Four years of irrigation reform: 76 water user organizations, property transfer, and new management model

On February 17, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine “On Water User Organizations and Stimulation of Hydrotechnical Land Reclamation.”

The document became the first special law in the field of hydraulic engineering since independence and established a new model. Water resource management is separated from infrastructure management, and responsibility for irrigation networks is gradually being transferred to those who use them. This approach made it possible to move away from excessive centralization and to create conditions for more efficient water use based on the basin principle.

As of early 2026, in Ukraine:

• 76 water user organizations (WUOs) have been created;
• 35 WUOs have entered irrigation networks into the State Land Cadastre;
• some organizations have acquired ownership of pumping stations and pipelines;
• more than 30 are in the process of transferring property.

This means that infrastructure that has been neglected for years is gradually acquiring a real owner and responsible manager.

With the military burden on the budget, the state was unable to fully maintain irrigation systems. That is why transferring some of the powers to direct users became a practical step to preserve, restore, and return irrigation to the production cycle.

"Four years of implementing the Law on Water User Organizations have shown that when farmers are given real tools to manage infrastructure, the system starts to work. We are seeing not declarations, but concrete steps—the creation of WUOs, the registration of networks, the transfer of property. This is the foundation for restoring irrigation, increasing yields, and strengthening the country's food security. The state is gradually changing its approach – less control from the center, more trust in local people," said Iryna Ovcharenko, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine.

In addition, the reform has laid the groundwork for attracting investment in infrastructure modernization, reducing water losses, and improving resource efficiency. It also allows for planning reconstruction, attracting financing, and ensuring predictable water costs for farmers.

The next step should be to improve the management of large state irrigation systems. This will speed up their restoration and gradually return irrigation to large areas.