Comparison of practices

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Use of water resources

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: South Kazakhstan Region

District: Maktaaral District

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Province: Chuy Region

District: Sokuluk District

• Upstream (Ferghana) and midstream (Syr Darya) of the Syr Darya River
• Ebb occurrence of highly mineralized ground water

The site is located in a semi-drought zone subject to acute shortage of water resources in summer period and land degradation

Start date: 01.01.1965

End date: 31.12.1975

Start date: 01.01.2011

End date: 31.12.2011

Deterioration of reclamation situation: rising of ground water, land salination

Extremely low water availability (supply) of pastures; the quantity of cattle in watering sites below standard; land erosion

Technique and technology of land reclamation via a system of vertical drainage wells (VDW)

Technology of springs arrangement for stock watering

Actions:

A VDW system set up. Prior to its installation, the area was drained via a horizontal open-type drain-age network ineffective as to reducing the mass of salinized land.

Comprehensive VDW efforts significantly enhanced drainage.

However, currently due to the absence of a single organization responsible for VDW operation, maintenance and repair, the VDW systems recon-structed under World Bank and Asian Development Bank projects do not perform as effectively as ini-tially.

Results:

Financial and economic:
Increased cotton yields (from 10-15 up to 30-35 dt/ha).

Technical:
Successful response to land salination in 3 districts: ground water table steadily kept at 2-3 m depth leading to a sharp contraction of salinized land area.

Actions:

At first, the exact location of water outcrop was identified and cleaned from mud.  15 meters below the outcrop, 3 interconnected water tubs were installed (each 1.8 m long, 0.5 m wide and 0.5 deep).  Each subsequent tub is located lower than the preceding one, thus, allowing water flowing down in the cascade manner.

Results:

Financial and economic:

Cattle gaining weight quicker.

Technical:

Improved water supply in the area, including for cattle watering.

Lessons learnt:

In due time, the model proved useful and timely, as the country urgently needed to increase its cotton yields. The practice demonstrated high efficiency of VDW in combatting land salination.

Recommendations:

1. Establish a special VDW System Maintenance and Operation Department;
2. Build personnel capacity:
• Continual training of personnel in the Department and Provincial Hydrogeological and Land Reclamation Expedition;
• Drafting and distribution of training materi-als.

Lessons learnt:

Collection of water in one place had been practiced since ancient times, but was forgotten over time.  Rehabilitation of traditional practices should be welcomed.

Recommendations:

Similar practices should be scaled-up and continued as they not only benefit the local population, but also allow enhancing water availability for wild animals and expanding hayfield meadows.

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

Traditional tools transferred from generation to generation which demonstrate their relevance in modern conditions

1. Cost of implementation: Moderate

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

Reshetkina N.M. et al. “Vertical Drainage”, Moscow: Kolos, 1978. – 319 p.

WOCAT.net, Mr. Abdybek Asanaliyev (e-mail: asanaly61@mail.ru), Kyrgyz National Agriculture University, Bishkek

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC