farmers options. The community participated in the project throughout the survey process for structural design, people s opinions about their needs and expectations for solving local water management and environmental pollution issues. Each SrMB was voted in by the local people under three-year terms. Locals were encouraged to consider and vote for candidates on the basis of whether they: 1. Owned land in that sub-area; 2. Had farming experience; 3. Were hard working; 4. Had a stable income; 5. Voluntary; and 6. Not to be any governmental member. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 24

25 Compartment management boards had responsibility to form and implement production planning of sub-areas, manage and secure ring-dyke, boundary canals and sluices, help solve any possible disagreements between households, and remain connected with the management board of NVNWCP. Initially in 2007, members of SrMB were partly selected and partly elected. In the end of 2008, all SrMB members were fully elected by local people in the sub-region. Each SrMB has 5 representatives, assigned as one person as a Board leader, one as Vice-leader, one as clerk/note-taker, one as accountant and one as treasurer. However in fact, they may rotate their own-roles for Sub-region works. The biggest challenging issue to SrMB is unequal sub-region areas but the numbers of SrMB are the same as 5 persons. They do not have enough human resource, time and energy to cover water management in very large sub-regions. During operation, in some sub-regions as TV 20 and TV 22, the dredging works for canals were not good resulting to poor irrigation effectiveness and limited river transportation. According members of SrMB s TV 20 and 22 interviewed during the baseline reported that few farmers did not agree to allow using their lands for building rice-carrying roads. When asking about the functions of SrMB, farmers in TV 20, TV22 and TV 23 said that they still confused and even though they did not know who was in it. They did not see concrete relationship between their water needs and SrMB s roles. This may be during the processes of SrMB formation and operation; they did not actively participate in meetings, discussions and considerations. For SrMB admistrative oper ation, it has financial support via the funding from Phu Tan District People s Committee partly and irrigation fee collection from Provincial Irrigation Construction and Exploitation Company and Agricultural Cooperatives for Irrigation. During the discussion of An Giang Province DARD, they said that the supporting fee is symbolic salary, as only 2,500,000 dongs per month per 5 persons. In financial principle and regulation, this fee is unofficial. This payment has become one of project problems. In the future, local farmers in the compartment sub-region have to pay this allowance to feed their elected SrMB members. Most local people do not want to contribute this supporting fee because they have to pay many annual fees for their public activities. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 25

26 Figure 10: Location map of 24 Sub-region irrigation units in North Vam Nao OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 26

27 Table 4: Agricultural areas of 24 Sub-region irrigation units in North Vam Nao No. Sub-Region No. Agricultural Area (ha) 1 TV 1 1,961 2 TV TV TV TV 5 1,300 6 TV 6 1,800 7 TV 7 1,000 8 TV 8 1,656 9 TV 9 2, TV TV TV TV 13 1, TV TV TV TV 17 1, TV 18 1, TV TV TV TV TV TV Sum 24,039 Note: TV = Sub-region (abbreviation in Vietnamese) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 27

28 North Vam Nao Sub-region Management Gender analysis In an Independent Completion Report on North Vam Nao Water Control Project II (Edwin et al., 2007), it states that During the early consultations on the IWMP (in Phase I to 2004) a concerted effort was made to ensure gender equality in the community consultation meetings; however, sex-disaggregated data for the later consultation exercises are not compiled in project reports and While the project started off with a strong gender focus, it is found that, over time, the attention given to gender equality in all aspects of the project was diminished (p.6 and p.33). Through the questionnaire survey, it is in fact found that the participation of women in decision-making processes on SrMB and NVNWCP from the community level is very low. In most sub-regions, men hold the leading roles in the 23 SrMBs. Women inside of project area have participated in community meetings but limited number (about 5-10%). Generally, women in project region are not equally considered as actors in SrMB strategies and actions. It is very difficult for them to compete with men because there are many obstacles in rural preconception. Most of people, through interviewing, hinted that: The specific works as irrigation monitoring and farming control should be undertaken mainly by men. Some (22/27) 81% of respondents think that women are not knowledgeable, strong and skillful for doing these works. Only about 19% (in which 50% women) said that women can participate in case with the help and encouragement of their husbands and/or be participated in short courses they will be ready to. A half of women interviewed, they did not understand the roles of SrMB was due to restrictions on education and accessibility. Even when interviewing women in Tan Phu District Women's Union, 50% of them did not know and were not clear about the activities of SrMB because they thought that they are not interested and they are new employees there. Commonly, women think that they are suitable doing their house works or office works only. Especially in rural areas, some husbands do not allow their wives to work outside; their preconception is that a woman, who is moving in the deserted fields, has considered indecent sometimes; all (100%) both men and women said that women have difficulty moving by motorcycles in the small roads. Women are less subject themselves engaged in irrigation hard works due to restrictions on poor embankments and canals travelling. To encourage women to participate in this work, according to the SrMB, it is needed: (i) to support fund for transportation because the dike-roads are very difficult to travel; (ii) to arrange administrative offices for women; (iii) to specify a certain percentage of female participation in irrigation management. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 28

29 For managers at provincial and district levels, who were interviewed for this baseline study confirmed that they appreciate more the participation of women in irrigation management. It is better if women are involved in water-related resources management because women do work carefully and thoughtfully. Women solve the water conflicts issues better than men. They said that "We support increasing numbers of women in irrigation management participation. Other side, women themselves should change partly in their mindsets, attitudes and beliefs on community works". (Interview in Sub-regions No. 20, 22 and 23 on May 30 th ) North Vam Nao Sub-region region Management lesson learn Lesson learned from provincial and district and Project management authourities views Generally speaking, the NVNWCP and 24-SrMBs building and maintaining have gained considerable experience on PIM concepts. The project lesson learns are applicable to other irrigation systems in the Mekong Delta. In theory, PIM play a key role in integrated approaches to water management that seek to establish a decentralized, participatory, multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary governance structure. Formerly, the interest in SrMB is not sufficient in communities. However, since the last 8 years, the implementation of PIM has met the basic required goal and component activities in sub-region level. Its operation has contributed to serve local agricultural production as well as being associated with reductions in poverty in the project area via increasing agricultural production amounts. The project has introduced in raising awareness on disaster preparedness and environmental protection and hydraulic system management. Lesson learned from SrMB and water users views Initial, members in SrMB participated with their voluntary and nonprofit spirits. Most of them got primary and high school education levels. Some are rather old in ages. They are lacking water management knowledge and skills, so they had been confused in facts (for examples, they did not know how to find water requirements, how to regular irrigation water from the whole irrigation system to different rice fields, etc ). Thanks to some short training courses organized by the NVNWCP, their skills have improved and they could manage the work better. In some cases, irrigation calendars and other project information systems among sub-regions were not shared well to all local farmers. Some farmers have put their pumps in their rice fields without any agreement with the agricultural cooperatives. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 29

30 In sub-region 23, SrMB members did not work well: some irrigation works (canals, sluices) have not been repaired and dredged in time as farmers expectation. Some members in SrBM s TV No. 11 not create the trust of farmers and to represent a represents the mutual interest of people; TV No. 20, TV 22, TV 10 have without infrastructure systems to meet the travel needs of residents; in TV No. 20, 22 some canals have not been dredged up the water flow is not stable and less effective. In pratice, there were some different options/divergences in management among members of SrMB. For illustration, sometimes they did not agree together with the time for pumping or amount of irrigation water pumped to different rice fields, etc Common lesson learned from all An important lesson from the SrMB concerns is financial support to the SrMB members. Currently, the An Giang provincial government pays possible around 2.5 million VND per month to the SrMB members (5 persons) for each SrMB. One difficulty of SrMB was the unofficial payment regulation for its members. In the future, this allowance will be expected to contribute by local households in the compartment sub-region. Gender structures is still unequal, most of SrMB members are male, the voices of women in water management are weak and seldom. Not all farmers understood the functions and roles of SrBM, so in some cases the collaboration between SrMB s members and water users was not good as expected. It is needed to raise awareness and to improve capacity for grass-roots and poor farmers on PIM policies and practises SWOT analysis for establishing a new SrMB for Tan Hoa Commune SWOT analysis is applied for a general quick look to a proposed new 25 th SrMB for Tan Hoa Commune and Hau Giang 1 Commune located outside and nearby of NVNWCP (Table 3). This SWOT gathered from field work, secondary data and discussion with An Giang provincial DARD authorities and the research team. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 30

