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Social participation in selected farmer water user communities in Banan District, Battambang Province, Cambodia
Thesis Abstract:
This field study aimed to examine how people can share and jointly participate in the management of a community irrigation of farmer water users (FWUs). The study was conducted in FWU communes of the three villages in Battambang Province, Cambodia, namely: Ta Ngaen, Ta Kriem, and Ou Pong Moan. These villages are located near the Boeng Kam Pinh Puoy dam which is also the source of irrigation water for their farms.
Results showed that social participation played an important role in the
development and sustainability of a community. The factors that could help in the development of a community included norms and character of the people within a community and how they act out their roles; education; and formulation of strategies from an organization on how to motivate and encourage active participation among its members which help in maintaining a sustainable partnership leading to acceptable sharing of benefits.
Although some of the respondents perceived that only the village chief through the local authority can negotiate or solve conflicts related to access to water, majority of the respondents believed that there is a need for power or intervention of the government as a way to solve conflicts related to access to water among farmer water users.
It is recommended that the government should encourage the FWUC education,such as short trainings and formal education on agriculture in the rural areas through nongovernment organizations or through other government or nongovernment institutions. For it is through good human resources that a country like Cambodia, which depends on agriculture for its economy, will benefit much. This way, social
participation not only becomes meaningful but contributory to effective community irrigation management.