investigating the impacts of operation and maintenance management transferring of irrigation and drainage networks to private associations (case study of sistan plain)

abstract among different water usage in iran, agricultural sector with 94 percent is the largest water user. considering the share of agriculture in water usage, farmers are the main factor in water resources management. therefore, optimal utilization of irrigation and drainage networks would depend on farmers’ effective role. due to the limited water resources in different country regions, including sistan plain, that seems necessary to protect it. this study investigates positive and negative impacts, activities that would be privatized and problems that arose during implementation of transferring in sistan plain. studied sample included 150 users and experts in 1388. results showed that transferring would result in reducing water resources extraction and improvement in agricultural sector in studied area. eventually some recommendations were proposed to improve the transferring program. keywords: management, irrigation and drainage networks, private association, sistan plain jel classification: m11, q15, l33