Sustainable irrigation in Indonesia: a case study of Southeast Sulawesi Province

Abstract

This study employs Ostrom’s Design Principles to examine the robustness of institutional arrangements employed by water user associations to manage access to water resources in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The outcome is a set of eight propositions which, if implemented, can be predicted to significantly improve water use in Indonesia. Emphasis is placed on the development of institutional arrangements that encourage and empower local action within an agreed system-wide framework so that communities can prosper as pressures and demands for water access increase—a requirement generally applicable to situations found in many other countries.