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| The Bethma practice: promoting the temporary redistribution of lands during drought periods |
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Reference |
| Vander Molen, Irna: "The Bethma practice: promoting the temporary redistribution of lands during drought periods", A case study from Srilanka |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| Bethma is an old indigenous methodology practice that temporarily redistributes plots of land among shareholders (being paddy landowners) in part of the command area of a tank (reservoir) during drought periods. It is practiced when there is less water available to cultivate the entire command area or purana vela (oldest part used as command area, usually located close to the bund) |
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Coverage of the Institution |
| This practice has been replicated in some areas of Srilanka |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Only the stakeholders or landowners of paddy land in the command area of the tank (reservoir) have rights to allocation of land under bethma.
In some villages, people without paddy lands in the command area of the tank also had indirect access to some of the land due to individual arrangements among farmers. After the allocation of land under bethma, some landowners exchanged part of their paddy land under bethma for water (from agrowells in homegardens), for seedlings, or for money (cultivation rights for the entire plot allocated under bethma during one season for a particular amount of money). |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| Not reported clearly |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| Allocation of the plots is usually done either by the vel vidane (large landowners) or the farmer organisation. In some cases the land distribution is proportional to the land size (usually one-fourth per acre of landholding) but in most cases it was found to be non-proportional (one-fourth acre per landowner, regardless the original share of land owned). |
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Purpose |
| To provide opportunities to farmers to cultivate during drought season by redistributing plots of land. |
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Country |
| Srilanka |
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Region |
| Anuradhpura |
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Date Of Publication |
| RS: 7\01\2000 |
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