Water User Groups Maximize Benefits of Irrigation

Fintrac

"Now, we will always have enough water."

Cambodia’s 2015 monsoon season was one of the driest on record. Although rice farmers traditionally see their highest yields during this period, many faced poor harvests – and some even chose not to plant their fields at all.

For the members of the Polyum Water User Group, the situation couldn’t have been more different. Although they are located in the northwestern province of Pursat, where the drought hit hardest, their rice fields were lush and green. “We’re not feeling the effects of the drought at all. We’re expecting a great harvest,” said Ty Bunsong, a member of the group.

The key has been access to water – and a cooperative approach to using it. In 2013, Cambodia HARVEST rehabilitated 7 kilometers of the Polyum Canal, providing much-needed irrigation to local paddies. Yet water alone wasn’t enough. “After the canal was built, there was a lot of conflict over who could use it. We weren’t getting the most out of it,” said Vean Sokheng, the group’s chief.

In May 2015, 424 families banded together to form the water user group. With Cambodia HARVEST assistance, the members developed a sustainable management structure that allowed everyone to join. Members pay an entry fee and annual dues based on the size of their land. The group governs access to irrigation, thereby maximizing efficiency and eliminating conflict. In addition, membership fees cover maintenance to ensure the canal is in working order for years to come.

With consistent access to water, and by implementing Cambodia HARVEST’s good agricultural practices, group members have increased their productivity from an average of 2,500 kilograms per hectare to more than 4,000. They are now able to grow up to three cycles of rice per year rather than the customary single cycle, and they are producing a high-quality variety that fetches good prices. As a result, their household incomes have increased by 536 percent.

Perhaps most important, group members have adapted to prolonged droughts, an increasingly common and harmful impact of global climate change. “When droughts like this happened in the past, we waited for the rain to come – or didn’t plant rice at all,” said Mao Sokhorn, a group member. “Now, we will always have enough water.”