Progress of constitutional change and irrigation management transfer in Pakistan: insights from a net-map exercise

Abstract

Two current processes of institutional reform - irrigation management transfer (IMT) and the 18th Amendment to Pakistan's Constitution - are expected to significantly impact agriculture and irrigation in Pakistan. Results are analyzed from a net-map exercise conducted with water-sector experts at the federal and provincial (Punjab) scales. The data suggest the potential for successful shifts of decision making under the 18th Amendment. However, weaker perceptions of the role of IMT in water governance were found than would be expected given its long history. This is further evidence that something new is necessary to help shift towards the decentralized IMT model.