Comparison of practices

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources
• Environmental protection

Use of water resources

Country: Turkmenistan

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: South Kazakhstan Region

District: Maktaaral District

17,238 ha of barkhan (sand dune), takyr (dry-type playa) and solonchak (moist-type playa) sites of the Kara Kum Desert; deep ground water occurrence

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

Start date: 01.01.2012

End date: 31.12.2016

Start date: 01.01.2006

End date: 31.12.2006

Desertification and decreased productivity of desert pastures due to over-grazing around existing cattle watering sites

Conflicts between water users associated with water distribution;

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

Technology of building sardobas (stone-dome covered water collection and storage reservoirs) to enhance pasture water supply

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

Main actions:

• mudflow and flood risk assessment and surveying local population regarding sardobas’ locations.

Actions:

• selection of takyrs to construct sardobas jointly with local cattle-farmers;
• construction of sardobas jointly with local cattle-farmers;
• cleaning takyr surfaces.

Results:

• pastures that were not previously utilized due to absence of water sources returned to pasture rotation;
• pastures destroyed due to over-grazing started to restore;
• increased herd productivity due to reduced passage distances and higher fodder value of pastures.

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:

Construction of sardobas in takyr areas allows enhancing pasture water supply, thus, leading to the restoration of over-grazed pastures.

Recommendations:

The practice requires long-term planning and an integrated response with the early-on engagement of desertification experts (designing a set of measures to protect takyrs from sand drifts), state agencies (technical assistance) and pasture users (observance of pasture rotation schemes, prevention of takyrs from contamination and pollution).

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.

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

• Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations)
• Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

1. Cost of implementation: Low

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha: $1,000-5,000

3. O&M costs: Low

4. Expert support: Needed at implementation stage

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: Responding to climate change risks for dekhan farming system of Turkmenistan on national and local levels.

Project duration: 2012-2016. 

Project goal and objectives: build the adaptation capacity to respond to climate change impacts, including variability on local and national levels. 

Project beneficiaries: Bori Settlement (over 1,100 people) and Bo-Kurdak Settlement (about 4,500 people).

Project implementer: Ministry of Nature Conservation and UNDP

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

tm.undp.org

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