Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Province: Osh Region

District: Kara-Suu District

Country: Uzbekistan

Province: Namangan Region

District: Pap District

Akbura River Basin

Foothill droughty area; extremely water pervious soils with pebble bed; the site is located below the Zhijdalisoj Water Reservoir

Start date: 01.01.2007

End date: 31.12.2017

Start date: 01.01.2013

End date: 31.12.2014

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

Irrational use of irrigation water and fertilizers; deficit of electric power; low soil bonitet; poor crops productivity; poor quality of agricultural products; soil erosion

Methods of integration and social mobilization

Free-flow drip irrigation system (DIS)

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.

Actions:

Free-flow DIS was installed at the Zhijdalisoj Water Reservoir and was connected to the already operating gravity irrigation piping network. Due to the elevation difference between the pipe inlet and outlet (at the point of entry to the irrigated site) the system generates natural water pressure allowing free-flow DISs installed in gardens to operate without any pumping equipment, i.e. electricity.

Results:

Technical:

thanks to free-flow DIS, water and fertilizers are distributed evenly, strictly according to corresponding norms, in due time and economically (water saving - up to 50%).

Financial and economic:

increased (by 30-40%) crop yields and improved yield quality.

350,000 sum/ha ($150/ha) saved due to electricity saving and no need to repair pumping equipment.

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:

Application of natural (gravity-based) water pressure allows making DISs more affordable for farms located on slope acreage of mountain foothills.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to carry out research to identify locations where free-flow DISs could work thanks to natural water pressure.

Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

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

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: Moderate

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha: $2-2.5,000

3. O&M costs: Moderate

4. Expert support: Needed at implementation stage

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: Innovative science and technological work “Introduction of DISs using natural water pressure in areas adjacent to foothill water reservoirs”.

Project duration: 2013-2014.

Project goal and objectives: create DISs operating without pumping equipment.

Project beneficiaries: employees of Zhijdalisoj Water Reservoir of the Naryn-Syr Darya BISA (Basin Irrigation System Administration).

Project implementer: State Committee on Science and Technology  of the Republic of Uzbekistan (SCST of the RUz).

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

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC