Сравнение практик

Другое: Methods of integrating water users and WUAs

Use of water resources

Страна: Кыргызстан

Область: Ошская

Район: Кара-Сууский

Страна: Кыргызстан

Область: Таласская

Akbura River Basin

Water User Associations (WUAs) are located in the western and central parts of the Tien Shan Mountains - from the Fergana Valley in the west to the central part of the Tien Shan in the east, from Kazakhstan in the north to the northern part of the Pamir in the south.  The territory of Kyrgyzstan stretches for 900 km from west to east and for 410 km from north to south (approximately between latitudes of 39N and 43N).

Scale of coverage: 450 WUAs with the serviced area of 736 000 ha; the intra-farm infrastructure consisting of 22.7 thous. km of irrigation canals (including 5.5 thous. km lined and in trays), 4.3 thous. km of open and closed collector and drainage networks, over 250 pools of daily and decade-based regulation, about 20 thous. units of hydro-engineering facilities.

Дата начала: 01.01.2007

Дата окончания: 31.12.2017

Дата начала: 01.01.2001

Дата окончания: 31.12.2013

Low level of coordination among WUAs – as a rule, each WUA liaises independently with its water management organization (WMO).

After the country obtained independence, collective and state farms split into multiple small household and country farms, and the water management sector of Kyrgyzstan faced typical transition challenges, including the following key ones:

• absence of relevant standard legal and institutional frameworks, ambiguity of land and water rights regulations;
• lack of financial means for operation and maintenance (O&M) and absence of water pricing policy;
• wear of irrigation and drainage infrastructure that led to unreliable supply and distribution of irrigation water as well as issues associated with drainage and land flooding, etc.;
• practically all intra-farm infrastructure consisting of irrigation canals, open and closed collector and drainage networks, hydro-engineering facilities were left “ownerless”.

Methods of integration and social mobilization

1. Methods of integrating water users and WUAs;
2. Techniques of assessing the technical capacities of irrigation and drainage networks;
3. Training seminars on different aspects of WUA activities (administration, financial management, water use, O&M of WUA irrigation infrastructure, legal framework of WUA operation and monitoring)

The AAMC-WUU is an association of legal entities in the form of Union – a voluntary independent non-profit public organization uniting legal entities (i.e. WUAs) based on common interests with the aim of coordinating actions and protecting shared interests and rights.  AAMC-WUU operates as per the Charter approved at the general meeting of water user representatives, has its own stamp and bank account.

Actions:

The creation of AAMC-WUU began with the establishment of the Initiative Group (IG).  The IG consisted of active water specialists, representatives of water users and other stakeholders who saw the need to transit to IWRM.  Further on, the IG carried out social mobilization, drafted necessary documents (the Union’s Charter, etc.), organized the general meeting of water users that approved the Charter and established the Union’s Council (Board).  After that, AAMC-WUU underwent legal registration and officially launched its work.

Results:

• AAMC-WUU established, legally registered and has been operating until present time;
• AAMC-WUU contributed to the following:
  - enhanced stability and uniformity of water supply to WUAs via state WMO;
  - better collection of water supply service fees paid by WUAs to state WMO.
• Representing the interests of water users as a member of the RMC Water Committee, AAMC-WUU also contributed to decreasing conflicts between WUAs and WMO.

Actions:

Within the framework of the first World Bank Project “Intra-Farm Irrigation” (PVO-1), in the course of 5-6 years more than 450 WUAs were established which are currently independently servicing the intra-farm irrigation network supplying water to over 700 thous. ha of agricultural land. In addition, the intra-farm water supply networks of 354 WUAs were fully re-balanced from the books of rural administrations and other economic entities. 1,138 km of intra-farm irrigation and 142.3 km of collector and drainage networks, 32 day run-off ponds, 3,401 hydro-posts, etc. underwent rehabilitation.  Trainings on all aspects of WUA operation (administration, financial management, water use, O&M of WUA irrigation infrastructure, legal framework of WUA activities, monitoring) were conducted covering over 48 thous. WUA members. The Law of the KR “On Water User Unions (Associations)” was adopted (February 2002).

