METRIC MATTERS Theperformanc e and organisation ofvolumetri cwate r control in large-scale irrigation in theNort h Coast of Peru . CENTRALE LANDBQUWCATALOGUS 06060905'1'224" Promotoren : Prof.Dr .F . von Benda-Beckmann Head ofProjec t Group Legal Pluralism MaxPlanc k Institute for SocialAnthropolog y inHalle , Germany Prof.L .F .Vincen t Hoogleraar Irrigatie enWaterbouwkunde , Wageningen Universiteit Promotiecommissie: Dr. C.Garce s Restrepo IPTPJD-FAO, Rome Prof.Dr .P .Richard s Wageningen Universiteit Dr. A.J .Woodhil l International Agricultural Centre, Wageningen Dr. Ir. P.va nde rZaa g Institute ofHydrauli c Engineering, Delft \j METRIC MATTERS The performance and organisation ofvolumetri c water control in large-scale irrigation in theNort h Coast of Peru Jeroen Martinus Constant Vos Proefschrift terverkrijgin g van degraa dva n doctor opgeza g van derecto r magnificus van Wageningen Universiteit, Prof. Dr. Ir.L . Speelman inhe t openbaar te verdedigen opmaanda g 17jun i 2002 des namiddags te twee uur in deAula . Metricmatters :Th eperformanc e andorganisatio n ofvolumetri c water control in large-scale irrigation inth eNort h Coast of Peru / J.M.C.Vos ,2002 ,Ph Dthesis , Wageningen University, with summaries inEnglis h and Dutch. ISBN 90-5808-660-7 Key words: irrigation, large-scale irrigation, Peru, rice,wate r management, water users' associations, irrigation management transfer Propositions 1. Volumetric water control can only beunderstoo d if itsthre e dimensions are taken into account: volumetric water allocation, volumetric water delivery and volumetric water charging. (thisthesis ) 2. Corruption and other 'perverse incentives' can increase thewate r use efficiency andwate r delivery performance in irrigation systems. (thisthesis ) 3. Volumetric water delivery achieveshig h performance ina t least one large-scale irrigation system inPer u -despit e theus e of difficult to operate undershot gates, open canals and requests for water turns from many water users -throug h the skills ofth eoperator s and the accountability of theboard s ofth ewate r users' associations towards the water users. This accountability is apowe r relation between the users andthei r representatives inth e boards.Th epowe r balance is based onmutua l dependency that is created because theboar d members depend on the support ofth e water users to maintain their lucrative positions andth e water users depend onth e board members tomaintai n and operate the irrigation system is such awa y thatwate r canb e delivered tothem . (this thesis) 4. Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) is like raising achild : step by stepyo u givemor e responsibility andprovid e less supportt o the child, this happens under the conditions set by the parents, andmigh t be liked orno tb y the child. (pers. com. David Groenfeldt, January 2001) 5. There isnothin g new toth e export of Dutch civil engineering andth e Dutch Polder Model. The Dutch PopeAdria n VI in 1522establishe d peacebetwee n the cities of Bologna and Ferrara by ordering Ferrara to closeth erive r spillway called 'Po ofVenice ' toprotec t Bologna from overflowing of theRen orive r caused by sedimentation inth e original course of the Po of Ferrara. (EnzoLevi ,"Th e Scienceo fWater : theFoundatio no fModer nHydraulics" ,1995 ,p.105-106 ) 6. Elrega r con agua deri o esmu ytrabajoso , necesitandose para esto demaquina s6 instrumentos denoria s 6rueda s que deben sermovida s engir opo r camellos, asnos 6mulos ; cuyas maquinas en lamayo rpart e estan expuestas a frequentes quiebras.N o espue s conveniente usar deest emod o deriego , sino quando aell o obligue lanecesidad ; esto es,quand o nopued a adquirise deotr a suerte lo necesario para lavida ; y en este caso debeun o cuidar de ello por simismo ;d e otro modo le seria el coste crecido ypoc a lautilidad . Algunasvece s seh ahech o la cuentade l gasto que causan los animales [yla smaquinas] ,y seh ahallad o que6 seacerc a mucho, 6exced e al autilida d detod o elproducto . (Abu Zacaria, "Libra de Agriculture", original from the 12lb century, Spanish translation from Arabic text in reprint from 1802, Tomo I,p.6 ) 7. Fraud intenderin g procedures for big construction works is agoo d example of 'collective action', indicating that not all collective action should beregarde d as beneficial for society. 8. For the thick description ofth e life ofon ebureaucra t in asmal l organisation the Dutch authorVoskui l needed 6000page s (HetBureau, 1996(vol.1 ) to 2000 (vol.7)).Thi s implies that the description of thestrategi c conduct of 200 officials and 130.000farmer s in the20 6 pages ofthi sthesi s can onlyb eregarde d as aver y thin description. 9. In some cases rubbish canprovid e valuable scientific information, inman y cases scientific information soon becomes rubbish. 