Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

Use of water resources

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: Karaganda Region

District: Shet District

Other settlement: Aksa-Ayuliye Rural District

Country: Tajikistan

Province: Districts of Republican Subordination

District: Rudaki

The site is located in the area of acute shortage of irrigation and drinking water

• Located in the Varzob River Basin (right-bank tributary of the Kafirnigan (Kofarnihon) River);
• Valley section of the Kafirnigan River Basin (river catchment area);
• Deep (below 5 m) ground water occurrence;
• Other peculiarities: middle loamy soils.

Start date: 01.01.2015

End date: 31.12.2015

Start date: 01.04.2012

End date: 31.10.2013

Acute shortage of irrigation water

Surface irrigation is associated with considerable water losses, uneven root zone moistening, increasing irrigation-induced soil erosion, low labor productivity of irrigators, low irrigation system efficiency, etc.

Measures to restore natural springs: arrangement of stone protection fencing around springs and installation of water-release pipes

Low-pressure impulse mist irrigation system

Actions
For project purposes, 10 springs were selected still able to exert water to the surface. Project actions included arrangement of stone protection fencing around springs to prevent cattle from trampling the springs. To allow water release, drain pipes were installed in protection stone walls.

Results
Financial and economic:
The economic effect of livestock production and irriga-tion development exceeding 100,000 USD.

Technical
Enhanced (by up to 30-40%) supply of irrigation and drinking water in the area; drafted “Rules of Using General Use Water Facilities for Personal and Domestic Needs Located on the territory of the Rural District”.

Actions:

- Construction of low-pressure impulse mist irrigation system (procurement of polyethylene piping, pumping unit, cassette filter);
- Installation of pumping equipment, settling pond, impulse mist sprinkling nozzles.

Results:

Financial and economic:

rational use of irrigation water; enhanced efficiency of water and land resources use; low cost ($4,164/ha) compared to the basic option ($4,326/ha).

Ecological:

no damage to atmosphere, water and soil and production of ecologically clean agricultural produce.

Technical:

the system operates under low pressure enough to ensure sufficient mist sprinkling irrigation (high-quality artificial rain) creating the necessary microclimate stimulating proper plant growth and development, ensuring even and highly uniform soil moistening; the system is easy to assemble and operate.

Social:

reduced irrigation costs on behalf of water users due to smaller volume of consumed irrigation water; increased profitability of farms due to higher crops productivity.

Lessons learnt:
The practice demonstrated the advantages of restoring springs and the need to regularly maintain water bodies

Recommendations:
It is necessary to continue the efforts not only in Kazakhstan, but also across the region. For example, it is possible to rehabilitate multiple springs and water accumulators (like “sardoba” or underground “kyariz”) across all Central Asia.

Lessons learnt:

Low-pressure impulse mist irrigation system allows improving the overall conditions in greenhouses and/or lemon tree nurseries – rain-like water distribution curbs irrigation-induced soil erosion and unproductive water losses in the course of irrigation.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to widely deploy low-pressure impulse mist sprinkling systems with the aim of irrigation automation and saving irrigation water.

Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations)

Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations)

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: SaveH2Okz Project within the framework of the joint EU/UNDP/UNECE Project “Supporting Kazakhstan in its transition to green economy model”

Duration: 2015-2018

Project goal and objectives: raising awareness on the issue of water resources exhaustion with the aim of fostering “green economy” practices

Project beneficiaries: local population

Project implementer: Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Project title: Low-pressure impulse mist sprinkling system for greenhouses and/or lemon tree nurseries.

Project duration: Apr 2012-Oct 2013.

Project goal and objectives: development and deployment of new low-pressure impulse mist irrigation system for greenhouses and lemon tree nurseries in the context of acute water shortage to ensure even distribution of irrigation water, exclude irrigation-induced soil erosion and unproductive irrigation water losses, thus, leading to water and power saving.

Project beneficiaries: “Ziroatkor” Farm.

Project implementer: Sh. Shotemur Tajik Agrarian University

Joint EU/UNDP/UNECE Project “Supporting Kazakhstan in its transition to green economy model” sponsored by the European Union (saveh2o.kz)

Report by Tajikistan Water Partnership, Dushanbe, 2012, 18 p.

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC