2016 Volume 32 Issue 2 Pages 71-80
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is a water-saving technology that is also capable of mitigating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission from paddy fields; and thus expected to be diffused over a larger area. In Vietnam, the An Giang province is known as a region where the AWD technology has been widely applied and practiced. Assessment and analysis of key drivers and constraints behind the rapid and wide application of the technology in the region would pave the way for fighting against global warming and water shortage. This paper presented and discussed a brief historical background, water management and challenges based on a field study that has combined an interview of pertinent government officers and focus group discussions of farmers. Key findings of the study included that the farmers did not adopt water level management by exercising objective judgment with a simple measuring devise to gauge ground water level. On the other hand, the farmers adopted and modified it in more practical manner by exercising empirical judgment on water stress of plant growth and conditions of surface soil (AWD of farmers). The main incentive for the farmers to adopt AWD of farmers is that introduction of the technology reduced pump operation cost, however it was recognized that the beneficiaries were limited to pump owners under the current contract conditions. Proper design of contract conditions to ensure equitable distribution of benefit among farmers is expected to accelerate diffusion process of the technology. Site conditions differ significantly among farm plots, which may have prevented a standardized or uniform approach. In addition to the diffusion of the AWD technology as a technical package containing provision of quality seeds, mechanization under a strategic extension campaign, fundamental government approaches are important, mobilization of notable farmers who are trusted by other villagers, selection of demonstration farms that is easily accessible and group formation of neighboring farmers. To be capable of mitigation GHG emission from paddy fields over a larger area, it is efficient that the project combined the introduction of new agricultural technology and low-interest loan is implemented with the utilization of the Joint Crediting Mechanism in the case that farmers exercise with a simple measuring devise to gauge ground water level and the independent organization asset and recognize it appropriate. An assessment of social acceptability of modifying contract condition of pump leasing and duplication of the government approach to AWD diffusion are necessary.
