Improving the Robustness of Water Management in Indonesia

The study of the irrigation system as a common property resource has been well documented. Most of the irrigation systems that survive for generations enjoy relatively uninterrupted use of water. The present, however, is no longer the same as what it was hundreds or, even, fifty years ago. Today, there is intensifying many more direct and indirect socio-economic driving forces put water resources under pressure. This calls for more suitable water resource development and management systems. This study sought to find answers to the following questions: 1) Are there plausible water management options that could maintain agricultural systems and rural economies, without constraining water for the development of other sectors? 2) What set of institutional arrangements would enable efficient and equitable use of water? Using these questions to guide the research agenda, this thesis uses Common-Pool Resources (CPRs) theory and, in particular, the eight design principles (DPs) for the development of robust institutions proposed by Elinor Ostrom in 1990. The results are presented in three analytical chapters. The first analytical chapter seeks to identify a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for the development of robust institutional arrangements for the management of irrigation. Using a meta-analysis of 62 irrigation case studies across 37 countries, the data was analyzed using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs/QCA). The results show that out of the eight principles, four are necessary conditions for a robust institution, i.e. 1) Clearly defined boundaries; 2) Monitoring of user with enforcement capacity; 3) System-wide monitoring of resources; and 4) Minimum rights to organize. The results also identify two minimum configurations that appear to be sufficient. The first configuration involves a combination of user monitoring AND system-wide monitoring arrangements. The second involves a combination of congruence with local condition AND system-wide monitoring AND minimum rights to organize. Based on the findings, a modification of three of Ostrom’s design principles is proposed so that the principles take fully account of the characteristics of water resources. The resultant modification Ostrom’s DPs is applied in the second analytical chapter. This chapter aims to examine the role of Water User Associations (WUA) in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The research collected data from a series of interviews, a stakeholder workshop and six focus group discussions in three regencies of the province. The study resulted in propositions for sustainable irrigation system institutions in Southeast Sulawesi and Indonesia in general. In addition, the prepositions signify the need for hierarchical arrangements to foster the emergence of locally defined solutions of collective action problems in managing the common irrigation system. The third analytical chapter focuses on the development of guidelines for the nesting of local management arrangements within broader hierarchical arrangements which typically are examined last in any discussion that seeks to use Ostrom’s Design Principles. Turning this approach on its head, the analysis undertaken begins by putting Ostrom’s nested principle first. to examine a complex, and large-scale CPR system, with heterogeneous values and uses. By putting the nested principle first, a new perspective emerges. In particular, the user is forced to accommodate the other principles within a hierarchy. In fairness, Ostrom acknowledged is that this was necessary but she did not propose a way to do it. Taking her advice literally and to test it this third chapter puts her last principle first – rather than last – and then searches for ways to apply her other principles within a suite of hierarchical institutional arrangements developed for river basin management in the province of Southeast Sulawesi. The resultant analysis makes use of the data from the previous chapter, in addition to the review of regulations, existing basin plan documents and relevance studies in the period of the first water law promulgation. That is, Ostrom’s design principles are combined with a transaction cost analysis. In the basin examined, the results show that existing institutional arrangements are not sufficient and, indeed, prevent users from adapting to foreseeable future changes in a manner that is efficient and equitable. Further, the analysis finds that the hierarchical structure of the extant institutions do not align with the complex nature of water resources in the province. The resultant analysis developed a list of gaps which, if addressed, would improve prospects social and economic development while keeping use within sustainable limits. Based on all the analysis, the thesis closes in a final summary chapter with a suggested modification of Ostrom’s design principles and a set of policy recommendations for consideration by Indonesian water managers and water users.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Centre for Global Food and Resources, 202