Self-management in the management and distribution of water for agricultural use: The case of Pozo Zamorano, Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

Several experiences of small irrigation units show that, based on social organizations, norms, uses and customs, and agreed arrangements for making decision have reached binding agreements on issues of collective interest, such as self-managed water systems, where through an organizational level, the activities of the irrigation system are carried out, such as water distribution, maintenance, conflict resolution, monitoring and surveillance. The study was aimed to know the self-management capacity of the “Pozo Zamorano” in water management, based on the design principles of long-term common use resources (CUR). The results show that the management of the resource is given by internal rules and regulations, economic sanction systems that have been established in a common way by the users, to allow good management and order within society. The design points proposed by Ostrom for organizations managed by the same users are present in the organization of the “Pozo Zamorano” society and it can be considered with a high performance. The self-managed condition of the irrigating partners has allowed them to give continuity to the agricultural activity, on which the majority of the community's inhabitants depend.