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During the 1980’s there had been an escalating increase of participatory irrigation management (PIM) for resolving the problems of critical food security in many regions of the world. At that time, the function of irrigation has been recognized as a mean for stabilizing food production and prices. It was identified that Irrigation provides some 40% of the world’s food from only 17% of the global cropped area. 2,400 million people depend on irrigated agriculture for food and livelihood. However this irrigation function has been challenged by the increasing of population on the one hand and the need to enhance the technical, managerial and institutional intervention to keep pace with the sustainable food security program. In an attempt to resolve the problems, there has been variety of approaches to be consistently implemented, however, there are several countries around the world have attempted irrigation management transfer to water user associations and other means of PIM. Others are only partially implemented by means of institutional arrangement, with different levels of success even failures. Considering the message of the INWEPF to the 5^th World Water Forum in Turkey – March 2008, among others that farmer participation is indispensable parts of PIM system, this paper gives a brief overview of the different types of institutional arrangements of water user associations and suggests best practices as incentives for promoting effective adjustment of PIM with the respective countries practices, and most importantly, to spread up of the appropriate irrigated farming techniques on paddy fields through PIM.

Gany in Mexico: Sailing at Xochimilco Floating Garden and Climbing the Famous Sun Pyramide
On the occasion of the Fist Seminar of the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), I visited Mexico (the beginning of 1996), and having a number of technical field trips as well as a number of interesting tourist objects in the vicinity of Mexico City, Celaya and Guanajuato.
One of the most memorable visit was climbing the Pyramide of the Sun (75 m high), which is the largest building in Teotihuacán and one of the largest in Mesoamerica. Errected in the shadow of the massive mountain Cerro Gordo, the pyramid is part of a large complex in the heart of the city. The name Pyramid of the Sun comes from the Aztecs, who visited the city of Teotihuacán centuries after it was abandoned; the name given to the pyramid by the Teotihuacanos is unknown. It was constructed in two phases. The first construction stage, around 100 A.D., brought the pyramid to nearly the size it is today. The second round of construction resulted in its completed size of 738 feet (225 meters) across and 246 feet (75 meters) high, making it the third largest pyramid in the world behind the Great Pyramid of Cholula and The Great Pyramid.
It is thought that the pyramid venerated a deity within Teotihuacan society but the destruction of the temple on top of the pyramid, by both deliberate and natural forces prior to the archaeological study of the site, has so far prevented identification of the pyramid with any particular deity. Some scholars have suggested that the deity of the pyramid was the Great Goddess, one of two major Teotihuacan deities and one of the few goddesses in ancient Mesoamerica. However, little evidence exists to support this theory. I have a chance to lay down meditating at the top of the Pyramide of the Sun, after so tired to climb, like many people did. I was told by the hotel staff in the City that: “if you visit the Pyramide of the Son, you must climb to the top for meditating and asking you wish to the God like the ansestor of Aztecs did”. Good if you could also climb the Pyramide of the Moon, which is adjacent to each other, said him consecutively. Unfortunately I was so tired to climb, so I did not have enough energy as well as courage to climb.
On the way from the pyramide, we spent some time to have a lunch at the restaurant in Guanajuato City, which is stand at the hip of the high mountainous area – very beautiful scenery with colorful building and varieties of arhitectural styles. Guanajuato is also famous as a beautiful university city northwest of Mexico City which houses the Museo de las momias. After lunchen, then we visited the The Guanajuato museums, where displayed a lot of naturally mummified bodies.
The next interesting thing to do was was sailing around the Floating Garden of Xochimilco, with a large number of colorful decorated boats. By sailing along the main channel, we could easily imagined how the ancient ancestor of Mexican built the facilities with large amount of soil excavation as well as embankment to make the floating garden firm, such that it remains an interisting place to visit till today, after hundred of years existence.
I almost forgot my camera when continuously taking picture using tripod with self exposure if the bus driver did not remind me. Some of the photographs are attached here to, showing the activities that I did during the visit to some of the Mexican points of interest. (Hagny-2009)

My Image of Japan in 1986
 
Despite the fact that I have visited Japan almost a dozen times, however, the first visit in 1986 remained the most unforgettable one. During the visit, I spent every opportunity to visit the most famous Japan’s point of interests. These include Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Disney Land, The Atomic Bomb Doom in Hiroshima, travelling by “Shin Kan Zen” or bullet train and sky train, Emperial Palace, Mount Fuji, and many other museums, as well as historical sites.
 
This February, I actually have a schedule to visit Japan again, but I have an urgent assignment to complete my preparation to attend the 5th World Water Forum, in Istanbul Turkey, on 16th of March 2009 (with a bunch of paper works to do), then the visit to Japan is postponed to October 2009.
 
Since my Son have just moved to work at NHK (Radio of Japan), since 18th December 2008, I was rather disappointed to postpone my scheduled visit, so unable to observe my son and family’s recent living condition in Tokyo, but I hardly available to do this till October 2009.
 
In order to retain my most unforgettable image of Japan, as well as rememberance of my son’s moving to work in Japan, I put my 1986’s image of Japan in a canvas by means of oil paintings, illustrating the modern and traditional Japan in mosaic format. This painting was worked out with oil paint in Jakarta (February 7, 2009) on a canvas of 50 x 60 cm. The model was inspired by my first visit to Tokyo, Japan in 1986 on the occation of the Construction Guidance Service Center - JICA. I had ample chances to see the entire Metropolitan Tokyo and other sites. The model was adopted from a small sketch, I bought in the souvenir shop at the top of Tokyo Tower. The original painting is now kept at my recidence in Pondok Gede, West Java.
 
I hope that on October 2009, I could have my visiting plan materialized, so I could observe the shift of my image from 1986 to 2009, eventhough I have visited Japan so many times in between.

“The Pizza Tower in Autumn Image of Canada and Bull-fight of Spain” This painting was worked out with oil paint in Jakarta (February 7, 2007) on a canvas of 60 x 90 cm, but only completed on February 7, 2009; too busy, while waiting for inspiration. The model was inspired by my visit to Algeria, in 1996 while stopping over in Italy on the occation of the 9th Afro Asian Regional Conference of ICID. I was inspired to put Bull-fight mosaic during my visit to Spain in 2008, on Zaragoza World Water Expo. Later by an article in the internet about colorful leaves in Japan, to remind me the Maple leaf of Canada. The original painting is now kep at my recidence in Pondok Gede, West Java.

Seventh International Seminar on Participarory Irrigation Management (PIM); 13-18 June 2004, Tirana, Albania
 
DR. Hafied Gany, as Board of Director of INPIM, participated at 7th PIM Seminar, 13-18 June 2004, Tirana Albania. The phothographs shows some interesting scenes of Albania. (1) Downtown of Albania; (2) In front of Hotel Sheraton where the seminsr was held; (3) Dr. Gany’s meeting at Sheraton Hotel, Tirana; (4) Fieldtrip; (5) Typical Bunker during the cold war in Albania; (6) Rehabilitated Islamic Mosques along the way to field trip; (7) Berat Ancient Historical Complex; (8) Together with Albanian children; (9) Picture at Berat Ancient Historical Complex; (10) Souvenir shop adjacent to the Berat Complex; and (11) Statue of the famous Constandini I MADH.

This paper has been prepared for the Symposium on "Efficient and Sustainable Water Use to Address Poverty Alleviation and Food Security" on the occasion of the 5^th INWEPF Steering Meeting, Conducted in Denpasar, Bali - Indonesia, 13^th to15^th November 2008. Abstract is presented below: H@agny-2008 

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