31 Table 5: SWOT analysis for Tan Hoa Commune Strengths - Having almost local farmers accepted; - Having experiences from 23 SrMB of 24 Sub-region inside NVNWCP. - A lot of women worked very hard and well both inside and outside their family, (for example: beside doing their housework, women had to do a lot of part). Opportunities - Having legal mechanisms that allows people to participate in the water management; - Having posible some financial supports from NGOs (as WARECOD, Oxfam); - Having policy supports from An Giang province PC and DARD. Weaknesses - Limiting basic knowledge on irrigation management; - Not having any training on PIM yet in Tan Hoa commune. - Local farmers have not agreed on their contribution fee for SrBM; - Lacking of awareness on women's participation in water management; - Lacking of gender mainstreaming into local water manageemnt strategy. Threats - In policies, there are unofficial payment regulation for SrMB members; - Tan Hoa Commune is located outside of NVNWCP, so its hydraulic infrastructure is still poor and asynchronous. - Unstable agricultural market may be a threat to farmers Thaibaan discussion Thaibaan operation (Vam Nao and My Hoa 3) WARECOD staff members have carried out a Thai Baan study in Vàm Nao Hamlet, Tân Trung Commune, Phú Tân District, An Giang Province, under the framework of project: Strengthening the participation ability of the community in water resources general management in An Giang province, Mekong Delta. Their purposes are to understand the inter-relationship among impact factors and natural ecosystems in the region. The study was implemented in The research found that there are degrading situation on fishery sources in study site in particular and in the Mekong River Delta in general speaking. The degradation reasons of fishery resource in the region are due to: Abnormal change of weather and climate; Adverse effects of the change of upstream flows regulation and fishery quantitation; OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 31

32 Population and living needs increasing, unstable likelihoods, lacking market information and knowledge in local people; Water habitats for the fishes species are being narrowed down due to closed dyke systems development; Over-using chemical fertilizers and agricultural insecticides and fungicides; Environmental and natural resources protection awareness is still low. Besides serving widely for environment and natural resources education in community level, this Thai Baan research may be used for next project proposals at Vam Nao and My Hoa 3 based on indigenous knowledge in North Vam Nao, Phu Tan district, An Giang province. Two hamlets are neighborhoods location and using a same water source for their production Thaibaan Gender analysis Gender participation in My Hoa 3 and Vam Nao A discussion on agro-fishery cultivation and water management in My Hoa 3 and Vam Nao was held on July, (see list of male/female attendants in Annex 2). During the discussion, all (100%) participants have agreed that Thaibaan method could help them to have confidence, active and knowledge on the cultivation and protection of fisheries resources and particularly involving irrigation water management. On the discussion with 16 people (in which 02 women, occupied 12.5%), when asking on the participation on field works, it is found that only 6 % of women is directly involved while 94% of men are working directly in agricultural cultivation works. However, about 80% of women in their farming families have helped pulling weeds in their rice fields. Women have impacted indirectly on the processes of cultivation decision-making in their families, such as negotiation on their contract with the cooperative unit for irrigation service and with the rice traders on rice price for selling. Participatory between men and women have equally participated in shortterm training courses. All (100%) said that good women's participation in media stages of irrigation management model will be possible effective. If women involve SrMB, they could negotiate well the contracts about irrigation - drainage pump with the cooperative units for irrigation service and easy to resolve conflicts. Asking all women during the discussion, they also want to be participated in SrMB, however, they are still hesitating about the time and interest, and particularly they need to understand more about the roles of SrBM. All men have seen the benefits of specific works on SrBM but they also need to take time to understand activities in the SrMB. Thus, it is a very necessary need to organize training courses on irrigation management for both men and women, especially policies to encourage women's participation in SrBM. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 32

33 Gender analysis in My Hoa 3 through group discussion Gender role in own/access resources: Table 6 showed that the ratios of men and women own motorbikes, attending training courses, meeting, and hamlet people s committee without much difference. All women (21/21) have kept money and domestic water use management in their families, while 52% men (11/21) owns land compare to 9.5 % of women (2/21) and both men and women owns (8/21, achieved 38 %). This means that women usually have inside decision making role while men are outside. Gender role in agricultural production activities: Table 7 showed that both men and women are participated in the family labor distribution. Men were believed to do the works often requires more energy in the early stages of rice crop (land preparation and ploughing, sowing seeds, ) and the final stage (harvesting and transportation), while women took care of the weeding in rice fields and rice selling. Men tend cows while women tend pigs and do housework for whole years in their families. Gender role in decision making in the family: Table 8 showed that, both man and women usually discuss before decision (such as buying motorbike, house building /wedding, buying land/house, agricultural production, children s education). Women always decide on spending due to she keeps the money. Table 6: Owners/access resources in My Hoa Items Men Women Both men and women Land (residential/farmland) Jewellery Motorbikes Money Meeting Training People's Hamlet Domestic water use management Immigrants looking for family works in urban/big cities OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 33

