EMPOWERMENT OF WATER USER ASSOCIATION FOR SUSTAINABLE IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE

摘要

Water User Association (WUA) of irrigation has signifi cant play role in operating andmaintenance of irrigation system, mainly at tertiary system. Low price of paddy from irrigatedland and limited subsidies fund from the government however has implication in decreasingquality of irrigation services. Since WUA has multi-faced dimensions of economic, social,culture, environment, and politics, empowerment of the WUA is strongly needed. The aimof study was focused to answer the complex and convoluted, being bound in many facets ofthe problem situation, fi nd the best empowerment of the WUA and proposed the best policyaction.The irrigation system of Serayu Dam, located in the Serayu-Bogowonto river basin, CentralJava, Indonesia was applied as the study. The system has an area of 20.795 ha. Threesamples of WUA at three irrigation service areas were chosen. In each sample irrigationservice area, collecting data was oriented based on the position of primary, secondary andtertiary canal. Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) wereapplied in data gathering. Analysis was started with an overview of the problems faced bythe WUA using element of culture, social, economy, environment and politics. In order tosustain the irrigated agriculture with full support by WUA, pattern of empowerment that wouldbe applied was strongly considered from the overview. From this point, discussion then wasdirected to build a policy action from the angle of political economy.