Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

Use of water resources

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Province: Osh Region

District: Kara-Suu District

Other settlement: WUAs in proximity of the Aravan-Akbura Main Canal

Transboundary river

Akbura River Basin

Shallow groundwater occurrence

Start date: 01.04.2012

End date: 31.10.2016

Start date: 01.01.2003

End date: 31.12.2011

Imperfections of the water management mechanism in the Isfara small transboundary river basin

• Uneven distribution of water to consumers (head-end issue),
• Unstable water supply to consumers,
• Significant organizational water losses

The principle of stakeholder engagement in decision-making associated with water management of small transboundary river; IWRM planning technique

Principles of water rotation and public participation

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.

Uniform and fair water distribution among water consumers (WCs) inside WUAs, clear alignment and coordination of water supply schedules via internal WUA networks of all levels with water supply schedules to WUA derivation canals from main canals is ensured by enhancing existing water distribution planning techniques based on water rotation (recirculation) and volumes of technically deliverable water executed via decade planning (within vegetation period decades).

Actions:

In accordance with the approved decade-based water distribution scheduled plan, decade water quantity is supplied to WCs in turns as per their water requests.  The schedules can be quickly adjusted depending on water availability in concerned water bodies.  The technique is based on wide engagement of WCs in distribution procedures – not only WUA personnel but also WCs themselves know who is receiving water, when and how much of it and, thus, can monitor each other and assess each other’s operations.  This promotes better mutual water discipline among WCs.  The process can be controlled from beginning to end based on corresponding documents (decade water distribution schedules, water request from WCs and WUAs, water request registration logs, water accounting logs at WUA headworks and WUA derivation canals.

Results:

As the result of introducing the decade-based water distribution plan in 2009-2011:

• actual water intake decreased, despite the fact that water supply to WCs remained high due to the increased efficiency of water distribution inside WUAs (90% of water availability) and ensured high yields;
• irrigation network efficiency rate rose from 0.69 to 0.79. The volume of water saved due to reduced losses along WUA irrigation lines made 8% of the total actual water intake;
• increased net incomes due to yield growth thanks to better water supply of key agricultural crops;
• drastic drop in the number of disputes and conflicts associated with not only water use but also financial, economic and institutional stability of WUAs;
• instead of mineralized collector and water, WCs located in the end sections of WUA networks started to get water safe for their crops.

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:

Thanks to proper water use management inside WUAs, water intake in the upper sections of main canals and rivers decreased by 50-80% and, thus, the unproductive discharge to collectors and depressions reduced also.  Reduced water intake in the head sections of main canals and rivers led to the increased influx of high-quality irrigation water in their end sections resulting in better observance of environmental requirements aimed at preserving wild flora and fauna.

Recommendation:

Country-wide scaling-up of the practice of decade-based water distribution planning inside WUAs is necessary and possible.

Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

The practice is the result of streamlining:

• traditional tools transferred from generation to generation which demonstrate their relevance in modern conditions,
• research works

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

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.

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.

carecnet.org

• Guidelines on designing and adjusting water distribution plan on WUA level based on daily planning;
• Guidelines on irrigation water distribution on WUA level;
• Handbook on water use monitoring on WUA level.

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC