WRM-31306 Water Institutions, Reforms and Equity

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

WRM-20806 Irrigation and Development; Relevant field experience; Knowledge of irrigation hardware; operation and management and project implementation.

Continuation courses:

MSc Thesis Irrigation and Water Engineering or Integrated Water Management.

Contents:

The course focuses on water reforms in the context of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), by addressing the following main topics: (1) water agencies and institutional change, (2) local water management organizations, and (3) the interactive design process in project implementation. Over the past decades a growing body of experience and knowledge has developed on the institutional, organizational and political aspects of irrigation and water management, such as the development of water users organization and participatory irrigation management, participatory design of irrigation infrastructure, reform of water bureaucracies, irrigation management transfer, and wider water sector reform and policy development. This course covers these topics by presenting concepts and methodologies for a critical analysis that considers equity and democracy as key concerns in interventions to reform 'government water agencies' as well as 'local level water management organisations'. This is placed in the context of wider developments in the water sector. Attention is also paid to the management of design processes in view of developing organisational capacity of users and agency staff.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course student are expected to be able to:
- debate current concepts and methodologies used for reforming water agencies and the water sector;
- apply a method for analysing organizations to water agencies;
- appraise current concepts and methodologies for the improvement of local water management organisations;
- understand and develop critical pathways to improve the participation of water users in design and management processes;
- develop a critical perspective on water reforms with a focus on equity and democracy in water control relationships;
- outline current concepts and methodologies for integrating gender concerns in the reform of water bureaucracies, institutional design of WUAs and irrigation design processes.

Activities:

Study activities are threefold:
- the course consists of three blocks of two weeks each, with each block consisting of lectures, tutorials, group work and presentations. The first session of the course introduces the themes of the course and the course programme;
- as introduction to the lectures literature is studied;
- small groups of students will work on assignments covering the 3 main subjects. The group assignments are complementary in order to broaden and deepen the collective learning process. Each group will present their work, followed by discussion.

Examination:

The assessment of the learning outcomes is realized through group assignments (group case study reports and/or group papers) and presentations for each of the three blocks in the course, as defined in the (concept) course assessment strategy. The grade for each blocks counts towards 33% for the overall course grade. While presence and participation in discussions are not graded they are very highly recommended.

Literature:

The course reader will be made available at the beginning of the course.