This case study, presented by IWMI, is from Ethiopia where pump irrigation based on small rivers and streams is expanding rapidly. The authors show that, while farmers understand the social nature of community-managed irrigation, they share with policymakers a narrow understanding of pump irrigation as being primarily ‘technical., They perceive pumps as liberating them from the ‘social, limitations of traditional communal irrigation. However, the rapid expansion of pump irrigation is leading to increasing competition and conflict over limited water resources. This report analyzes the wider implications for Africa of this blindness to the social dimension of pump irrigation, and offers suggestions for future policy and applied research to address the problem before it becomes a widespread crisis. Reference: Is ‘Social Cooperation, for Traditional Irrigation, while ‘Technology, is for Motor Pump Irrigation