T Water User Association self-governance, Fujian province, southern China

T water user association, also a farmer organization at village level, is located in Fujian province. It has been operating effectively since its creation in 2001 so this is a successful case of self-management. The main reasons are attributed to 3 aspects: the village’s own water resource of reservoir and river, the inter-nested structure of association, village committee and clan, and the low cost punishment environment of village norms. These promote the farmers to self organize and craft their own rules of facility maintenance and water distribution.

This case was entered by Ying Chai at Arizona State University in 2014.