Comparison of practices

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

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Country: Turkmenistan

Country: Uzbekistan

Province: Fergana Region

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

• Upper streams (Fergana Region) and mid streams (Syr Darya Region) of the Syr Darya River;
• Shallow occurrence of ground water

Start date: 01.01.2012

End date: 31.12.2016

Start date: 01.01.2010

End date: 31.12.2012

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

Overall poor performance of Reclamation Expeditions (RE) and speed of assessment of the reclamation condition of irrigated land

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

GIS-technologies and remote-sensing tools

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.

Before the introduction of GIS-technologies, REs performed all operations – including production of maps, identification of areas suffering from land salination, level of ground water mineralization, etc. 

 Actions:

1. Enhancing the technical capacity of REs: provision of necessary equipment and tools, licensed GIS software, GPS devices, equipment for chemical analysis, etc.
2. Enhancing personnel capacities:

• Trainings and consultations of the personnel of Basin Irrigation Water Administrations (BIWAs) and REs abroad and in Uzbekistan;
• Consultations by foreign and local GIS experts;
• Development and distribution of training materials.

 Results: 

Financial and economic:

Reduction of the number of drafting technicians, saving on stationery, etc.

Technical:

Increased productivity and quality of works by RE office personnel.

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:

The practice has demonstrated the possibility and efficacy of successful and effective application of GIS-technologies for reclamation as well the overall demand for GIS-technologies and GIS-specialists in other areas (after project completion, the “drain” of GIS-specialists to other industries/organizations started).

Recommendations:

Financial incentives are necessary to keep GIS-specialists in the water sector. It is necessary to scale-up the GIS-practices in other regional REs of Uzbekistan and irrigation-related organizations, including Water User Associations (WUAs).

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

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

Project title: Application of GIS-technologies for reclamation.

Project duration: Jan 2010-Dec 2012 (3 years).

Project goal and objectives: comprehensive support of Reclamation Expedition (RE) specialists; introduction of new technologies; enhancing RE technical capacities to ensure a more expedient implementation of projects to improve the reclamation condition of irrigated land with the aim of receiving better yields of agricultural goods with the simultaneous maintenance of environmental equilibrium in the area.

Project beneficiaries: Fergana Region and Syr Daria Region Reclamation Expeditions.

Project implementer: Management Department of the Foundation for Reclamation Improvement of Irrigated Land.

tm.undp.org

"Environmental Digest" Journal, Issue 11, 2012.

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC