Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

Use of water resources

Country: Tajikistan

Province: Khatlon Region

District: Jilikul

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: South Kazakhstan Region

District: Maktaaral District

• Located in the valley part of the Vakhsh River Basin (river catchment area);
• Deep (below 3 meters) ground water occurrence;
• Middle loamy soils.

Rural Water Consumer Cooperatives (RWCC) are located in the tail part of Dostyk and Turkestan Main Canals (TMC)

Start date: 01.04.2010

End date: 31.10.2011

Start date: 01.01.2006

End date: 31.12.2006

Uneven distribution of irrigation water, lack of water accounting means to ensure observance of recommended irrigation norms for cotton

Conflicts between water users associated with water distribution;

Loss of water from canals (due to filtration and discharge)

Tubular water outlet flowmeter

• Survey among stakeholders,
• Microsoft Excel computer-based planning of water use,
• Seminars to train water users on computer-based technologies and water accounting

Actions:

- Construction of tubular water outlet flowmeter with removable nozzles (procurement of polyethylene piping to make tubular water outlets and matching nozzles);
- Installation of tubular water outlet flowmeter along temporary sprinklers. 

Results:

Financial and economic:

saving of irrigation water; low cost of irrigation system automation (total kit cost: $500/ha) with the service life of 5 years. 

Technical:

simple design allowing a more even distribution of irrigation water stream among furrows, thus, ensuring the prescribed water supply mode.

Social:

improved working conditions of irrigators; lower labor needs/costs; enhanced mutual trust among farmers and water users.

Actions:

Based on the location of RWCCs and with the account of recommendations by akimats (local governance bodies), 8 RWCCs were selected to conduct a survey based on specially prepared questionnaires. Survey results showed that the main issues in target rural areas were water distribution among consumers and drawing up water use plans (WUP) for RWCCs. The proceeding trainings seminars focused on exactly these themes. At the end of the year, the monitoring of the introduction of new water distribution methods was conducted.

Results:

Application of this water distribution practice allowed to sharply reduce the quantity of conflict situations as well as nearly eliminate water losses due to filtration at the canals’ headworks and discharge.

Lessons learnt:

Installation and deployment of tubular water outlet flowmeter allows to improve the uniformity of irrigation stream’s distribution among furrows and conduct irrigation water accounting.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to widely use the small-scale irrigation automation means like the tubular water outlet flowmeters which have simple design, are convenient to operate, are low-cost and mobile and ensure supply of the prescribed amount of irrigation water.

Lessons learnt:

Hourly water distribution allows more flexibility in the context of water deficit. After the trainings for water users and WUAs personnel on hourly water distribution, the number of corresponding conflicts decreased.

Recommendations:

Considering the high turnover of RWCC staff, the trainings should be repeated on annual basis. Hourly water distribution schemes should be used in locations/periods of acute water shortage.

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

• Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations)
• 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: Watering technology based on tubular water outlet flowmeters.

Project duration: Apr 2010-Oct 2011.

Project goal and objectives: development and deployment of a crop watering technology for dekhan farms of the Republic of Tajikistan allowing to significantly increase the efficiency of water use.

Project beneficiaries: members of “Istikol” WUA (Water User Association).

Project implementer: Institute of Water Issues, Hydropower and Ecology of the Academy of Sciences of the RTj

Counterpart holds seminars, training courses and programs on effective use of water resources in Kazakhstan with the aim of assisting farmers and other land users in building up their corresponding skills as well as teaching them basic water use principles.  In the course of its collaboration with Counterpart, IWMI analyzed and studied the reclamation condition of irrigated land plots and the technical state of irrigation and drainage networks in Makhtaaral and Turkestan Districts of Southern Kazakhstan Region.

Project title: Support Program for water associations in Southern Kazakhstan

Project duration: 1 year

Project goal and objectives: train water users on new water distribution techniques, computer technologies for drawing WUPs, most simple methods of water accounting.

Project beneficiaries: water consumers

Project implementer: local akimats

Project donor: USAID

Report by the Innovation Technology Department of the IWIHE of the AS of the RTj, Dushanbe, 2012, 45 p.

IWMI Report “Training on water management on RWCC level and drawing up the water use plan for Makhtaaral and Turkestan Districts of Southern Kazakhstan Region”, Tashkent 2006

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC