Название практики | Establishment of the Aravan-Akbura Main Canal Water User Union (AAMC-WUU) | Application of furrow-based counter irrigation |
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Category | Water resources | Water resources |
Tool | Public participation principle | Irrigation technique and technology |
Field of application | Use of water resources |
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Usability of practice for adaptation to climate change | Moderate | Moderate |
Implemented by | Scientific and Information Center (SIC) of Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) |
Central Asian Research Institute of Irrigation (SANIIRI) |
Used by |
Country: Kyrgyzstan Province: Osh Region District: Kara-Suu District |
Country: Uzbekistan Province: Xorazm Region District: Urganch District |
Local specifics | Akbura River Basin |
Khorezm Region lies in the northwest of Uzbekistan (between the latitudes of 40N and 42N and longitudes of 60E and 62E). The Region stretches for 280 km from northwest to southeast, and for 80 km – from west to east. The adyr relief is mainly formed by moist-type playa and, to a lesser extent, by meadow and grey-dessert soils; the depressions relief is formed by sands. |
Practice usage period |
Start date: 01.01.2007 End date: 31.12.2017 |
Start date: 01.01.2004 End date: 31.12.2016 |
Problem solved through this practice | Low level of coordination among WUAs – as a rule, each WUA liaises independently with its water management organization (WMO). |
Inefficient field-level use of irrigation water |
Tools used in the practice | Methods of integration and social mobilization |
Technology of furrow-based counter irrigation |
Description of the practice and its results | 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:
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Technology applicability In the majority of Central Asian countries, irrigated agriculture is based on flooding irrigation (ex.: wheat) and/or furrow-based irrigation (other crops). Against the background of climate change and global water shortage, the traditional and/or currently practiced irrigation methods have lost their relevance and are no longer justified, in particular, in the Aral Sea area. In addition, watering the whole field of uneven relief based on traditional furrow-based technique requires long time. In many cases, traditional watering leads to uneven water distribution (alternating dry and bogging spots) across the field and rising ground water level. The suggested technology of counter irrigation is suitable for watering areas with even/flat relief, i.e. flat/lowland territories of Central Asian countries. Technology description The technology is quite simple and consists of simultaneous irrigation of a field from two sides. It was appraised in Uzbekistan’s northwestern part within the framework of the ZEF/UNESCO Project. The technology’s pilot application demonstrated that furrow-based counter irrigation can be used as a technical option of irrigating undeviating (even) sites and increases water efficiency due to more uniform water distribution along furrows. This effective water-conservation technology has been already widely tested in Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan (Syr Darya and Khorezm Regions) by SANIIRI. Advantages
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Lessons learnt and recommendations made | 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 furrow-based counter irrigation technology is rather simple (entails simultaneous irrigation of a field from both sides) and represents a justified technical option of irrigating undeviating (even) relief land and increasing water efficiency due to more uniform water distribution along furrows. Recommendations: The irrigation technology is recommended for application by farmers prior to controlling ground water level and enhancing land reclamation condition via more radical measures. Under the condition of available investment, this watering method can be widely introduced on engineered basis. |
Source of practice | Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience) |
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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 |
1. Cost of implementation: High 2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha: 3. O&M costs: High 4. Expert support: Not needed |
Brief information on the project | 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 beneficiaries: water consumers and WUAs. Project implementer: Central Asian Research Institute of Irrigation (SANIIRI) |
Funding source | Grant from the Swiss Government via SDC | ZEF/UNESCO in the Republic of Uzbekistan |
Information sources | Guidelines on IWRM streamlining, Volume 1 (Institutional Aspects), Tashkent 2011. |
1) Reference Book on climatically optimized investment in rural areas of the Aral Sea Basin (based on the examples of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan), Tashkent 2016; 2) Paluashova, G.K., Shirokova, Yu.I. “Efficiency of furrow-based counter irrigation of cotton in Khorezm conditions” (http://www.cawater-info.net/bk /improvement- irrigated-agriculture/files/paluashova-shirokova.pdf); 3) Paluashova, G. (2005), “Investigating land saline regime due to changed irrigation technology in the conditions of Khorezm Oasis. Materials of “Scientific Support as a Factor of Sustainable Water Sector Development” International Research and Applied Conference (Taraz, Kazakhstan). |
Contacts of a person, who filled this form | SIC ICWC |
SIC ICWC |
Form submission date | 02.04.2018 | 18.05.2018 |