Adaptation to Change in Six Farmer-Managed Irrigation Systems in Nepal: Forty Years of Observations

Abstract

Studies of farmer-managed irrigation systems in Nepal in the 1980s documented the potential of farmers to use sophisticated technical and organizational practices to manage water. In the 40 years since the first studies, population growth, migration, urbanization, new transport networks, and technological change have brought dramatic change in rural communities. This paper reports on the functioning of six irrigation systems in the wake of these changes, based on a series of studies over the years, including a revisit to these systems in 2022.