Les stratégies de financement de la maintenance et du renouvellement des équipements gérés par des associations syndicales autorisées. Une gestion optimale non durable

Financing strategies for the maintenance and renewal of equipment managed by French water users' associations. The economic viability of irrigation networks may not be secure given the forecast of world food demand and the fact that States would like to withdraw partially from the agricultural water sector. The analysis of the management methods used by French water users' associations highlights some of the limitations of the huge programmes-which have been undertaken throughout the world-that aim to hand over the management of equipment to user associations. This article shows why the associations' choice of policy for financing the maintenance and renewal of equipment is not sustainable despite the fact that it is optimal. Some of the factors that explain the choice of short-term management policies are discussed. Then, an inter-temporal arbitration model between borrowing and self-financing is presented. This model is based on macro-economic characteristics (inflation rate, net present value rate, interest rates for borrowing and saving). It shows that the short-term policy choices for management are perfectly rational and optimal from the managers' point of view.