34 Table 7: Labor contribution in the households in My Hoa 3 Family activities Month Rice crop x x x xxoo xxoo xxx xxx Upland crop Animal husbandry Small business Wage earner xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo xxxo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx oooxx ooxx ooxx ooxx ooxx ooxx oooxxx oooxxx oooxxx oooxxx oooxxx ooxx ooxx Gov. staff ooxx ooxxx ooxxx Housework ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo Remake: o: Women; x: Men Table 8: Decision making procedure in the families in My Hoa 3 Items Buying motorbike Household spending Build house/wedding Buying land/house Agriculture production Children's education Men Women Both men and women x x x x x x Gender analysis in Hau Giang 1 through group discussion Gender role in own/access resources: Table 9 showed that man and women owns bikes, motorbike, land/house, and attend training courses without much difference. 82% of women (18/22) keep money in families compare to both man and women (4/22) achieved 18 %). About 82% of men (18/22) were participating in meetings/workshops. Gender role in agricultural production activities: Table 10 showed both men and women participated in the family labor. Men were believed to do the work often requires more energy in the early stages of rice plant (transporting seeds, tillage) and the final stage (harvesting and transportation) while women took care of the rice fields (weeding) and rice selling. Beside doing her housework, women tend OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 34

35 pigs, wage earner (weeding) while men still wage earner as bricklayers, porters for whole years in their families. Gender role in decision making in the family: Table 11 showed that, both man and women usually discuss before decision (ex: buying motorbike, bike, house building /wedding, buying land/house, cchildren s education). Women always decide home spending due to she keeps the money. Table 9: Owner/access resources in Hau Giang 1 Items Men Women Both men and women Land (residential/farmland) Jewellery Motorbike bike money Training Meeting/workshop Items Table 10: Labor distribution in the households in Hau Giang Month Rice crop xxxo xxxo xxx xxxoo xxxoo Upland crop ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx ooxxx Animal husbandry ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo Small business oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo Housework s oo ooo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo Wage earner (bricklayer, porters) Wage (weed) earner oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo Table 11: Decision making procedure in the family in Hau Giang 1 Items Buying (motorbike, land/house, tivi,...) Household spending Build house/wedding Children's education Man Women Both man and women x x x x OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 35

36 Thaibaan lesson learn Thai Baan method may be a possible good tool to study participatory based water management in local scales in the Mekong Delta, although it consumes a lot of time and energy of researchers. There are some Thaibaan lessons learned as: The issues raised by the community will get the consensus and will be able to solve by the community; Thaibaan method takes time and effort but it is a preparation capacity and knowledge necessary for formatting a core group for community; Along with long-term strategies, on-site practical support activities (such as fishery resource rebuilding, biogas development) contribute to building trust and addressing short-term needs of the community - which also is the result of Thaibaan research; Women play an important role in engaging and providing diverse perspectives and useful for community activities; Scientific research plays an important role in supporting the Thaibaan research; Thaibaan research results should be shared more widely, by the process of implementation often only people involved to listen to the results. 5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATIONS 5.1. Conclusion Community based irrigation management is becoming a common trend in the world and many governments and organizations are promoting to apply. In the last couples of years, Vietnamese government has supported the development of participatory irrigation management (PIM) or Water Users Groups (WUG). PIM/WUGs have been introduced in many provinces with supports by international donors. Since , MARD/GoV in Vietnam has approved many policies and mechanisms regarding PIM. In NVNWCP, PIM model through SrMBs have been introduced, established and effectively operated. SrMB can be understood as an organization for irrigation management in local water system. Total 24 Sub-regions representatives are run under a non-profit structure and membership is typically based on contracts and/or agreements between the farmers and local agricultural cooperatives in irrigation or water service units. However, it is requested, as NVNWCP s suggestion, to continue improving the management capacity and technical skills for members of SrMB. Another difficulty is no funding support for regular system operations. Involving gender issue, there is a big difference ratio between male and female participation in community activities of the North Vam Nao water control OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 36

37 project. Nearly 100% of the members in the 23 Sub-region Management Boards are men. It is very hard for women to compete with men because there are many exiting social barriers. In OMXNIP, PIM model through SrMBs was not applied in this moment time due to this multi-provincial irrigation project has not been constructed and operated yet Recommendations PIM is a dimension of participatory development that embraces the involvement of the farmers who directly use the irrigation water. In the Mekong River Delta case, because there are many low income farmers, it is suggested that: Local government and State Water Sectors should continue to support funds for PIM development as a people orientated policy; the existing of PIM will contribute to regional sustainable water resources management, then leading to local economic and social improvements. It is requested to adjust possible number of members in each SrMB depended on the sizes of irrigated areas. The project should continue to invest in capacity building for SrMB members. Scientists and agro-business traders should conduct and provide technical assistance to PIM participators for a better water usage and resolving conflicts related to water use. In water management, it should be promoted and encouraged the roles of women as a gender equality strategy. It is meaningful in contributing equal conditions to women and men for realizing their full women rights and for contributing to, and benefiting from, economic, social, cultural and political development. It is possible to develop quota for women s representation in SrMB by reducing barriers for women on criteria for election. Based on lesson learned from NVNWCP and PIM, a proposal plan for establishment a new SrMB in Tan Hoa commune should be done. In this recommendation, it is necessary to put the roles of NGOs (such as Oxfam, WARECOD) and some scientific institutes (from CTU, AGU, ) for supporting and sharing experiences in initial formation and operation. The lesson learnt from NVNWCP should be considered and introduce to OMXNIP. A provincial water-transboundary collaboration and organization plan is needed to set up. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 37

38 REFERENCE Australian Agency for International Development, Viet Nam: North Vam Nao Water Control Project II. Independent Completion Report. Basavaraj B., Participatory Irrigation management (PIM) A problematic implementation in Indi Branch Canal (IBC) in Upper Krishna Project in Karnataka. A M.Sc. thesis in Wageningen University and Research Center, the Netherlands. Chayan V., Thai Baan Research: An Overview. IUCN, 11p. Available in: David G., Background Paper on Participatory Irrigation Management. The Japanese Institute of Irrigation and Drainage, distributed at the World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan in March Edwin Shanks, Peter Millington and Simon Buckley, Viet Nam: North Vam Nao Water Control Project II. Independent Completion Report, 106p. IUCN, Thai Baan Research. IUCN Factsheet. 2p. Kulkarni, S.A. and A.C. Tyagi, Participatory Irrigation Management: Understanding the Role of Cooperative Culture. International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). Presented in International Annual UN-Water Zaragoza Conference 2012/2013. MARD (2004). Framework Strategy on Development of Participatory Irrigation Management in Vietnam. Issued as an attachement to Letter No 3213/BNN-TL dated December 30, 2004 by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. MRC (Mekong River Commission), Overview of the Hydrology of the Mekong Basin. Mekong River Commission, Vientiane, November 73pp. NEDECO, Mekong Delta Master Plan Study. A Perspective for Suitable Development of Land and Water Resources, Volume I. World Bank. Le Anh Tuan, Chu Thai Hoanh, Fiona Miller, and Bach Tan Sinh, Floods and Salinity Management in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. In: Challenges to sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta: Regional and National Policy Issues and Research Needs, T.T. Be, B.T. Sinh and Fiona M. (Eds). The Sustainable Mekong Research Network (Sumernet)'s publication, Stockholm, Sweden. Le Anh Tuan and Guido Wyseure, Action plan for the multi-level conservation of forest wetlands in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. International Congress on Development, Environment and Natural Resources: Multi-level and Multiscale Sustainability, Cochabamba, Bolivia, July Tran Chi Trung and Dang Minh Tuyen, Center for PIM: Some results of research OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 38

39 on participatory irrigation management development. Available download in Vella, A., Participatory irrigation management: a socio-anthropological perspective. In: Hamdy A., Tüzün M., Lamaddalena N., Todorovic M., and Bogliotti C. (ed.). Participatory water saving management and water cultural heritage. Bari: CIHEAM, p (OPTIONS Méditerranéennes: Série B. Etu des et Recherches; n. 48). World Bank, Mekong Delta Water Resources Project. Project Performance Assessment Report IDA 31980, TF Report No.: 64344, by EG Public Sector Evaluation, Independent Evaluation Group, September 2011, 42p.. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 39

40 APPENDIX 1 Questionnaires 1.1 Baseline Study on Participatory Irrigation Management in Mekong Delta in Vietnam Inclusion Project/Mekong Water Governance Program Questionnaire form to the Project Managerial Board staff members Interviewing government officials and irrigation operators on PIM Date:... Code:... Interviewer:... Interviewing area:.... Project name: BAC VAM NAO Irrigation Project Districts: An Giang I. PERSONAL INFORMATION 1. Interviewee: Job position: 2. Organization: Specialization: 4. Sex: Male [ ] Female [ ] 5. Responsibility involved irrigation system: 6. How long have you involved this system: years months II. SURVEY QUESTIONS 7. Does this management work exceed your ability? 8. Is subregion in your responsibility getting effective as initial targets? Please tell the reasons on efficiency/ inefficient? 9. In your opinions, how to make achieve good results/ more good results on subregion management? OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 40

41 10. In your opinions, what are the strength and the weakness in the subregion management? 11. Is there any conflict in the process of subregion management? If having confliction in water using, please tell your solution? 12. Is there the participation of communication or the female in the process of establishing subregion, operation and solving confliction? (if yes, please tell the percentage of female)? If yes please tell how the participation is and if no please tell the reason. 13. In your opinions, how to improve the involvement of both male and female in the processes of participation, operation and solving the confliction? 14. Please tell the most effective on operation in 24 subregions and please tell the reasons? OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 41

42 15. Is there any subregion come to your place to learn experience about irrigation management? How is the sharing type? 16. Do you have any more suggestion? To the provincial/ district government To the irrigation project managers To the end water users (local people) Sincerely thanks for your contribution. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 42

43 Questionnaires 1.2 Baseline Study on Participatory Irrigation Management in Mekong Delta in Vietnam Inclusion Project/Mekong Water Governance Program Questionnaire form to provincial and district managers Interviewing government officials and irrigation operators on PIM Date:... Code:... Interviewer:... Interviewing area:.... Project name: BAC VAM NAO Irrigation Project Districts: An Giang I. PERSONAL INFORMATION 1. Interviewee: Job position: 2. Organization: Specialization: 4. Sex: Male [ ] Female [ ] 5. Responsibility involved irrigation system: 6. How long have you involved this system: years months II. SURVEY QUESTIONS 7. Do you know why Government has invested to this project? What are its main objectives and other functions? 8. How this irrigation system operates? How is the organizational scheme of Project Management Board? 9. Who are the stakeholders (actors) and how their involving in this Irrigation system? Did they work well together? If yes/no, explain why? OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 43

44 10. Could you explain why the system exists 25 SrMBs? 11. According to you, what are the strong points and weak points of SrMB? 12 What are main water usages issues arising in the SrMB? If there is any water using conflict among SrMB, how can the project manager resolve? 11. What are roles of women and men in decision making process (meetings, participations, )? 12. According to you, how can we raise the gender participatory to the decisionmaking procedure in this project? 13. Could you please tell, do your organizations/offices have cooperation and information mechanism with other organizations inside/outside province to have a better water management for this project? OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 44

45 14. How is your idea in order to improve the current mechanisms and policies on water governance? 15. Do you have any more suggestion? To the provincial/ district government To the irrigation project managers To the end water users (local people) Sincerely thanks for your contribution. OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 45

46 Questionaires 1.3 Baseline Study on Participatory Irrigation Management in Mekong Delta in Vietnam Inclusion Project/Mekong Water Governance Program FAMER HOUSEHOLD INTERVIEWING FORM PARTICIPATION IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT (PIM) BAC VAM NAO WATER CONTROL PROJECT CODE 1 INTERVIEWER DATE / / A. HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION 1. Interviewee name: [ ] Male [ ] Female 2. Household address (Full on house number/ commune/ districts/ province): No. Hamlet: Vam Nao District, An Giang province 3. Does family have farmland in Bac Vam Nao system? [ ] Yes [ ] No 4. If yes, which is belonging to subregion? 5. Land situation: Does householder have own-farmland? [ ] Yes [ ] No If no, please tell the reason: If yes, please continue to answer: Total area: (m 2 or Công (#1/10 ha), including: Areas of land to grow rice/vegetables (m 2 ), aqua-cultural land: (m 2 ) Orchard land: (m 2 ), industrial plants land: (m 2 ) Other land (including wasteland): (m 2 ) The reasons why do not using lands (if yes): 6. Economical condition: family income (Numbering in important order, the most important is 1) Cultivating (rice, vegetables) [ ] Raising and catching fish [ ] Castles, poultry husbandry [ ] Handicraft [ ] Processing agricultural and aquatic products [ ] Selling service [ ] Laboring for industrial park [ ] Freelance laboring [ ] Work related to forest [ ] 1. 1 Interviewer inserts his/her code as NNVQ_001 (Ngã Năm Vĩnh Quới 001) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 46

47 Officials/ association s members [ ] Other income [ ], accentuate: 7. Your household is classified by local government: Poor [ ] Nearly poor [ ] Middle [ ] Rich [ ] B. PARTICIPATION IN IRRIGATIONAL MANAGEMENT 8. Is you a member of SrMB? [ ]Yes [ ]No 9. If yes, why was you selected to SrMB? Appointed by local government [ ] Introduced by Project Management Board [ ] Nominated by local people [ ] Self-nominated/ Voluntary to participate [ ] Other reasons [ ], as 10. If not in SrMB, do you know nominating process someone to SrMB? [ ] Yes [ ] No If yes, please tell the process: Did you ever request SrMB to pump water following to your water requirement? [ ] Yes [ ] No If yes, how many times in a year in average? Time/year How many times SrMB accepted your requirement? Time/year 11. Did you ever ask Project Management Board for pumping water following your needs? [ ] Yes [ ] No If yes, how many times in a year in average? Time/year How many times SrMB accepted your requirement? Time/year 12. Did you receive usually irrigation calendar from Project Management Board? [ ] Yes [ ] No 13. Did you ever unsatisfy on Project Management Board s irrigation calendar? [ ] Yes [ ] No 14. Have you ever complain to SrMB about their operation? [ ] Yes [ ] No 15. If yes, how is SrMB s solution? Inviting to explain [ ] Answering via the sub-region representative [ ] Delivering answering letter [ ] Other solutions [ ], as OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 47

48 16. Do you know the ratio or the number of females participating SrMB? [ ] Yes [ ] No 17. Do you think that a female s participation in SrMB is necessary? [ ] Yes [ ] No If yes, due to: Of no, due to: 18. Your more suggestion/ comments involved SrMB, if possible: OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOUND OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 48

49 APPENDIX 2 LISTS OF INTERVIEWEES List of provincial and district officials and irrigation operators No. Full name Sex Job position 1 Trần Quang Viễn Male Head of the Standing office of NVNWCP 2 Nguyễn Văn Hùng Male Engineering staff in charge of construction, improvement and maintain the water control works 3 Nguyễn Quốc Luật Male Engineering staff of the Department of Water Management of An Giang Province 4 Vương Hữu Tiến Male Vice Head of Engineering staff of the Department of Water Management of An Giang Province 5 Phạm Văn Lê Male Engineering staff of the Department of Water Management of An Giang Province List of SrMBs members No. Full name Sex Job position 1 Trần Văn Thu Male Controller of transportation trails and water derivations of Sub-region 18 2 Phan Văn Rùm Male Vice manager of SrMB 18 3 Nguyễn Văn Đực Male Head of SrMB 18 4 Đặng Phước Hậu Male SrMB 18 5 Lê Thiện Tâm Male Controller of transportation roads and dykes of Sub-region 18 6 Đổ Tấn Sỹ Male Head of SrMB 11 7 Võ Văn Ây Male Secretary of SrMB 10 7 Nguyễn Văn Cang Male SrMB 10 9 Trần Văn Bạc Male Vice manager of SrMB Dương Ngọc Em Male SrMB Trần Phước Thiện Male SrMB Nguyên Thanh Hùng Male SrMB Đỗ Phước Sang Male SrMB Hồ Văn Hoàng Male SrMB Hồ Ngọc Lương Male Guiding staff OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 49

50 List of farmers in Sub-regions No. Full name Sex Job position 1 Võ Thành Trang Male Monitoring group of Vam Nao River 2 Trần Thiện Em Male Farmer in Sub-region Đồng Quốc Sử Male Farmer in Sub-region Nguyễn Thanh Điền Male Farmer in Sub-region Trần Văn Trại Male Farmer in Sub-region Trần Văn Của Male Farmer in Sub-region List of women and man of My Hoa 3 in group discussion No. Full name Sex Job position 1 Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thúy Female 2 Nguyễn Thị Thu Nga Female 3 Huỳnh Thị Thu Lan Female 4 Nguyễn Thị Lệ Thủy Female 5 Lê Thị Thuận Female 6 Phạm Thị Khen Female 7 Nguyễn Thị Mạnh Female 8 Nguyễn Thị Lệ Female 9 Trần Thị Ráo Female 10 Phạm Thị Phượng Female 11 Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Female 12 Trương Thị Bé Năm Female 13 Lê Thị Mỹ Female 14 Nguyễn Thị Vui Female 15 Lê Thị Lụa Female 16 Nguyễn Thị Cẩm Tú Female 17 Võ Thị Yến Female 18 Lê Thị Thắm Female 19 Huỳnh Thị Yến Thu Female 20 Nguyễn Thị Tố Nguyên Female OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 50

51 List of women and man of My Hoa 3 in group discussion (con t) No. Full name Sex Job position 21 Lê Phước Thảo Male 22 Nguyễn Văn Thu Male 23 Nguyễn Văn Nữa Male 24 Nguyễn Văn Phước Male 25 Bùi Văn Dũng Male 26 Nguyễn Văn Điện Male 27 Nguyễn Văn Tuấn Male 28 Phạm Minh Quang Male 29 Ngô Văn Giấc Male 30 Phạm Văn Dương Male List of women and man of Hau Giang 1 in group discussion No. Full name Sex Job position 1 Lê Thị Hằng Female 2 Lê Thị Tuyết Nga Female 3 Kiều Thị Đông Female 4 Nguyễn Thị Dễ Female 5 Phan Thị Anh Female 6 Phan Thị Như Hải Female 7 Nguyễn Thị Kim Hai Female 8 Lê Thị Trang Female 9 Trần Thị Gia Female 10 Trần Thị Thiếu Female 11 Danh Kim Lụa Female 12 Châu Thị Bé Em Female 13 Đinh Thị Bé Tư Female 14 Trần Thị Thúy Female 15 Võ Thị Hoa Phượng Female 16 Lê Thị Nguyên Female 17 Nguyễn Thị Song Female 18 Đặng Thị Phấn Female 19 Nguyễn Thị Bảnh Female 20 Cao Thị Phước Female 21 Cao Thị Phượng Female 22 Võ Thị Hoài Phương Female 23 Nguyễn Tấn Phong Male OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 51

52 List of Women interviewing at SrBM and Women Union s in Phu Tan Distric No. Full name Sex Job position 1 Nguyễn Thị Lê Female Famer in SrBM No Trương Thị Bích Tuyền Female Women Union in Phu Tan 3 Nguyễn Thị Bích Phượng Female Women Union in Phu Tan 4 Võ Thị Mạnh Female Famer in SrBM No. 23 OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 52

53 APPENDIX 3 Some pictures during the survey Visiting a sluice in North Vam Nao Water Control Project Discussion with members of SrMB OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 53

54 Meeting with SrMB members Group photos of SrMB members and Surveying team OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 54

55 Interviewing (1) Interviewing (2) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 55

56 Interviewing (3) A board showing Low Carbon Rice Project in North Vam Nao OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 56

57 Group discussion with Famers in Vam Nao and My Hoa 3 (Jul 30 ) Visiting and discussion with SrBM No. 18 (Jul 30, ) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 57

58 Interviewing women in SrMB No. 18 Meeting and discussion with vice president of Tan Hoa Commune people s committee OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 58

59 Group discussion in My Hoa 3 (Jul 31, ) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 59

60 Group discussion in My Hoa 3 (Jul 31, ) Group discussion in Hau Giang 1 (Jul 31, ) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 60

61 Group discussion in Hau Giang 1 (Jul 31, ) OXFAM DRAGON WARECOD (Inclusion Project) 61