Comparison of practices

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

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

Country: Turkmenistan

Province: Mary Region

District: Sakarçäge District

Other settlement: Zakhmet Daikhan Farm

Country: Uzbekistan

Province: Sirdaryo Region

Sakar-Chaga District (area of 53,000 ha; population of 132,000 people) is located in the northwestern part of Mary Region in the Murgab River delta. The majority of local residents live in the oasis hosting 80% of settlements.

• Basins of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya Rivers;
• Shallow ground water occurrence;
• Newly reclaimed landmass;
• Soil with high filtration ratio (over 0.1 m/day);
• landmass with low reclamation suitability and profitability.

Start date: 01.01.2009

End date: 31.12.2010

Start date: 01.01.1965

End date: 31.12.1968

Land salination represents the main challenge in the area due to improper irrigation technology and lack of drainage, in their turn leading to extremely low productivity. With time, the existing irrigation management system resulted in irrational use of water and land. While water distribution rates were calculated in a centralized manner depending on specific crops, in practice water supply monitoring is extremely poor – water supply (canals) infrastructure is inconsistent with farmers’ needs leading to excessive and, vice versa, insufficient watering of different sites. In addition, there exists an informal water payment system leading to the advantageous position of certain users.

• Low efficiency of irrigation canals;
• rising ground water level;
• soil bogging;
• land salination.

Application of the technique sharply increases local water availability due to enhanced efficiency of irrigation networks (systems). Double coating of canal sides and bottom results in practically complete elimination of water filtration (0.97-0.98 per canal). Crop productivity grows thanks to better water availability, uniformity and timeliness of water supply and distribution.

Set of hydro-reclamation measures: preventive land forming (leveling), composting, monitoring of ground water bedding and mineralization, decentralized water management planning, capacity building, etc.

Technology of anti-filtration canal panning with polymeric film.

Actions:

A series of measures were executed to prevent land degradation and improve land reclamation condition, including introduction of high-performance drainage systems and reclamation technologies, construction of a new collector and cleaning of the existing one, construction of 9 water-regulating and 2 water-measuring facilities.

Results:

• 50 hectares of degraded land rehabilitated and can be used for agricultural purposes. About 35 ha of land saved from degradation thanks to preventive land forming;
• regular seminars held for land users on potential ways of applying various advanced methods of maintaining rural economy and effective use of water resources;
• about 60 measuring stations installed to monitor the level and mineralization of ground water.

There are different ways to prevent water filtration in distribution canals: anti-filtration canal coating with cast concrete, reinforced concrete plates, polymeric film, etc.  Separate use of these materials does not yield expected outcomes.  Fragility and lack of durability of polymeric film led to suspending its use.

Actions:

In 1965-1968, the mechanized (automated) way of canal panning with reinforced concrete plates and/or cast concrete in combination with polymeric film coating was introduced.  Initially, the canal’s perimeter was covered with black polyethylene film overlaid with reinforced concrete plates and/or cast concrete.  Experience shows that such canals are durable and are still operating today, although in recent years operational costs have significantly decreased.

Results:

Canals built with reinforced (cast) concrete panning in combination with polymeric film coating lose almost no water.  For example, in UR-24 and UR 25-9 Canals in Pakhtakor District -- where such panning was used for the first time – water losses dropped 20-30 times, and operational costs also sharply decreased compared to other facilities with different anti-filtration coating.  Water losses on the Right Branch of the SGC (discharge capacity – over 50 m³/s) amounted to only 1.8 l/s per 1 km.

Lessons learnt:

• salinized land was rehabilitated not only thanks to reclamation actions but also by composting. In particular, high-quality humus is produced to enhance soil salinity parameters;
• the process of designing water use plans for individual farmers launched;
• one new collector built.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to focus on strengthening the role of local associations in rendering irrigation services and managing the canal’s water level.  Local water users will be rendered an opportunity to design effective irrigation water management schemes.  The experience of decentralized water planning and management accumulated by water tenants will be documented and distributed as a part of knowledge-management (capacity-building) strategy.  It is necessary to closely cooperate with the newly established Agriculture Advisory Service working on sustainable land and water management, as well as to disseminate corresponding practices in other areas.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has been rendering significant attention to rehabilitation and refitting of its hydro-reclamation networks and even established a special Reclamation Fund.  In this regard, it is necessary to re-launch the practice of combatting water loss in supply canals by means of reinforced (cast) concrete coating combined with polyethylene film coating, especially with the account that domestic plants are currently manufacturing large volumes of polyethylene products.

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

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

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: overcoming barriers to higher efficiency and performance of water supply systems in climate change induced drought conditions.

Project beneficiaries: Zakhmet Daikhan Farm (approximately 300 daikhan households).

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

Project title: Combatting water filtration in canals.

Project duration: 1965-1968.

Project goal and objectives: reduce water losses due to filtration in irrigation canals.

Project beneficiaries: population in SGC area.

Project implementer: “Golodnostepstroy” Irrigation System Administration.

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

• Dukhovny, V.A. (technique developer);
• Irrigation of Uzbekistan, vol. 2 and 4, Tashkent, 1981;
• Poslavsky, V.V. et al., “Use of plastics in irrigation”, Tashkent, 1963;
• Dukhovny, V.A., “Irrigation and development of Golodnaya Step”, M.: Kolos, 1973;
• Bogushevsky, A.A. et al., “Agricultural hydro-technical reclamations”, ed. by E.S. Markov. M.: Kolos, 1981.

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC