Cooperating to Survive?:Farmers’ Cooperation and Sustainable Management of Rural Common Property Resources in South India

This paper discusses the role of people’s cooperation and local institutions in managing local common property resources. This paper is based on an empirical study of 76 irrigation tanks in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and it focuses on the organization and functioning of cooperative Water Users’ Association, the impact of the presence of Water Users’ Association on the various performance indicators of tanks and the factors affecting the presence or absence of Water Users’ Associations using simple statistical analysis and econometric model. Based on results of the empirical analysis, the paper argues that efforts should be made to make the Water Users’ Associations self-sustainable by providing them the legal right to harness the multiple benefits of tanks, besides linking the other programs like micro-credit program and national rural employment guarantee program with the tank management activities.