Your search found 98 records
1 Merrey, D. J.. 1979. Irrigation and honor: cultural impediments to the improvement of local level water management in Punjab, Pakistan. Fort Collins, CO, USA: Colorado State University. 52p. (Water Management Technical Report 53)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 631.7.6.2 G730 MER Record No: H000339)
(2.75 MB)
2 Walker, W. R.; Skogerboe, G. V.; Early, A. C.; Merrey, D. J.; Robson, R. E.; Sampath, R. K. 1983. Proposed activities for developing an integrated strategy for improving irrigated agriculture in northeast Thailand. Bangkok, Thailand: U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID); Bangkok, Thailand: Royal Irrigation Department. 28p.
Irrigated farming ; Farmer participation ; Rehabilitation ; Training ; Water user associations / Thailand
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 631.7.8 G750 WAL Record No: H000446)
(1.73 MB)
3 Merrey, D. J.. 1983. Irrigation, poverty and social change in a village of Pakistani Punjab: an historical and cultural ecological analysis. Thesis, vol. I: part I-IV, vol. II: part V-VI. Dissertation in anthropology presented to the University of Pennsylvania for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. v.1:pp.1-469; v2: pp.470-861.
Irrigation systems ; History ; Irrigation canals ; Villages ; Social structure ; Settlement ; Land ownership ; Tenancy ; Farm size ; Poverty / Pakistan / Punjab / Gujarat / Gondalpur village / Chaj Doab / Lower Jehlum Canal
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: D 631.7.3 G730 MER Record No: H000884)
(0.48 MB)
The dissertation examines the roots of poverty in rural Pakistan by attempting to explain why there has been little "development" in a village that was a direct "beneficiary" of a large development project, the irrigation system of Punjab. Utilizing both detailed land records and data gathered through standard anthropological techniques, the dissertation analyzes how and why the community changed between 1857 and 1977. In 1857, "Gondalpur" had 67 inhabitants cultivating 64 acres of land, and dependent mainly on cattle for subsistence. By 1901 Gondalpur had nearly 570 inhabitants cultivating over 300 acres and pursuing a mixed cultivation and cattle-raising strategy. A clear division developed between land owners and non-owners, accompanied by a system of exchanges between cultivators and occupational specialists. Over half the land had been acquired by absentee landlords. In 1904, when canal irrigation was introduced, there was a rapid expansion of cultivation, especially cash cropping; an increase in tenancy; and kinship groups called biraderi emerged as important components of the social structure. By 1977 the population reached 1,450, and most land is irrigated and double-cropped. There has been a drastic decline in size of ownership and farm units. After the initial expansion of cultivation, per capita agricultural productivity has declined. Most villagers are quite poor. The community is fragmented by conflict and unable to resist interference from outsiders. The dissertation tries to explain these changes from an historical and cultural ecological perspective. The major factors identified are the irrigation system's design and organization; certain policies of the British government; and the large "fund of rent" siphoned from the community through taxes, rent, and illegal extractions by officials. These and other factors interacted with the community patterns of land tenure and organization and production which had developed before canal irrigation. The result is low productivity, large inequalities in land holding, no investment in improved technologies, and an inability to cooperate on self-help projects. The dissertation concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for cultural ecological theory and the future development of the Indus Basin.
4 Svendsen, M.; Merrey, D. J.; Fitzgerald, W. 1983. Meeting the challenge for better irrigation management: Greater agricultural productivity depends on improving efficiency of watering systems. Horizons, 2(3):17-25.
Irrigation management ; Irrigation efficiency ; Developing countries ; Agriculture ; Irrigated farming
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: P 1362 Record No: H0142)
5 Merrey, D. J.. 1982. Farmer organizations in the Gal Oya water management project, Sri Lanka: A study of the impact of the Institutional Organizer (IO) program. 72p.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: P 419 Record No: H01009)
6 Merrey, D. J.. 1983. Participatory approaches to water management: Lessons from the Gal Oya water management and rehabilitation project, Sri Lanka. 4p.
(Location: IWMI-SA Call no: P 1065 Record No: H01013)
7 Mirza, A. H.; Merrey, D. J.. 1979. Organizational problems and their consequences on improved water resources in Punjab. Fort Collins, CO, USA: Colorado State University. xx, 186p. (Water Management Technical Report 55)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 631.7.3 G730 MIR Record No: H001070)
(0.49 MB)
Based on an intensive survey of ten improved watercourses in Punjab, this study shows the inadequacy of present forms of social organization of watercourses for insuring their adequate maintenance. Using as the criterion the quality of maintenance of improved watercourses, the study suggests the following sociological characteristics as conducive to good maintenance under present conditions: A large percentage of landholdings in the 6.5 to 25 acre range; relatively equal distribution of power and influence among farmers being perceived as having some power and influence; relative "progressiveness" as measured by institutional services available in the community, educational level of the farmers, and percentage of farmers who listen to the radio regularly; previous history of cooperation and lack of recent conflict; single-biraderi social structure; and a small number of watercourse shareholders. Based on this research, the study makes concrete recommendations for improving the present On-Farm Water Management Pilot Project (including selection of watercourses), and presents a detailed proposal for setting up experimental Water Users associations and monitoring their progress.
