Robust irrigation system institutions: A global comparison

Abstract

In many places irrigation systems rely on robust governance for continued existence. Elinor Ostrom listed design principles that should achieve robust governance, but doubted that any list could be both necessary and sufficient to result in robust governance. To date this assumption has never been formally tested. We conduct a meta-analysis and ultimately evaluate 62 case studies via fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify necessary/sufficient conditions for robust irrigation system governance. We identify four necessary conditions and seven configurations sufficient for robust governance. Further, we identify a union of conditions that, when absent, are likely to result in system failure.