Hydrology and Water Resources
WANG Jin-xia, XING Xiang-jun, ZHANG Li-juan, LIU Ya-ke
Based on three years' panel data, this paper studies the change of irrigation management patterns and its impacts on crop water use in the irrigation districts of the Yellow River Basin. Research results show that in different periods, the change of irrigation management patterns presented varying characteristics. Generally, in the later periods of the reform (from 2004 to 2007), the Water User Associations (WUAs) accelerated its development, which is quicker than contracting management. However, in the earlier periods of the reform (before 2004), the development of contracting management was promoted more quickly. In addition, the change of irrigation management patterns was bidirectional. Even some villages implemented WUAs or contracting management, and they may be reverted to collective management. This indicates that not all the villages are suitable to adopt the patterns of WUAs and contracting management. Only in those villages in better conditions, such as better irrigation infrastructures, larger irrigated areas by surface water resources, larger cultivated areas and better complementary measures for supporting the reform by the local government, can the reform be sustained. Finally, the quantitative analysis shows that in the early periods of management change, crop water use can be significantly reduced. However, as the implementation of the reform goes on, the reduction of crop water use is not significant. Therefore, how to take measures for water saving and to improve the performance of irrigation management reform in a long term is what the local government should take into account. In future reforms, the government should place emphasis on the change of irrigation management patterns, as well as on the establishment of management mechanisms, such as water saving, so as to ensure the sustainability of the reform of irrigation management. Otherwise the reform will only take effect in the short run and the goal of sustainable utilization of water resources and socio-economy development is hard to realize.