8 Abeyratne, S.; Ganewatte, P.; Merrey, D. J.. (Eds.) 1986. Proceedings of a Workshop on Water Management in Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 20-22 January 1982. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Agrarian Research and Training Institute (ARTI). viii, 333p. (ARTI Documentation Series 10)
On farm research ; Water management ; Farmer participation ; Tank irrigation ; Water distribution / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 631.7.6.2 G744 ABE Record No: H01292)
(0.34 MB)
9 Merrey, D. J.. 1986. The local impact of centralized irrigation control in Pakistan: a socio-centric perspective. In Merrey, D. J.; Wolf, J. M. Irrigation management in Pakistan: four papers. Digana Village, Sri Lanka: International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). pp.12-25. (IIMI Research Paper 4)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H043839)
(0.16)
Reprinted with permission from Lands at Risk in the Third World: Local Level Perspectives, edited by Peter D. Little and Michael M. Horowitz, Boulder, CO, Westview Press, 1986. The paper analyzes changes in local resource management strategies and the environmental impact of centralized irrigation management in the Indus Basin since the mid-19th century. These changes are viewed primarily as responses to increasing interventions of the state, and the co-opting through centralization of what had been local functions by higher level bodies. This in turn has led to an inability to respond to local level problems before they reach crisis proportions. To interpret the trends and identify key problems and issues, the paper draws upon a systems theory model of the evolution of the state that was originally developed by scholars interested in the demise of Mesopotamian civilization. The analysis provides the basis for a short critique of present development programs and for identifying several key research questions.
10 Merrey, D. J.. 1986. Reorganizing irrigation: local level management in the Punjab (Pakistan). In Merrey, D. J.; Wolf, J. M. Irrigation management in Pakistan: four papers. Digana Village, Sri Lanka: International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). pp.26-43. (IIMI Research Paper 4)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H043840)
(0.22)
Reprinted with permission from Desertification and Development: Dryland Ecology in Social Perspective, edited by H. Mann and B. Spooner, London, Academic Press, 1982. The paper presents a case study of a reconstruction project on one watercourse and identifies the impediments preventing its successful completion. It also summarizes the results of a larger survey of organizational problems on improved watercourses. The basic argument is that a major source of the sever technical problems of Pakistan's irrigation system is ineffective organization of management especially at the local level; and attempts to improve the system so far have been hindered by the failure to recognize this social dimension of the problem.
11 Merrey, D. J.. 1986. The sociology of warabandi: a case study from Pakistan. In Merrey, D. J.; Wolf, J. M. Irrigation management in Pakistan: four papers. Digana Village, Sri Lanka: International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). pp.44-66. (IIMI Research Paper 4)
Irrigation scheduling ; Irrigation systems ; Watercourses ; Social aspects ; Case studies ; History / Pakistan / Punjab / Gondalpur
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H043841)
(0.36)
This paper uses a case study to address a fundamental issue in irrigation management: the relationship between technology and the organization required to use that technology productively. When an irrigation system is developed over time by a local community, the technology and the organization evolve together. However, when engineers design and construct large scale irrigation systems, there is a tendency to concentrate on the civil works, and to assume that, at least on the local level, whatever organization is required will evolve by itself. This was the assumption of the designers of the large irrigation systems built by the British and post colonial governments in present day Pakistan and the northwestern states of India. As there are few detailed studies of the actual operation of warabandi, this paper attempts to fill this gap in our knowledge of warabandi. Based on detailed field work in a village in Punjab Province, Pakistan, it takes an historical perspective on how the route of a particular watercourse, and the rotations on that watercourse, have evolved over time. It demonstrates the lack of "fit" or congruence between the imposed irrigation technology and the pre-existing social organization of the village. The attempts by some water users to adapt both the route and the rotation to solve social conflicts have proven unsatisfactory.
