Exploring Factors Affecting the Performance of Water Users' Associations in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

ABSTRACT Improving the performance of Water Users' Associations (WUAs) plays an important role in ensuring food security in countries with irrigation‐based agriculture, especially in climate‐sensitive deltas. This study investigates the factors affecting the performance of WUAs in the Quan Lo Phung Hiep area of the Vietnam Mekong Delta region, which is under great pressure from salinity intrusion and a decrease in upstream flows. The study adopts the two methods of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multiple linear regression analysis (OLS), with survey data collected from 225 managers across 102 WUAs (including cooperatives and collective groups) in the study area. The results indicate that internal factors, including technological modernization, financial capacity, human resources, and organizational structure, have a significant impact on performance. In contrast, external factors, including natural and environmental conditions, infrastructure and policy support, only have a more modest influence. Although social participation emerged as a construct from the EFA, it did not show a statistically significant association in the regression model. These findings suggest that the performance of WUAs can be substantially enhanced by promoting technological modernization, restructuring service pricing, and diversifying organizational services. Overall, this study offers valuable empirical lessons for improving decentralized irrigation management in regions facing similar socio‐ecological challenges.