Comparison of practices

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Use of water resources

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: Jambyl Region

District: Talas District

Other settlement: Village of Sadu Shakirov

Country: Uzbekistan

Province: Andijan Region

The site is located in the desert foothill plain in South-ern Kazakhstan (internal drain area) at the very end of Sharuashlyk Irrigation Canal.

Uzbekistan’s section of the Fergana Valley; the Kara Darya River Basin

Start date: 01.05.2008

End date: 30.04.2009

Start date: 01.01.2001

End date: 31.12.2012

Acute water shortage; land degradation in the village of Sadu Shakirov; abandoned irrigated arable lands used only for year-round cattle grazing.

For a long time, the irrigation canal was not operation-al and, thus, became dilapidated. The situation in the area was aggravated by climate change impacts (de-creased quantity of early spring, summer and winter precipitation, increased average annual temperature, spring and autumn frost bites and summer droughts).

1. Prior to the implementation of the IWRM-Fergana Project, SFMC was managed based on the territorial principle by 3 water management organizations (WMOs): Andizhan Regional Water Administration, Operation Department of the Main Fergana Trunk Canal, and Fergana Regional Water Administration.
2. On the borders between regions and districts (especially between Andizhan and Fergana Regions (Polvontosh Hydro Section)) frequent water distribution related conflicts took place;
3. The quality of water management (uniformity, stability and efficiency of water supply) was poor.

Method of autumn and winter water-charging irrigation

The hydro-graphic principle of main trunk canal management

Actions:
1) Reconstruction of the canal, stop-gates and field irrigation networks (rehabilitation of irrigation furrows),
2) Setting up artificial pastures with forage crops

Results:

Financial and economic:
Using water-charging irrigation for rangelands allowed increasing their productivity from 3.5 to 5 dt/ha and receiving 60 tons of herbage for cattle and sheep and goats from non-cultivated land.

Technical:
1) 12 km of the canal and 5 stop-gates to regulate water releases restored,
2) 5 km of irrigation furrows built,
3) Cultivated pastures with forage crops created (soil preparation, alfaalfa planting, coordination of irrigation norms),
4) Fields are prepared during the summer-fall period, and watered during late fall or early spring.

Actions:

Instead of 3 WMOs established based on the territorial-administrative principle, one organization (Administration of the Southern Fergana Main Canal, ASFMC) was created on the basis of the hydro-graphic principle.  ASFMC is fully responsible for maintenance and operation of the SFMC from the point of water intake to the very end of the canal (see figures).

 Results:

 Transition to the hydro-graphic principle of establishing WMOs allowed to do the following:

• sharply decrease the number of water conflicts on the borders between regions and districts;
• enhance the uniformity (fairness) of water resources distribution;
• enhance the stability of water supply;
• reduce organizational losses.

Lessons learnt:
Application of water-charging irrigation allowed in-creasing water availability and, as the result, productivity of agricultural crops.

Application of water-charging irrigation demonstrated the efficiency of water use and allowed local popula-tion to go through winter without losing livestock.

Recommendations:
The method can be used in areas/communities where along with crop growing the population is also involved in livestock breeding.

Lessons learnt:

1. Transition to the hydro-graphic principle of establishing WMOs constitutes an institutional tool of improving the quality of water management as it allows implementing a more objective and fair water management policy less dependent on local authorities;
2. Local authorities are not interested in transiting to the hydro-graphic principle and demonstrate resistance to the process.

Recommendations:

Transition to the hydro-graphic principle should be preceded by the following:

1. comprehensive analysis of water allocation issues along the target main canal;
2. training aimed at educating water-related personnel and decision-makers on integrated water resources management (IWRM).

Traditional tools transferred from generation to generation that proved their efficiency in modern conditions

• Traditional approaches that had been applied in water management earlier;
• International project (transfer of foreign experience).

1. Cost of implementation: High

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha:

3. O&M costs: High

4. Expert support: Not needed

1. Cost of implementation: High

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha:

3. O&M costs: High

4. Expert support: Not needed

Project title: Fall and early spring Irrigation of arable land and pastures as an adaptation mechanism of ra-tional water use in Southern Kazakhstan

Duration: May 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009

Project goal and objectives: reduce land degradation due to climate change by way of rational use of irriga-tion water. The project was implemented to prevent loss of cattle due to forage shortage during alternating droughty years.

Project beneficiaries: local population.

Project implementer: Kogal LLC

Project title: Integrated Water Resources Management in the Fergana Valley (IWRM-Fergana).

Project duration: Jan 01, 2001-Dec 31, 2012 (12 years).

Project goal and objectives: overall project goal was “to contribute to safer living, environmental sustainability and wide social harmony, to support rural restructuring in Central Asian countries by enhancing water resources management based on the example of the Ferghana Valley”.

Project beneficiaries: water users and water consumers within the project site.

Project implementer: Head Water Administration Office of the MAWM of the RUz jointly with ICWC SIC/IWMI

1) UNDP Compilation “Climate change adaptation: ex-amples from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan”, Tashkent 2012;
2) pandia.org

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC