| Author | Panta, Smrittee Kara |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-11-01 |
| Subject(s) | Irrigation water--Management--Nepal
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Gender and Development Studies, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-11-01 |
| Abstract | Nepal has gone through a decade long armed political conflict led by Communist Party of
Nepal (Maoist) with an objective of emancipation of Nepalese people from class, caste and
gender based discriminations. The conflict is perceived to have brought changes in caste
and gender relations. Such changes have repercussions in the management of community
resource sharing and management. As such this study explores changes in the institutional
arrangements of AFMIS and GFMIS, the two Farmer Managed Irrigation System of
Pawoti VDC of Nepal brought about in the context of Maoist conflict and the way these
changes in irrigation management have influenced access to water and participation of
women and men of different caste in the post conflict situation. Qualitative data was
collected using semi-structured interview, key informants interview and focus group
discussion. The study revealed that caste relations have been challenged during the conflict
period which resulted flexibility in caste discriminatory practices at public sphere while
gender relations remained unaddressed during the conflict as well as post conflict period in
irrigated agriculture management. This was found to produce a mixed picture of changes in
power relations in management of irrigation water at the community level.
As in GFMIS, an irrigation system with well developed institutions existing prior to
conflict, the executive committee and general assembly became more inclusive and
responsive to changes in wider social power relations resulting in increased and more
secure access to irrigation water for women and men of different caste and locations in
post conflict period. Increased participation of men of previously excluded middle and
lower caste was also observed in the decision making forums like executive committee and
general assembly. Inclusion of women was substantiated in terms of including women
from upper caste only. However in irrigation system with poorly developed institutions the
irrigation management became more politicized with participation in decision making
forums limited to few politically active local upper caste men. Access to water in such
irrigation system remained insecure for women and was mediated by male members of
their household and community. Overall, the irrigation management persists to be
dominated largely by upper caste men in both irrigation systems. |
| Year | 2011 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-11-01 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Resurreccion, Bernadette P.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Doneys, Philippe;Sajor, E. E.;Shivakoti, Ganesh Prasad; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway; |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2011 |