Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Province: Osh Region

District: Kara-Suu District

Country: Uzbekistan

Province: Fergana Region

District: Kuva District

Other settlement: Khamroli-Ota Farm (Kuva) and Azamat Tazhribakor Farm (Mirzaabad)

Akbura River Basin

• Upper streams (Fergana Region) and mid streams (Syr Darya Region) of the Syr Darya River;
• Shallow occurrence of ground water

Start date: 01.01.2007

End date: 31.12.2017

Start date: 01.01.2010

End date: 31.12.2012

Low level of coordination among WUAs – as a rule, each WUA liaises independently with its water management organization (WMO).

Land degradation, water loss in the fields; reduction of irrigation and soil flushing efficiency; inefficient distribution of water resources; rising ground water level

Methods of integration and social mobilization

Technology of laser planning (leveling) of irrigated land

The AAMC-WUU is an association of legal entities in the form of Union – a voluntary independent non-profit public organization uniting legal entities (i.e. WUAs) based on common interests with the aim of coordinating actions and protecting shared interests and rights.  AAMC-WUU operates as per the Charter approved at the general meeting of water user representatives, has its own stamp and bank account.

Actions:

The creation of AAMC-WUU began with the establishment of the Initiative Group (IG).  The IG consisted of active water specialists, representatives of water users and other stakeholders who saw the need to transit to IWRM.  Further on, the IG carried out social mobilization, drafted necessary documents (the Union’s Charter, etc.), organized the general meeting of water users that approved the Charter and established the Union’s Council (Board).  After that, AAMC-WUU underwent legal registration and officially launched its work.

Results:

• AAMC-WUU established, legally registered and has been operating until present time;
• AAMC-WUU contributed to the following:
  - enhanced stability and uniformity of water supply to WUAs via state WMO;
  - better collection of water supply service fees paid by WUAs to state WMO.
• Representing the interests of water users as a member of the RMC Water Committee, AAMC-WUU also contributed to decreasing conflicts between WUAs and WMO.

Initially, the laser technology was applied to develop virgin acreage for principal land planning.  Later, it was used for routine land planning (smoothing).

In recent years, the application of laser planning technology almost stopped due to lack of resources, but this case study shows how relevant it is in the current context. 

Actions:

• area (land) leveling (planning);
• table-top and project design works on land planning;
• preparation of equipment;
• preparation of laser equipment;
• laser land planning;
• deep land loosening and administration of organic fertilizers.

 Results:

 Technical:

• increased plot (KZI) ratio (up to 0.92-0.95);
• 25-30% water saving.

 Financial and economic:

• increased crops productivity;
• income from planned (levelled) acreage increased from 2.17 mln sum/ha to 4.6 mln sum/ha.

 Environmental:

• improved land reclamation condition (ground water mineralization decreased, thus, leading to contraction of salinized acreage).

Lessons learnt:

The effectiveness of AAMC-WUU depends on internal and external conditions: capacities (financial, institutional, etc.) of its members (i.e. WUAs) and the level of democracy and market development in a given country.  In turn, the growth of capacities of AAMC-WUU members depends on AAMC-WUU performance.

Recommendation:

Currently, WUAs capacities are rather poor which is reflected in AAMC-WUA own underperformance.  Considering that WUA represent the weakest link in water hierarchy and the role of water users in addressing national food, water and environmental security needs, the government should find opportunities to support (first of all, financially) WUAs/AAMC-WUU during transition period (until they become self-sufficient).

Lessons learnt:

The practice demonstrates the need for periodic (routine) laser planning (leveling) of irrigated land to enhance irrigation efficiency.

Recommendations:

For routine land smoothing, it is desirable to combine land laser planning with deep land loosening.

Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

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: 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.

Project title: Application of GIS-technologies for reclamation.

Project duration: Jan 2010-Dec 2012 (3 years).

Project goal and objectives: comprehensive support of Reclamation Expedition (RE) specialists; introduction of new technologies; enhancing RE technical capacities to ensure a more expedient implementation of projects to improve the reclamation condition of irrigated land with the aim of receiving better agricultural yields with the simultaneous maintenance of environmental equilibrium in the area.

Project beneficiaries: Fergana Region and Syr Daria Region Reclamation Expeditions.

Project implementer: Management Department of the Foundation for Reclamation Improvement of Irrigated Land.

Guidelines on IWRM streamlining, Volume 1 (Institutional Aspects), Tashkent 2011.

Ekologicheski Vestnik (Environmental Digest) Journal,

Issue 11, 2012 (http://lrf.uz/?p=286&lang=ru).

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC