SEMINAR ANNOUNCEMENT
EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR
ON PARTICIPATORY IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT
"Emerging Trends in Public-Private Partnerships in the Irrigation Sector”
Sponsored by:
The French Government, The World Bank and INPIM
Organized by the INPIM and Coteaux de Gascogne
Tarbes, France, May 08-13, 2005
The Eighth International Seminar on Participatory Irrigation Management will be held
in Tarbes France from May 8-13, 2005. The seminar is being sponsored by The French
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The French Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; The
World Bank Netherlands Partnership Program; the World Bank Institute; and the
International Network on Participatory Irrigation Management (INPIM). The seminar is
organized and hosted by INPIM and the Coteaux De Gascogne (CACG), with support by
French SARs (Sociétés d’Aménagement regional): BRL, CACG, SCP and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Development Co-operation, Netherlands.
The theme of the seminar, “Emerging Trends in Public-Private Partnerships in
the Irrigation Sector” will highlight the diverse world experiences which have
implemented such arrangements. The seminar offers participants the opportunity to
learn about the latest developments in public-private partnerships in the irrigation
sector; network with irrigation professionals, policymakers, and donors from around
the world; and see first hand the approach by CACG in providing quality irrigation
services. The program includes three and a half days of presentations and discussions
and a day of field visits and interaction with different stakeholders of the CACG.
Participants are encouraged to register for the seminars immediately in view of limited
accommodation.
Background: The challenges for increasing the productivity of irrigation systems to
meet the additional demands of food for an increasing population in the face of
increasing scarcity and competition of water has forced countries to think of new
strategies. Despite an impressive growth in irrigated agriculture, there has been a
growing recognition that the benefits are not always commensurate with the
investments. The last two decades have clearly shown a reduction in investments in
the irrigated sector both by the donor community and the countries concerned. About
half of the additional food will have to come undoubtedly from irrigated agriculture.
With limited scope in the horizontal growth of the irrigation sector, the challenges for
vertical growth of the sector hold great potential for meeting additional food demands
and hence are of paramount importance. Reforms in the irrigation sector have so far
followed two main, not necessarily exclusive, paths, either:
Either a management transfer of irrigation systems to farmers and
water users, sometimes successfully (like in Mexico or to some extent in Turkey), but
not so successfully in other cases either due to a lack of adequate government
commitment or due to opposition by public agencies.
Or a reform of public agencies, either by increasing participation of
users in governance; turning them into professional service providers to irrigating
farmers or the involvement of the private sector through concessions, joint ventures,
management contracts etc: France has experimented for long the transfer of irrigation
management to private companies, which manage and service its clients, Australia has
initiated a set of reforms that corporatizes the irrigation sector, China has piloted the
concept through its self financed irrigation and drainage districts, a few African
countries are also moving along the same line, Pakistan and Egypt are in the process
of creating area water boards etc..
The private sector is becoming an increasingly powerful actor in the area of
international development. Recently there has been a notable increase in the
collaborations between public and private sectors for the development and
maintenance of environment and infrastructure projects. These Public-Private
Partnerships (PPP) involve collaborations between governments, the private sector and
civil society that may, ideally become mutually beneficial over a sustained period of
time by combining the strengths of each partner and optimizing allocation of
resources There are many forms of private sector involvement ranging private
provision of some services and supplies (e.g. maintenance of pumping stations), to
contracting with a private firm for operation and maintenance (delegation of
management) or contracting for design, construction and operation (Gardane,
Morocco). However, these arrangements are still an evolving concept and must be
tailored to each individual project accordingly. The European Commission, in
developing “Guidelines for Successful Public-Private Partnerships” has identified four
principal roles for the private sector to play in PPP schemes: the private sector may
provide additional capital; alternative management and implementation skills; value
added to the consumer and the public at large; and better identification of needs and
optimal use of resources.
However, while PPPs can present a number of advantages, it must be remembered
that these schemes are also complex to design, implement and manage. Several key
factors have been noted as influential in project design and management. These
include ensuring open market access and competition; protecting the public’s interest;
ensuring full compatibility between PPP arrangements and state aid rules; and
selecting the most suitable PPP arrangement. Successful collaborations involve
specific outcomes; flexible arrangements; appropriate time frames; and realistic
expectations.
There is no single model of participatory management or private sector participation
which could be appropriate to all cases. There are examples of well-run and poorly-run
public and private organizations in the water supply sector. A wide range of policy
options for the irrigation sector competing on the basis of their responsiveness to local
requirements should be considered when promoting institutional reforms instead of a
one-size-fits-all-model. The seminar would present applications of these
different forms of private-public collaboration and their advantages and disadvantages.
As the potential for partnerships in the irrigation sector increases, we feel it is timely
to have this issue as the theme of the Eighth International Seminar to not only share
recent knowledge and experiences about public-private partnerships relevant to
irrigation projects but also to facilitate opportunities for future successful
arrangements.
Seminar Program
Besides offering the opportunity to review state-of-the-art thinking on irrigation
reform, the international seminar offers the opportunity for networking with irrigation
professionals from around the world. The seminar will be conducted in English, with
simultaneous English/French/English translation. The seminar program is briefly
outlined below.
05/08 Participants Registration (4-00 PM to 6-00 PM)
05/09 Inaugural Session, Keynote Address & Keynote Presentations on PPP and
country case studies. Welcome Dinner (evening)
05/10 Presentations on Paths to PPP’s, Cases of Empowered WUAs; Cases of
Professionalized Irrigation Agencies and emerging trends in PPP
05/11 Field Visit to the Canal de la Neste, Discussions with WUAs, Stakeholder
committees and concession network farmers
05/12 Group debriefing field experiences & work group sessions on critical factors for
PPP
05/13 Panel Discussions and the likely way forward followed by conclusion of the
seminar. Participants leave in the afternoon
Seminar Fee, Payment, and Travel
INPIM offers a pre-arranged package including lodging, local transportation, meals,
study materials and field visits at US $1,300 (from the afternoon of Sunday to the
forenoon of Friday 13th). Any additional expenses on telephone calls, laundry, and
use of the hotel bar will be at the participant’s expenses. Payment of the seminar fee
can be made through a bank/wire transfer directly to INPIM's bank account. The
information required to make a wire transfer will be made available upon request by
email to rpeter@inpim.org or svasenda@inpim.org or info@inpim.org. The registration
form must contain the name of the payee and the words” Eighth International seminar
on PIM”. Kindly make the payment in advance.
The seminar will be held at the Congress Center, Tarbes. Participants are asked to
check in the hotel no earlier than the afternoon of Sunday, May 08, 2005. Participants
should also check out of the hotel no later than 12:00 hrs local time on Friday, May
13, 2005. Participants wishing to arrive before, or stay after, the above mentioned
dates and times should arrange for accommodations at their own expense. INPIM or
the organizers will not be responsible for any additional expenditure incurred.
VISA to France
Each participant must arrange to obtain his or her own visa for entry into France.
Participants are advised to contact the French Embassy in your country to ascertain
procedures for obtaining a visa. A letter of invitation by the French Government will be
made available to all participants for securing a visa from their respective country.
INPIM will facilitate the issuance of letters of invitation upon receipt of the registration
forms. Participants passing though more than one Schengen Country are also required
to ascertain from the French Embassy in their respective countries on the requirement
of a Schengen visa.
Travel to France:
Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to Tarbes.
Paris, the major hub of France, is connected by most International carriers. Flights are
available from Paris (CDG) to Lourdes/Tarbes (LDF) or Pau (PUF). Those who would
like to travel by train to enjoy the TGV may get more information at the TGV website.
Tarbes is located in the south west of France and is about 20 KM away from Lourdes
an important pilgrimage center and 40 Km. from Pau which a large number of flights
from Paris. Please note that there are a relatively limited number of airlines that fly
to Tarbes. Participants should make their airline reservations as soon as possible.
Participants are advised to intimate their arrival and departure plans to enable
reception and send off at the airport or train station.
International Participants
Local Participants
J. Raymond Peter
Executive Director
INPIM
333 ½. Pennsylvania Avenue, SE,
Third Floor,
Washington, DC 20003, USA
Telephone: +1 202-546-7005
Fax: +1 202-318-0215
Henri Tardieu
Director General
CACG (Coteaux de Gascogne)
Chemin de l’Alette
BP 449
65000 Tarbes, France
Email: info@inpim.org
coordinator@inpim.org
rpeter@inpim.org
Internet: http://www.inpim.org
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Tel : +33 5 62 51 71 49
Fax : +33 5 62 51 71 30
E-mail : h.tardieu@cacg.fr