Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

Use of water resources

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Province: Chuy Region

District: Sokuluk District

Country: Uzbekistan

Province: Fergana Region

District: Qo'shtepa District

Other settlement: Komilzhon Kurbonov Sakhovati Farm

The site is located in a semi-drought zone subject to acute shortage of water resources in summer period and land degradation

• Upper stream of the Syr Darya River (Fergana Region);
• Central climatic zone;
• Shallow ground water occurrence;
• Irrigated agriculture within a closed horizontal drainage (CHD) zone

Start date: 01.01.2011

End date: 31.12.2011

Start date: 01.01.2014

End date: 31.12.2015

Extremely low water availability (supply) of pastures; the quantity of cattle in watering sites below standard; land erosion

Deficiency of irrigation water during certain periods of vegetation

Technology of springs arrangement for stock watering

Technology of crop irrigation via ground water feeding the level of which is regulated by means of a control device installed in the observation well

Actions:

At first, the exact location of water outcrop was identified and cleaned from mud.  15 meters below the outcrop, 3 interconnected water tubs were installed (each 1.8 m long, 0.5 m wide and 0.5 deep).  Each subsequent tub is located lower than the preceding one, thus, allowing water flowing down in the cascade manner.

Results:

Financial and economic:

Cattle gaining weight quicker.

Technical:

Improved water supply in the area, including for cattle watering.

The gate devices used abroad are expensive and inconvenient as to their maintenance.  The control device designed by the ICWC Research Center allows regulating ground water level (GWL) by way of altering the device’s height (for example, its height can be 90 cm).  Besides, it is easily installed and dismantled after use.

Actions:

1. Selection and justification of the choice of a plot for potential drainage (admissible ground water mineralization should not exceed 3 g/l);
2. Detailed analysis of interaction between irrigation and drainage on the level of farms and WUAs (Water User Associations);
3. Mounting and installation of GWL control device;
4. Fitting the drained plot with modern tools and monitoring the elements of water-salt balance in the aeration zone;
5. Impact assessment of water supply and GWL regulation on soil humidity and salination, drainage discharge and drainage water mineralization as well as crops productivity.

Results:

Financial and economic:

• Low overall costs of the GWL control device compared to similar foreign devices;
• Increased (5-8%) productivity of winter wheat compared to control land plot.

Technical:

rational use of surface water.

Environmental:

reduced drainage.

Lessons learnt:

Collection of water in one place had been practiced since ancient times, but was forgotten over time.  Rehabilitation of traditional practices should be welcomed.

Recommendations:

Similar practices should be scaled-up and continued as they not only benefit the local population, but also allow enhancing water availability for wild animals and expanding hayfield meadows.

Lessons learnt:

The approach has been proved as a constructive way of converting research outcomes into real-life solutions.  The approach will also help expanding the results of controlled drainage from the field level to the level of WUA and, over time, up to the level of irrigation system.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to scale-up the practice in other regions and districts with identical conditions of irrigated land and install this control model in other CHD zones.

Traditional tools transferred from generation to generation which demonstrate their relevance in modern conditions

• 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: Management of irrigation and drainage systems for sustainable productivity growth in the Fergana Valley of Central Asia.

Project duration: Aug 2014-Dec 2015.

Project goals: improve irrigation and drainage systems and enhance the efficiency of crops watering.

Project objectives: manage GWL by way of controlling CHD with the aim of increasing crops water supply, enhance irrigation efficiency and decrease the amount of drainage and pollutants discharge; assess the influence of water supply and CHD regulation on soil humidity and drainage discharge; assess the difference of drainage and drainage water quality between controlled (managed) and conventional drainage models.

Project beneficiaries: target farm.

Project implementer: ICWC SIC.

WOCAT.net, Mr. Abdybek Asanaliyev (e-mail: asanaly61@mail.ru), Kyrgyz National Agriculture University, Bishkek

Dukhovny, V., Kenjabaev, Sh., Yakubov, Sh., Umirzakov, G., 2017. Controlled sub-surface drainage as a strategy for improved water management in irrigated agriculture of Uzbekistan.  Transactions of the 13th International Drainage Workshop of ICID “Drainage and environmental sustainability”, Ahwaz, Iran, March 4-7, 2017.

Collection of research works by ICWC SIC, 15^th Issue, Tashkent City, pp. 109-114.

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC