Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Country: Tajikistan

Province: Districts of Republican Subordination

District: Shahrinaw

Other settlement: Mirob” Water User Association (WUA)

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: Jambyl Region

District: Talas District

Other settlement: Village of Sadu Shakirov

Mirob WUA is located in the Kafirnigan and Varzob River Basins (river catchment areas); deep (below 3 m) ground water occurrence; middle loamy soils

The site is located in the desert foothill plain in South-ern Kazakhstan (internal drain area) at the very end of Sharuashlyk Irrigation Canal.

Start date: 01.01.2012

End date: 31.12.2013

Start date: 01.05.2008

End date: 30.04.2009

Need to enhance water use planning and water consumption calculation techniques for agricultural crops with the account of climatic conditions and crop development phases based on decade water use planning hydro-modules proceeding from precipitation availability.

Acute water shortage; land degradation in the village of Sadu Shakirov; abandoned irrigated arable lands used only for year-round cattle grazing.

For a long time, the irrigation canal was not operation-al and, thus, became dilapidated. The situation in the area was aggravated by climate change impacts (de-creased quantity of early spring, summer and winter precipitation, increased average annual temperature, spring and autumn frost bites and summer droughts).

CROPWAT 8.0 Software

Method of autumn and winter water-charging irrigation

Actions:

• Analysis of existing methods of water resources use planning in dekhan farms of the Gissar Valley;
• Designing a water use planning technique with the account of irrigation patterns in dekhan farms.

Results:

Financial and economic:

effective use of irrigation water; reduced water consumption per harvest unit.

Ecological:

improved ecological and reclamation condition of irrigated land.

Technical:

executed decade hydro-modules based on precipitation availability allowing dekhan farms to plan their water consumption and draw up crop irrigation schedules depending on expected weather conditions in the Gissar Valley as well as to coordinate other technological and weather-dependent processes associated with crops cultivation.

Social:

prevention of conflicts, controversies and misunderstanding among water users related to irrigation water distribution.

Actions:
1) Reconstruction of the canal, stop-gates and field irrigation networks (rehabilitation of irrigation furrows),
2) Setting up artificial pastures with forage crops

Results:

Financial and economic:
Using water-charging irrigation for rangelands allowed increasing their productivity from 3.5 to 5 dt/ha and receiving 60 tons of herbage for cattle and sheep and goats from non-cultivated land.

Technical:
1) 12 km of the canal and 5 stop-gates to regulate water releases restored,
2) 5 km of irrigation furrows built,
3) Cultivated pastures with forage crops created (soil preparation, alfaalfa planting, coordination of irrigation norms),
4) Fields are prepared during the summer-fall period, and watered during late fall or early spring.

Lessons learnt:

CROPWAT 8.0 Software allows enhancing the technology of water use planning via specification of irrigation modes depending on expected precipitation availability.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to widely apply CROPWAT 8.0 Software.

Lessons learnt:
Application of water-charging irrigation allowed in-creasing water availability and, as the result, productivity of agricultural crops.

Application of water-charging irrigation demonstrated the efficiency of water use and allowed local popula-tion to go through winter without losing livestock.

Recommendations:
The method can be used in areas/communities where along with crop growing the population is also involved in livestock breeding.

Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

Traditional tools transferred from generation to generation that proved their efficiency in modern conditions

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: Improving water use planning technology based on CROPWAT 8.0 Software.

Project duration: 2012-2013.

Project goal and objectives: design a science-based water use planning technique using CROPWAT 8.0 Software to calculate water consumption for different crops with the account of climatic conditions and crops development phases based on decade water use planning hydro-modules proceeding from precipitation availability.

Project beneficiaries: water users of Mirob WUA.

Project implementer: Sh. Shotemur TAU.

Project title: Fall and early spring Irrigation of arable land and pastures as an adaptation mechanism of ra-tional water use in Southern Kazakhstan

Duration: May 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009

Project goal and objectives: reduce land degradation due to climate change by way of rational use of irriga-tion water. The project was implemented to prevent loss of cattle due to forage shortage during alternating droughty years.

Project beneficiaries: local population.

Project implementer: Kogal LLC

Report by the Operation of Hydro and Reclamation Systems Chair of Sh. Shotemur TAU, Dushanbe, 2013, 46 p.

1) UNDP Compilation “Climate change adaptation: ex-amples from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan”, Tashkent 2012;
2) pandia.org

SC ICWC

SIC ICWC