Farmer participation in irrigation management: The case of Doroodzan Dam Irrigation Network, Iran Taher Azizi Khalkheili *, Gholam Hosein Zamani Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran 1. Introduction Water resources development and management is imperative for sustainable agriculture in water scarce areas (Ashraf et al., 2007). Moreover, the importance of collective action in many aspects of agriculture, natural resource management, and rural development programs in developing countries has been recognized (Meinzen-Dick et al., 2004). In recent years development strategies have undergone a dramatic shift, with the emphasis changing from the state being the central sector toward greater participation by government or non-governmental organizations (Yercan, 2003). Participation by farmers in system design and manage- ment helps to ensure the sustainability of the system, reduce the public expenditure burden, and improve efficiency, equity, and standards of service (World Bank, 2003). Bell (2001 cited in Dungumaro and Madulu, 2003) argues that community involvement in integrated water resources man- agement or in other environmental issues is based on three considerations: (1) The emergence of participatory approaches demonstrates the importance of local community consent in taking part in public decision-making processes, especially on issues that directly affect their welfare. In this context, local community participation could provide an important database, experience and ideas that could lead to practical, relevant, achievable and acceptable solutions to water related problems, (2) The need to use indigenous knowledge (IK) and opinions that are vital to environmental protection, including proper water resource use and management, and (3) The need to build public trust, as the lack of public trust might lead to protest and antagonism between water resource users and other stake- holders due to varying interests and demands. agricultural water management 96 (2009) 859–865 article info Article history: Received 14 January 2008 Accepted 7 November 2008 Published on line 30 December 2008 Keywords: Irrigation management Water Authority Participatory approach abstract The importance of farmer participation in system design and management has been emphasized in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting farmer participation in irrigation management using survey research. The study was conducted in Doroodzan Dam Irrigation Network in Fars province, Iran. Multistage stratified random sampling was used to collect data from 270 farmers as the research sample. Results reveal that farmers’ attitudes toward participation in irrigation manage- ment, attitudes toward personnel of the State Water Authority and the Agricultural Exten- sion Service Centers (AESCs), family size, the problem perception, dependence on the dam for water, and educational background have influenced their participation in irrigation management. By contrast, contact with information sources, animal units, sociability, age and agricultural experience did not affect farmers’ participation. Moreover, based on farm- ers’ perspectives, unequal water distribution among farms, dissatisfaction with Water Authority operators and high water fees and charges were the main problems and obstacles toward farmer participation in irrigation management. # 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +98 7112286072; fax: +98 7112286072. E-mail addresses: azizi.taher@gmail.com, azizi.taher@yahoo.com (T. Azizi Khalkheili). available at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat 0378-3774/$ – see front matter # 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2008.11.008