35 Water Management Councils covering 229.4 thous. ha of irrigated land were established. In addition, 14 Unions (Federations) of Water User Associations covering 121.7 thous. ha of irrigated land were created and underwent legal registration across the country. The purposes of such Unions are joint operation and technical maintenance of intra-farm networks located within their respective service zones.

In early 2008, the 2^nd Project “Intra-Farm Irrigation” (PVO-2) was launched to extend further support to, build the capacity of and train about 500 WUAs in all regions of the republic.  Out of them, 29 WUAs covering the irrigated area of approx. 51,000 ha executed rehabilitation operations and upgraded their irrigation and drainage systems.

Within the framework of implementing this practice, WUAs received assistance to ensure their ability to effectively and productively use the rehabilitated intra-farm irrigation systems in a sustainable manner with the special focus on water resources and assets management.

Results:

The practice facilitated capacity building of WUAs, improving of water resources management by WUAs as well as enhancing the technical capacities of intra-farm and drainage infrastructure.

Lessons learnt:

The effectiveness of AAMC-WUU depends on internal and external conditions: capacities (financial, institutional, etc.) of its members (i.e. WUAs) and the level of democracy and market development in a given country.  In turn, the growth of capacities of AAMC-WUU members depends on AAMC-WUU performance.

Recommendation:

Currently, WUAs capacities are rather poor which is reflected in AAMC-WUA own underperformance.  Considering that WUA represent the weakest link in water hierarchy and the role of water users in addressing national food, water and environmental security needs, the government should find opportunities to support (first of all, financially) WUAs/AAMC-WUU during transition period (until they become self-sufficient).

Lessons learnt:

The newly established farm-level institutions – Water User Associations – ensure uniform and stable delivery of irrigation water from state water management organizations to final water users.

Recommendations:

At present, the capacities of WUAs as well as WUA Unions (Federation) are rather low.  Considering the fact that WUAs represent the weakest link in water hierarchy and the role of water users in addressing the tasks of national food, water and environmental security, the government should find ways to support (first of all, financially) WUAs and WUA Unions (Federations).  Training of WUA personnel on all aspects of associations’ activities should be carried out on annual basis.

Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

• Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations);
• Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

1. Затраты на внедрение: Высокие

2. Примерная стоимость капиталовложений на 1 га:

3. Затраты на поддержание и эксплуатацию: Высокие

4. Экспертная поддержка: Не требуется

1. Затраты на внедрение: Высокие

2. Примерная стоимость капиталовложений на 1 га:

3. Затраты на поддержание и эксплуатацию: Высокие

4. Экспертная поддержка: Не требуется

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: WUAs, farmers in project sites.

Project implementer: IWMI, SIC of the ICWC, Project Steering Committee (PSC) consisting of 3 representatives of the Ministries of Rural and Water Management (MRWM) of project target countries, 3 heads of Regional Water Administrations hosting project target sites.

Project title: Intra-Farm Irrigation (PVO-1 and PVO-2).

Project duration: 2001-2013 (13 years).

Project goal and objectives: establish, develop and strengthen WUAs as well as rehabilitate intra-farm irrigation and drainage infrastructure.

Project beneficiaries: water users and WUAs.

Project implementer: Department of Water Management and Reclamation of the MoA of Kyrgyzstan

Guidelines on IWRM streamlining, Volume 1 (Institutional Aspects), Tashkent 2011.

Online publications:

1. Report on performance assessment of water user associations in southern regions of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2010 (www.osce.org/ru/);
2. Presentation “Intra-Farm Irrigation Project” by Training Specialist Mr. O. Segizbayev (www.myshared.ru);
3. Specialists of the Department of Water Management of the Ministry of Agriculture examined the experience of Spain and Portugal on irrigation system management methods (more details on www.eecca-water.net);
4. Case studies: establishment of WUAs in Kyrgyzstan (more details on www.gender.cawater-info.net);
5. Presentation “Intra-Farm Irrigation Project” by Project Manager Mr. N. Dzhailobayev (download presentation);
6. “Projects and Programs in the Agricultural Sector” Bulletin, December 2008 (www.refdb.ru).

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC