Responsibility for the secondary distribution systems and drainage canals has, however, shifted to the village authorities after the Soviet times. This shift has resulted in poorly maintained in-farm distribution systems, which have made irrigation highly ineffective. These water users’ associations consist of farmers at the village level cooperating to maintain and operate irrigation networks. The associations have a legal status that makes them independent of the Government and enables them to collect taxes from their members and to raise loans to finance the costs of maintaining and operating the irrigation networks. Since the adoption of the Law on Associations of Water Users in 2001, about 450 water users’ associations have been established, with an expected need of 500-550. The total hydropower potential is estimated at 142 billion kWh/year, but to date only 10 per cent of this potential is utilized.