Water users’ associations: an effective approach for conflicts resolution among water users in Punjab, Pakistan

This study aimed at assessing the role of water users’ associations (WUAs) in conflicts resolution among water users. A sample of 100 executive members of WUAs was selected purposefully from twenty randomly selected registered and improved watercourses. The data was collected through a detailed, validated and pre-tested interview schedule and analysed through SPSS. Findings showed that social conflicts (x̄=2.00), repair and maintenances of watercourse (x̄=1.91) and disputes on watercourse design, route and section to be lined (x̄=1.81) were the top most causes of conflicts among the water users. Uprooting of trees (86.0%), payment of farmers’ share (79.0%), quality of materials used (73.0%), section of watercourses to be lined (71.0%), working of farmers’ labor (70.0%) and provision of labour (69.0%) were the important reasons for differences among water users. Satisfaction level of water users regarding contribution of WUAs in conflict resolution (x̄=3.98) was lying between medium to high tending towards high while, effectiveness of WUAs in conflict resolution (x̄=4.17) was lying between high and very high tending towards very high. There exist a stronger association between the role of WUAs as dependent and strategy to resolve the conflicts as independent variables while, the role of WUAs was strongly dependent on their response to the complaints and it was also dependent on determining the causes of these conflicts. Thus, WUAs must be promoted at every level for enhancing their role for conflicts resolution through regular trainings to improve their conflicts resolution abilities on modern lines and must be made more powerful in terms of authority to decide common conflicts at the spot.