Exploring growth in the adaptive cycle of a collaborative irrigation scheme: A case study of the Kaleya Smallholders Company Limited (KASCOL) in Zambia

The study explored growth phase in the KASCOL collaborative irrigation scheme. In the study the adaptive cycle was used as a heuristic model for organizing and interpreting growth phase in the scheme. Social capital was a key variable that was explored in the adaptive cycle of the scheme. Social capital was measured in terms of trust and commitments. The findings revealed that increasing levels of social capital influenced growth phase in the KASCOL collaborative scheme. The implication of this finding is that attributes of social capital- trust and commitment are critical in the governance and management of water resources.