ABSTRACT
Increasing water scarcity, arising from a growing population and periodical droughts due to climate change, calls for better management of existing water projects and more efficient water use at the farm level. Although a lot of effort has been made in the past century to generate water for irrigation and other uses, poor management of existing water projects and farmers’ inefficient use of irrigation water are common in many parts of the world. For example, losses in water conveyance may range from 25–50 percent of the water carried, even in developed economies. For better management and more efficient use of water at the farm level, some possible solutions, such as institutional reforms through creation of water user associations and water markets, have been pursued in developed and developing countries.
