ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the present status of institutional reforms being implemented in the irrigation sector of Punjab in Pakistan. The institutional reforms were introduced in the Punjab Irrigation Sector through the Provincial Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA) act of 1997 and this process of management transformation was scheduled to be completed by the year 2012 throughout the province. The chapter investigates the relationship between participation and empowerment of water users/beneficiaries as well as the efficiency, equity, transparency, accountability, and operations and management of the system within the scenario of newly designed and implemented irrigation sector reforms. It argues that participation and empowerment have positive impacts on the indicators of equity, reliability, transparency, and accountability. The chapter describes the performance of the system in terms of improving efficiency as well as equity in water distribution, operations and management of the system with transparency and accountability, productivity, and conflict resolution.