Comparison of practices

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources
• Environmental protection

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: Jambyl Region

District: Talas District

Other settlement: Village of Sadu Shakirov

Country: Turkmenistan

Province: Ahal 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.

The settlements are located in the river catchment area; deep ground water occurrence; mountain valleys are under high risk of mudflows and floods.

Start date: 01.05.2008

End date: 30.04.2009

Start date: 01.01.2012

End date: 31.12.2013

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).

Water deficit; settlements and agricultural land under flood and mudflow threat during mudflow risk periods

Method of autumn and winter water-charging irrigation

Cascading storage pools (reservoirs) accumulating rain and runoff water

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:

• assessment of mudflow and flood risks and surveying local population regarding reservoirs’ locations and water uses (drinking and irrigation water supply);
• designing reservoirs;
• construction of reservoirs with the engagement of local residents;
• training of local residents on servicing reservoirs and corresponding equipment.

Results:

• reduced risks for public life and health;
• enhanced water supply of irrigated land;
• reduced risk of agricultural losses due to drought;
• reduced risk of biodiversity damage caused by mudflows and floods;
• enhanced public access to drinking water.

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.

• Cascading reservoirs provide better cumulative effect at lower cost compared to separate reservoirs;
• Application of modern water-proofing materials during the construction of storage pools (reservoirs) allows to reliably store winter and spring runoff to be used during vegetation period.

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

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: Moderate

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha: $50-500

3. O&M costs: Low

4. Expert support: Needed at implementation stage

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: Responding to climate change risks for dekhan farming system of Turkmenistan on national and local levels.

Project duration: 2012-2016.

Project goal and objectives: build the adaptation capacity to respond to climate change impacts, including variability on local and national levels.

Project beneficiaries: population of Garavul Settlement (about 6,000 people) and Konegumbez Settlement (about 1,000 people).

Project implementer: Ministry of Nature Conservation of Turkmenistan and UNDP

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

Government of Turkmenistan

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC