Enhancement of capacity of farmer organizations for sustainable irrigation systems in Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts

Over the past decades public investment in major, medium and minor irrigation systems has not yielded the expected results. The solution to the growing water crisis lies in the institutional reform of existing social systems so as to manage the demand for water. In recent times, there has been an emphasis on capacity-building of farmer organizations (FO) in irrigation projects. This study focuses on investigating the institutional capacities of FOs in irrigation systems in the Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts. Primary data was collected from a stratified random sample of 48 FOs selected from major, medium and minor irrigation systems in the Anuradhapura and Kunurnegala districts during 2008. The Group Dynamics Effectiveness Index (GDEI) of FOs was developed by weighing the significance of important parameters and employed in the calculation of the overall effectiveness of FOs.