Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: The Impacts of Two Irrigation Management Strategies on Water Distribution and Access in the Bolivian Andes

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University of Florida doctoral candidate, Timothy Podkul, under the guidance of Dr. Christopher McCarty, will carry out research with the overall objective of understanding the relationship between social organization and access to irrigation water in water-scarce communities. This research is grounded in anthropological theories drawn from a broad base of international literature concerning the interrelationship between community organization and governance, and water access and distribution strategies.This study will focus on two agro-pastoral communities in the Bolivian Andes, a region plagued by severe alternating drought and flooding. In both communities, the production of alfalfa and grass for livestock is essential to economic security. Two strategies are used to manage the distribution of scarce irrigation water: (1) independently-organized systems and (2) state-supported Water User Associations (WUAs). In one, distribution is organized and enforced locally by the users, while in the other, the irrigation water is under control of a WUA. Social network data from each community will be collected to examine how structural properties of actors within the network affect water distribution. Associations between other variables such as water management strategies, geographical location within a community, and community consensus about water management norms will also be measured as potential predictors of water access. Particular attention will be paid to the changing cultural and political roles of the Water Chief and community social structure as WUA-appointed leaders take over water management duties.This research addresses issues of importance to water and agricultural management and policy in a region where implementation of best practices for successful natural resource management could decrease conflicts and out-migration. This study has both theoretical importance and practical applications for those seeking to understand the increasingly tenuous relationships between communities and government authorities in areas of scarce vital resources. Funding this research also supports the education of a graduate student.