ABSTRACT
A wide variety of arrangements can be found for managing irrigation systems, large and small. Participation in irrigation management can be differentiated by kinds of activity and by levels. Distinctions need also to be made in terms of who is engaged in the various tasks of managing water, structures and organization, as one should not assume any homogeneous "flow" of participation. The chapter analyses the characteristics of participants to alert observers to possible imbalances or gaps in user participation. The variables include location, gender, landholding, economic activity and other characteristics. In irrigation systems developed and managed by users, one finds a wide range of situations, from minimal specialization — where farmers participate in virtually all aspects of water management and any user may fill any roles that exist — to a high degree of specialization — where certain persons are assigned to very specific tasks.
