Appropriate designs and appropriating irrigation systems : irrigation infrastructure development and users' management capability in Bolivia
2005
Gutierrez Pérez, Z.
The objectives of this book are to explore and demonstrate the 'divorce' that is taking place in how critical actors think about irrigation infrastructure design and management, and in how designers often impose their own narrow preferences in infrastructure composition and performance without reflection on the preferences and needs of users in Bolivia. It also sets out to debate what the conditions are for new infrastructure introduced into irrigation systems to fit in with management characteristics and potential, in order to guarantee sustainability. For the study 4 cases were selected taking into account: 1- Location in different agro-climatic zones (altiplano, valleys,mesothermalvalleys andchaco). 2- Overall diversity of facilities. 3- Working systems.The book shows how farmers despite or against project intervention designs (re)create systems which are functional and sustainable according to their current needs and still provide new possibilities for production and labour deployment by farmers. There are three fundamental concepts grounding this study: 1. There are three fundamental concepts grounding this study: 1.- Operational appropriateness of infrastructure to management capability, 2.- Technical appropriateness of infrastructure to management capability, 3.- Productive appropriateness of infrastructure in relation to management capability. These concepts are inter-related and it is crucial to take them into account in designing improved irrigation systems under small-farmer management, so that systems can once again be community-managed and sustainable.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Wageningen University & Research