| Description of the practice and its results |
The Aspara River originates in the Western Tien Shan on the territory of Kyrgyzstan and flows northwards crossing the border with Kazakhstan. The river’s total length exceeds 44 km, and its catchment area amounts to approximately 66 km2. The Aspara River Basin is located in Chu Region in Kyrgyzstan’s northwest and Jambyl Region in Southern Kazakhstan. The basin is shared by several different ethnicities where they live and work. The basin’s population is rapidly growing, and the agriculture is developing. In many places along the course of the river, especially in its lower streams, the water doesn't meet quality and sanitary standards. Liquid waste produced by the population, industry and livestock production as well as solid waste constitute major sources of environmental pollution.
Project efforts were carried out in Jambyl Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Chu Region of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Actions:
Establishment of 2 stakeholder groups, i.e. Small Basin Councils (SBC) – on both Kazakhstan’s and Kyrgyzstan’s sides of the river – representing local authorities, NGOs, water users and local communities. The SBCs already held 6 joint meetings proving the value of SBCs as platforms to exchange opinions and information as well as take joint decisions on enhancing the overall situation in the basin.
In addition, hydrometric posts were reconstructed and underwent certification, and the automated water distribution and accounting system was installed on the Mailybai Canal. The water supply system in the village of Cholok-Aryk also underwent reconstructed. A demo-site to demonstrate drip irrigation equipment and technology was established on the premises of Ravshan Farm receiving its irrigation water via the Mailybai Canal.
Results:
Thus, the creation of national Small Basin Councils (SBC) on the Aspara River ensured a platform for exchanging opinions and information as well as joint decision-making to improve the overall situation in the Aspara River Basin, including the development of the IWRM basin-specific plan. |
Actions:
A VDW system set up. Prior to its installation, the area was drained via a horizontal open-type drain-age network ineffective as to reducing the mass of salinized land.
Comprehensive VDW efforts significantly enhanced drainage.
However, currently due to the absence of a single organization responsible for VDW operation, maintenance and repair, the VDW systems recon-structed under World Bank and Asian Development Bank projects do not perform as effectively as ini-tially.
Results:
Financial and economic:
Increased cotton yields (from 10-15 up to 30-35 dt/ha).
Technical:
Successful response to land salination in 3 districts: ground water table steadily kept at 2-3 m depth leading to a sharp contraction of salinized land area. |
| Lessons learnt and recommendations made |
Lessons learnt:
Introduction of IWRM principles is the pre-requisite of stable and fair water supply irrespective of a given water user’s location.
Recommendations:
Currently, when local stakeholders are represented in SBCs and are engaged in joint water management, it is necessary to continue the capacity-building efforts to build-up SBCs’ efficiency. In the long term, it might be necessary and possible to establish a joint body to manage the whole Aspara River Basin shared by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. |
Lessons learnt:
In due time, the model proved useful and timely, as the country urgently needed to increase its cotton yields. The practice demonstrated high efficiency of VDW in combatting land salination.
Recommendations:
1. Establish a special VDW System Maintenance and Operation Department;
2. Build personnel capacity:
• Continual training of personnel in the Department and Provincial Hydrogeological and Land Reclamation Expedition;
• Drafting and distribution of training materi-als. |
| Readiness for implementation |
1. Cost of implementation: High
2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha:
3. O&M costs: High
4. Expert support: Not needed
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1. Cost of implementation: Moderate
2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha:
3. O&M costs: High
4. Expert support: Not needed
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| Brief information on the project |
Development and implementation of basin plans constitute principal elements of integrated water resources management. Multi-agency coordination mechanism via basin councils or coordination groups is an important advantage of IWRM. This approach allows streamlined coordination and synergy of actions on all levels of management hierarchy.
Project title: Stakeholder partnership in joint policy-making: assistance to transboundary cooperation in small watersheds of Central Asia.
Project duration: Apr 2012-Oct 2016
Project goal and objectives: introduction of the integrated water resources management (IWRM) practice in three transboundary watersheds and its scaling-up in Central Asia.
Project beneficiaries: communities of the Aspara small transboundary river basin, specialists of water and environmental agencies, farmers.
Project implementer: USAID/CAREC. |
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