Collaborative Action and Social Organization in Remote Rural Regions: Autonomous Irrigation Arrangements in the Pamirs of Tajikistan

Abstract

This paper proposes a bottom–up “nexus medium” perspective to examine and understand social organization and how socio-ecological challenges in remote rural regions are dealt with in communities that receive only limited external support. While “nexus mediums” constitute substances, matter, or objects that combine manifold vital meanings and can be seen as socially constructed and materialized arenas of social interaction, autonomous resource management is seen as a means of local social organization. Taking water as the nexus medium of choice allows us to generate locally informed insights about the role of this scarce resource for the everyday life and social organization of communities inhabiting arid rural areas. This reasoning will be exemplified by three local case studies conducted during empirical research in the Pamirs of Tajikistan utilizing a mix of qualitative methods. The findings reveal how many fundamental everyday-life-related aspects and activities of the studied communities are related to water, and how these communities are organized around common water use and management arrangements that are based on joint decision-making, shared benefits and responsibilities, and collaborative action. The “nexus medium” concept appears to be an appropriate approach for research that seeks to understand from a local perspective how communal living is organized and how socio-ecological challenges are addressed.

Determinants of Farmers’ Level of Interaction with Agricultural Extension Agencies in Northwest Ethiopia

“…Irrigated land size cultivated by the household: Public extension interactions with local people in the community enhances their knowledge of various irrigation issues [88] and helps improve their use of irrigation water by providing them with the requisite knowledge, skills, commitment and understanding. However, farmers with more than one hectare of irrigated land were less likely to interact with extension agents, the district office of agriculture, 1 to 5 farmers' groups, farmers' development groups and water user associations, by factors of 2%, 17%, 11%, 18% and 20%, respectively.…”

Journal of Water and Land Development

“…Network hydraulic facilities of irrigation systems, including low-pressure culverts, are the most widespread. The unsatisfactory condition of the hydraulic facilities leads to the fact that up to 50% of the water taken from the irrigation sources is lost in the irrigation canals [DÖRRE 2020].…”