The Way of Securing Human Resource for Management of Irrigation Pond in Suburban Areas

Focus on the Design of the Working Environment

Abstract

Managing irrigation ponds need human resources equipped with the right resource management skills. However, with a continuous decline in the number of farmers, it is becoming difficult to ensure such human resources are in place to efficiently manage ponds. The purpose of this paper is to describe the policy to secure human resources in managing ponds properly. We clarify the issue by interviewing the members of a pond management organization. Narui, Kakogawa-city of the Hyogo prefecture in Japan, was selected as a study area to perform actions and initiatives in generating change. The results of the survey indicated the following : first, out of the wide range of operations, it was found that the most crucial challenge is to ensure human resources to distribute water to the respective rice fields. Second, to encourage people to work in water distribution, human resource allocation should be properly designed. This involved expanding the recruitment target, configuring a well-balanced workforce with various skills and attributes, and reorganizing the positions and roles. Third, an induction program for new recruits were designed. The program included creating opportunities for them to work together with veterans, and equipping them with literature that summarized the necessary information and knowledge. In addition, prompt coordination was conducted when stakeholders made complaints or requests. Based on these results, we pointed out the policy for designing human resource distribution.