Handing over the sunset

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Large-scale surface-water or canal irrigation systems have been labeled ‘a sunset industry’ (Rijsberman 2003). The transition of this industry through irrigation management transfer (IMT) policies and the establishment of water user associations (WUAs) aims to enhance efficiency, equity, and empowerment. The Uzbek government, alongside international organizations like USAID and IWMI, is promoting IMT and WUAs nationwide. This policy shift appears rational given the disintegration of state and collective farms, which previously managed water resources, and the rapid emergence of private farms. This study evaluates the potential of IMT policies by analyzing various physical, organizational, socio-economic, and political factors that may influence the success of IMT and WUAs. Eight case study chapters explore basin water management, organizational capacities, socio-political dependencies of district water management departments, the potential for multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs), social network politics, and land reform processes. The findings indicate that external factors do not support the implementation of IMT policies or the establishment of WUAs, suggesting that these policies may not enhance efficiency, equity, or empowerment and could even exacerbate water management issues. Consequently, the transition of this ‘sunset industry’ is unlikely to usher in a new era for irrigation in Uzbekistan.