12 Merrey, D. J.; Bulankulame, S. 1987. Responsibility in irrigation system management: some policy suggestions for Sri Lanka. Digana, Sri Lanka: International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). 4p. (IIMI Management Brief 5)
Irrigation management ; Irrigation systems ; Policy ; Ownership ; Farmers associations ; Participatory management / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H0448)
13 Merrey, D. J.. 1987. The local impact of centralized irrigation control in Pakistan: a sociocentric perspective. In Little, P. D.; Horowitz, M. M.; Nyerges, A. E. (Eds.). Lands at risk in the third world: local level perspectives. Boulder, CO, USA: Westview Press. pp.352-372.
Investment ; Agricultural production ; Economic development ; Irrigation systems ; Social aspects / Pakistan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.73 G000 LIT Record No: H002717)
(0.84 MB)
14 Jinapala, K.; Merrey, D. J.. 1987. Testing a new field channel design: a pilot project of the Uda Walawe Rehabilitation Project, Sri Lanka. Digana, Kandy: International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). 11p.
Flow channels ; Irrigation design ; Irrigation programs ; Rehabilitation ; Water distribution ; Constraints / Sri Lanka / Uda Walawe
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: IIMI-631.7.1 G744 JIN Record No: H03057)
(0.66 MB)
15 Merrey, D. J.. 1983. Canal irrigation, colonialism and underdevelopment: The roots of poverty in an irrigated village in Punjab, Pakistan. Paper prepared for conference on " Community Response To Irrigation in South Asia", Bangalore, India , 4-7 January 1984. 43p.
Canals ; Irrigation ; Colonialism ; Poverty ; Development ; Land ; Productivity ; Population ; Land tenure ; Organizations / Pakistan / Punjab
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: P 864 Record No: H04409)
16 Merrey, D. J.; Murray-Rust, H. 1987. Peoples' participation in the Gal Oya Rehabilitation Project as viewed by agency personnel. Paper presented at the Workshop on Peoples' Participation in Irrigation Management, Hyderabad, India, 28 June - 3 July 1987. 23p.
Irrigation programs ; Rehabilitation ; Farmer participation ; Farmer-agency interactions ; Flow channels ; Irrigation efficiency ; Performance evaluation / Sri Lanka / Gal Oya Project
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H003773)
(1.64 MB)
17 Merrey, D. J.. 1982. Reorganizing irrigation: local level management in the Punjab (Pakistan) In Spooner, B.; Mann, H. S. (Eds.). Desertification and development: dryland ecology in social perspective. London, UK: Academic Press. pp.83-109. (IIMI Reprint 2)
Irrigation management ; Watercourses ; Maintenance ; Rural areas ; Development plans / Pakistan / Punjab / Indus basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 631.7.8 G654 MER Record No: H004479)
18 Merrey, D. J.; Jinapala, K. 1988. On physical remodeling and institution strengthening: an evaluation of the implications of the pilot field channel experience for the rehabilitation project at Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka. Digana Village, Sri Lanka: International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). 14p. (IIMI Working Paper 007) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2013.008]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H004826)
This paper is a substantially revised version of a draft paper previously circulated to some officials in Sri Lanka. The title of that paper was "Testing a New Field Channel Design: A Pilot Project of the Uda Walawe Rehabilitation Project, Sri Lanka. It was reviewed by the International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI) - Sri Lanka Consultative" Consultative Committee at its January 1988 meeting; as the minutes of that meeting indicate, the Committee members recognized- the significance of the main findings of the draft report, and agreed that physical rehabilitation by itself could be counter productive unless supported by proper institutional changes. The paper is based on periodic observations (approximately weekly) of farmers' use of a rehabilitated pilot field channel (FC), and interviews with both farmers and field level officials, over two seasons in the Uda Walawe Scheme, Sri Lanka.
19 Merrey, D. J.. 1982. The implications of the officer-cultivator relationship for official promotion of contributors' associations. Paper prepared for presentation at the "Symposium on Rethinking Agricultural Research" at the Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, India, postponed from January 1982 to a later date. 24p.
Social participation ; Community development ; Farmers associations ; Farmer-agency interactions / Sri Lanka / Gal Oya Project
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 631.7.3 G744 MER Record No: H04964)
(1.59 MB)
20 Merrey, D. J.; Somaratne, P. G. 1989. Institutions under stress and people in distress: institution-building and drought in a new settlement scheme in Sri Lanka. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). xix, 83p. (IIMI Country Paper Sri Lanka 2)
Institutional constraints ; Institution building ; Drought ; Settlement patterns ; Farmers associations ; Water management / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IIMI 631.7.3 G744 MER Record No: H005834)
(3.56 MB)
This paper analyzes irrigation operational problems, and their institutional causes, on a new irrigation system in southern Sri Lanka, based on research during disastrous drought. The authors offer a number of suggestions for improving the management of this system.
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