ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the nature of participation in Andean irrigation projects, outlines factors which may adversely affect local participation, and offers recommendations for strengthening local irrigation organizations. The tradition of participation in irrigation development in the mountainous Peruvian Sierra is rich and varied; it predates the rise of the Inca Empire. Participation may occur in distinct phases of irrigation development: initiation, planning, construction, operation and maintenance, and rehabilitation. Spatial dispersal means that household members-whether herding at high altitudes, holding urban jobs, or migrating seasonally to other ecological zones—are often working at some remove from the irrigation systems for which they are responsible. As the nature of Sierra integration into the national economy and society changes, so do relationships between local irrigation institutions and their constituents. Irrigation agencies can increase the likelihood that potential irrigators will view their contributions as worthwhile investments.
