SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT-FEE COLLECTION MECHANISM FOR IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE FACILITIES IN ISLAMIC LAW

Abstract

Increasing the environmental stresses on water resources are causing countries to reconsider various mechanisms to improve water use efficiency. This is especially true for irrigation agriculture, a major consumer of water. The physical and hydraulic characteristics of the irrigation distribution system often form a major limit. Also the implementations of irrigation water fees are sensitive to physical, social, and religious beliefs, making it necessary to design allocation mechanisms accordingly. The purpose of this work is to study the water pricing mechanisms to improve cost recovery for irrigation and drainage facilities under the Islamic law and its impact on water saving. The study tries to find out if there is an irrigation water pricing system that better meets the social, economical, and environmental needs. Also the research tries to highlight Egypt's experience in dealing with the cost recovery in irrigated agriculture. the main findings to agree with Islamic law that cost recovery for irrigation and drainage services would be limited to those infrastructures that are used solely for direct irrigation and drainage and should ensure that at least the full operation and maintenance costs are recovered, because they reflect the service costs of providing farmers with irrigation water and ensuring acceptable drainage. When the pressure of demand on water resources is high and competition exists between uses of water, quota systems are imposed on agriculture. To get high cost-recovery rates, farmers should not only agree on the costs to be recovered but also see the fees collected are used to maintain and improve “their” system.

Keywords

• cost recovery
• Egypt
• water saving