10.A 'work-to-rule' strike shows that in daily practices work ismor e ledb y informal rules than by official rules. 11. Farmers engineer better than engineers farm. 12.Meeting s would be much more efficient if allparticipant s would adheret oth e set agenda. However, thepersona l agendas ofth eparticipant s push them topu t forward their own issues.Therefore , the social function ofmeeting s should be taken seriously and thus agendas should allow for more flexibility. This also appliest o water scheduling. "MetricMatters: Theperformance and organisation ofvolumetric watercontrol in large-scale irrigation inthe North Coastof Peru " Jeroen Vos TABLE OF CONTENTS Glossary of Spanish words and acronyms Preface 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research theme:volumetri c water control 1 1.2 Objectives ofth eresearc h 3 1.3 Irrigation inPer u 3 1.4 Theproble m definition for thetw o case studies 6 1.5 Analytical framework 7 7.5./ Analysing volumetricwater control 7 1.5.2 Irrigationsystems associotechnical entities 13 1.5.3 Irrigation technology 16 1.5.4 Thenature and functioning ofthe complex irrigationmanagement entity 17 1.6 Research questions 26 1.7 Theresearc h methodology 26 1.7.1 Thepros and consof comparative research in irrigation systems 26 1.7.2 Selectionof thecase study systems, secondary canalsand tertiaryblocks 28 1.7.3 Observationof practices and informalinterviewing 28 1.7.4 Thewater flow measurementprogram 29 1.7.5 Obtainingofficial documents and records,and archive research 32 1.7.6 Some limitations 32 1.8 Outline ofth e thesis 33 2. NATURAL RESOURCES, HISTORY OR IRRIGATION, AND PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN THE NORTH COAST 2.1 Introduction 35 2.2 Natural resources in thetw o watersheds 35 2.3 History of irrigation and water rights in theNort h Coast of Peru 39 2.3.1 Theirrigation systems oftheMoche, Sicdn, Chimu andInca 39 2.3.2 Spanishconquest and the Chancay-Lambayeque irrigationsystem up to 1640 42 2.3.3 Thehacienda era 47 2.3.4 Initial State interventions(1910-1968) 49 2.3.5 TheAgrarian Reform of 1969 53 2.3.6 Panellation ofthe co-operatives (1980-1985) 56 2.3.7 Theirrigation management turnover (1989-1998) 57 2.4 Present agricultural production systems 59 2.4.1Agribusiness and recentneoliberalpolitics 59 2.4.2Four typesof farming enterprisesand thesugarcane co-operatives 60 2.4.3 Thecredit-squeeze 67 2.5 Conclusions 69 3. SCHEME LAYOUT, WATER USE AND ORGANISATION OF THE TWO IRRIGATION SYSTEMS 3.1 Introduction 71 3.2 Infrastructure and scheme layout 71 3.2.1 Infrastructure and layoutof the Chancay-Lambayequeirrigation scheme 71 3.2.2 Infrastructure and layoutof theJequetepeque irrigationscheme 75 3.3 Water and land use 78 3.3.1 Generalcropping pattern intime and space 78 3.3.2 Volumes ofwater used inboth systems 80 3.3.3 Salinityproblems 82 3.4 Governance and management by thewate r users' associations 83 3.4.1 Thethree tiers of thewater users' associationand thelocal government offices 84 3.4.2 Individual water users 85 3.4.3 Comitede Canal 87 3.4.4 Board ofdirectors ofthe Comisionesde Regantes 90 3.4.5 Staffof the Comisionesde Regantes 95 3.4.6 Board ofdirectors ofthe Junta de Usuarios 97 3.4.7 Staff ofthe Junta de Usuarios 98 3.4.8 Private companyof theJunta de Usuarios 99 3.5 Public administration involvement 101 3.5.1Administracion Tecnicade Distrito deRiego 101 3.5.2Autoridad Autonoma de CuencaHidrogrdfica 103 3.5.3Special Project Bureas: DEPOLTI andDEJEZA 104 3.5.4 Civilcourt 104 3.6 Conclusions 105 THE ORGANISATION OF VOLUMETRIC WATER ALLOCATION AND SCHEDULING 4.1 Introduction 107 4.2 Water rights 108 4.2.1 National water lawand recentregulations 108 4.2.2 Watertitles 110 4.2.3 Water titlesand accessto infrastructure 114 4.3 Planning ofth e water allocation per irrigation season 115 4.3.1Prognosis and irrigationand cropplan 115 4.3.2Adjustment ofdemand inresponse tosupply 118 4.3.3 Thecropping plans inreality 121 4.4 Daily practices ofwate r scheduling 122 4.4.1 Schedulingin Chancay-Lambayeque 122 4.4.2 Schedulingin Jequetepeque 128 4.5 Conclusions 129 THE PERFORMANCE OF VOLUMETRIC WATER DISTRIBUTION 5.1 Introduction 131 5.2 Aframewor k to assesswate r distribution performance 131 5.2.1 Introduction 131 5.2.2Relative watersupply 132 5.2.3 Infrastructure 133 5.2.4 Operators 134 5.2.5 Water users 136 5.3 Operation and assessment ofwate r delivery performance in Chancay-Lambayeque 138 5.3.1 Mainsystem 138 5.3.2 Waterdelivery along thesecondary canals 140 5.3.3 Waterdelivery insidethe tertiary blocks 148 5.4 Operation and assessment ofwate r delivery performance inJequetepequ e 152 5.4.1 Mainsystem 152 5.4.2 Waterdelivery along thesecondary canals 153 5.4.3 Waterdelivery insidethe tertiaryblocks 154 5.5 Conclusions 155 6 THE PRACTICE OF VOLUMETRIC CHARGE SETTING, FEE RECOVERY AND EXPENDITURE