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Achieving long-term success in irrigation commons
Ulrich J Frey1, Atul Pokharel2
1Department of Environmental Systems Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Plos One
|July 21, 2026
Summary
Farmer-managed irrigation systems with external support and user leaders show best performance. Fair rules, regular meetings, and occasional external aid predict long-term system survival and persistence.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Engineering
- Environmental Science
- Public Policy
Background:
- Longitudinal data is scarce for irrigation system performance.
- Cross-sectional studies identify many factors, but long-term predictive power is unclear.
- Understanding irrigation system persistence is crucial for sustainable agriculture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify characteristics predicting long-term performance and persistence of irrigation systems.
- To analyze initial system attributes influencing outcomes over 16-37 years.
- To determine the relative predictive power of various factors on irrigation system survival.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a unique longitudinal dataset of 218 community-based irrigation systems in Nepal.
- Applied state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms for method independence.
- Analyzed system attributes and performance over three decades.
Main Results:
- Farmer-managed systems with external support and user leaders demonstrated superior performance.
- Long-term survival correlated with fair rules, regular member meetings, and occasional external assistance.
- Institutional design emerged as a strong predictor of irrigation system performance and persistence.
Conclusions:
- Good institutional design is a key factor for the long-term success of irrigation commons.
- External support and active user participation enhance irrigation system performance.
- Longitudinal analysis provides critical insights into irrigation system sustainability.
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