What affects organization and collective action for managing resources? Evidence from canal irrigation systems in India

Policies of devolving management of resources generally assume that users will organize and take on the necessary management tasks. Experience with comanagement programs shows that this does not happen everywhere. This paper identifies factors affecting organization and collective action among water users in major canal irrigation systems in India. Results indicate that organizations are more likely to be formed in larger commands, closer to market towns, with religious centers and potential leadership from college graduates and influential persons. Water users' organizations increase the likelihood of collective maintenance work by farmers, but do not affect the likelihood of collective representation, or lobbying activities, which seem to happen more spontaneously. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.