Understanding the sociology of spate irrigation: cases from Balochistan

Spate diversion agriculture provides a livelihood to a large number of economically marginal people in arid areas. This article presents material from Balochistan (Pakistan), where area-wise spate irrigation is the most important source of agriculture. The article studies how farming communities have adjusted to the uncertainty inherent to spate diversion agriculture. It concentrates on seven interlinked social themes: marginality, internal differentation, risk coping strategies, labour peaks and mechanization, conditional land tenure, active land formation processes and reactive water rights. An argument is made to experiment with a flood river management approach, with emphasis on institutional investments, manipulation of land formation processes and a river-basin wide perspective.