Public–Private Partnership in Irrigation and Drainage: The Need for a Professional Third Party Between Farmers and Government

The irrigation and drainage (I&D) sector plays a vital role in the food supply as well as world economics. However, after almost a century of growth, it now faces a variety of issues, the most controversial being poor water efficiency, heavy public contribution, lack of asset maintenance and, often, socio-economic inequity. Drawing lessons on institutional and financial tools from the water and sanitation sector (WSS), the introduction of the private sector in the mostly public context of I&D is thought by many to be a possible remedy.