Comparison of practices

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

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Country: Turkmenistan

Province: Ahal Region

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: Jambyl Region

District: Talas District

Other settlement: Village of Sadu Shakirov

The site (9,000 ha, natural juniper woods) is located in the southwestern section of the Central Kopetdagh – a mountain and agro-environmental zone close to the border with Iran with the population of about 12,000 people engaged in agro-livestock production.

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: 01.01.2009

End date: 31.12.2010

Start date: 01.05.2008

End date: 30.04.2009

Natural juniper is cut down as heating timber, and water shortage is connected to poor precipitation. As a rule, villagers collect surface water flowing down the mountain slopes into the specially built tanks called “goudans”. In good years, goudans keep enough irrigation water for one season. However, during the last 5-6 years the goudans didn’t fill up due to insufficient rain.  Deforested slopes are unable to hold rainwater due to quick drain. Because of water deficiency, local population is gradually shifting away from agriculture and gardening and is increasingly focusing on livestock breeding. As a result of excessive use of pastures, fodder is not able to grow on the trodden land which leads to further erosion of mountain slopes.

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).

Set of measures for collecting surface water drain on slope land (construction of a series of small dams; drip irrigation; planting out of juniper)

Method of autumn and winter water-charging irrigation

Actions:

• A series of small dams were built on the cleared slopes to increase soil infiltration by rain water (short-term solution). The dams built in gorges hold the water streams forming during heavy rain, thus, increasing soil moisture content which promotes vegetation restoration;
• A drip irrigation experiment (10 hectares of orchards) executed; further expansion up to 30 hectares is planned along with the reduction of livestock population;
• Planting out (transplanting) of juniper to enhance soil fixing and water retention;
• In Nokhur area, the initiative to develop vegetable and fruit farming supported to prevent pasture degradation, and necessary hydrogeological research conducted;
• In Kara Kum area, 8 new wells built and 6 existing wells repaired. Mechanical protection (reed mats and Saxaul saplings) set up on the territory of 27 hectares. 

Results:

• 17 dams of various size to prevent soil erosion built;
• fruit-trees planted on the area of 10 hectares;
• saplings of Turkmen juniper (“archa”) planted on the territory of 42 hectares to of restore juniper woods.

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:

Enhanced methods of collecting surface drain and saving water are necessary to compensate the growing water shortage in order to allow communities to go back to agriculture and make cattle breeding more sustainable.  They are also necessary to stop the increasing degradation of mountain slopes.

Recommendations:

Technologies for application in the future:

• water collection methods, for example, mid-size terracing of slopes, boundary fencing and circular embankments, nursery holes and plant barriers, restoration of infiltration water dams on small streams; for the purpose of water blocking and moisture retention, to test cespitose crops, soil consolidation and the possibility of minimal/zero soil treatment;
• in order to reduce evaporation and loss of moisture, to use wind-shelter strips, dry and rarefied crops, non-plowing methods, crop rotation and consolidation;
• enhance drip irrigation systems to improve water management.

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.

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

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: Local-level capacity building and investment for sustainable management of land resources.

Project duration: 2009-2010.

Project goal and objectives: combating desertification and droughts.

Project beneficiaries: population of Garavul and Konegummez daikhan settlements in Bakharly Etrap (district) of Akhal Velayat (Region).

Project implementer: Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan and German Technical Cooperation Agency (GIZ).

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

http://www.turkmenistan.ru/?page_id=3&lang_id=ru&elem_id=17207&type=event&layout=print&sort=date_desc 

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

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC