Article written by DPDF 2009 Revitalizing Development Studies Fellow Jacob I. Ricks, featured in Water Alternatives, Volume 8, No. 2:

Despite a history of participatory policies, Thailand’s Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has had little success in developing water user organisations (WUOs) capable of facilitating cooperation between farmers and the irrigation agency. Even so, pockets of participation exist. What can explain these rare successes? What policy lessons can they provide? Comparing nine WUOs, I identify factors that contribute to the emergence of relatively successful groups. Most importantly, I show that successful WUOs are contingent on the actions of local irrigation officials. These findings emphasise the important role of street-level bureaucrats in implementing participatory policies. The incentive structures provided by the RID, though, deter most officials from sincerely collaborating and cooperating with farmers. Thus experts and policy-makers interested in promoting participatory resource management should focus more attention on shaping incentives for local officials to engage meaningfully with farmers.

Publication Details

Title
Pockets of Participation: Bureaucratic Incentives and Participatory Irrigation Management in Thailand
Authors
Ricks, Jacob I.
Publisher
Water Alternatives Association
Publish Date
June 2015
Citation
Ricks, Jacob I., Pockets of Participation: Bureaucratic Incentives and Participatory Irrigation Management in Thailand (Water Alternatives Association, June 2015).
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