Assessment of participatory management of irrigation schemes in Sri Lanka: partial reforms, partial benefits

This report presents the results of a study carried out in Sri Lanka to assess the impact of reforms on the management of government-owned irrigation schemes. The aims of the study were to test the proposed methodology and to determine what effects participatory management has on the performance of irrigation schemes in Sri Lanka. The report reviews government policies on irrigation management reforms and analyses the impact of reforms on the performance of 50 irrigation schemes in Sri Lanka. It looks first at the methodology used and then at the results in terms of impact, cost of irrigation to farmers, quality of irrigation service, impact on maintenance and agricultural production and economic returns.