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: Shahrinaw

Other settlement: Mirob” Water User Association (WUA)

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

Mirob WUA is located in the Kafirnigan and Varzob River Basins (river catchment areas); deep (below 3 m) ground water occurrence; middle loamy soils

Start date: 01.01.2015

End date: 31.12.2015

Start date: 01.01.2012

End date: 31.12.2013

Acute shortage of irrigation water

Need to enhance water use planning and water consumption calculation techniques for agricultural crops with the account of climatic conditions and crop development phases based on decade water use planning hydro-modules proceeding from precipitation availability.

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

CROPWAT 8.0 Software

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:

• Analysis of existing methods of water resources use planning in dekhan farms of the Gissar Valley;
• Designing a water use planning technique with the account of irrigation patterns in dekhan farms.

Results:

Financial and economic:

effective use of irrigation water; reduced water consumption per harvest unit.

Ecological:

improved ecological and reclamation condition of irrigated land.

Technical:

executed decade hydro-modules based on precipitation availability allowing dekhan farms to plan their water consumption and draw up crop irrigation schedules depending on expected weather conditions in the Gissar Valley as well as to coordinate other technological and weather-dependent processes associated with crops cultivation.

Social:

prevention of conflicts, controversies and misunderstanding among water users related to irrigation water distribution.

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:

CROPWAT 8.0 Software allows enhancing the technology of water use planning via specification of irrigation modes depending on expected precipitation availability.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to widely apply CROPWAT 8.0 Software.

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

Foreign tools (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: 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: Improving water use planning technology based on CROPWAT 8.0 Software.

Project duration: 2012-2013.

Project goal and objectives: design a science-based water use planning technique using CROPWAT 8.0 Software to calculate water consumption for different crops with the account of climatic conditions and crops development phases based on decade water use planning hydro-modules proceeding from precipitation availability.

Project beneficiaries: water users of Mirob WUA.

Project implementer: Sh. Shotemur TAU.

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

Report by the Operation of Hydro and Reclamation Systems Chair of Sh. Shotemur TAU, Dushanbe, 2013, 46 p.

SIC ICWC

SC ICWC