Readiness of farmers' institutions in facing environmental disruption: The case of participation of farmers as water users in maintaining trash-polluted irrigation in Indonesia

Abstract

Farmers' participation in maintenance irrigation system is very important to support irrigation sustainability. The key success of participation in irrigation management are the existence and activeness of farmer-led water-user associations through dynamic social-institutional interactions. The spread and accumulation of trash in irrigation, requires institutional readiness to carry out on improvement collective action. This study aimed to assess the farmers' institutions readiness to their participation to cleaning the irrigation canals. The study was conducted in 19 Group Water User Associations (GWUA) at Bantul Regency Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Questionnaire and interview were used to collect the data, followed with descriptive statistics and exploratory analysis. The results showed that problem of trash in irrigation canals triggering GWUA's activities in form of members' meetings, tracing and inventorying irrigation issues, and irrigation maintenance. Communication among farmers in meetings and other activities pertaining a collective awareness to support other GWUA activities. The study also revealed that financial situation, members' participation and equipment were the constrains in irrigation maintenance participation. A support from local government to farmer is expected, aiming to improve effectiveness and widening irrigation maintenance areas. Moreover, a community participation also needed to deal with trash spreading to prevent water pollution in irrigation system.