Irrigation systems in Taiwan: Management of a decentralized public enterprise

Abstract

The efficiency of the management of irrigation systems in Taiwan, viewed as decentralized public enterprises, depends on four interrelated factors. These factors are (1) the recognition that water is a scarce factor in agricultural production, (2) the legal administrative basis for centralized planning of irrigation investments but decentralized management of irrigation systems, (3) the information systems which permit the exchange of agronomic and engineering information between the users of water and the managers of a system, and (4) the use of incentive structures for both the managers of irrigation systems and the users of water that appear to be compatible with the efficient use of water within the irrigation system.