Название практики | Set of hydro-reclamation measures | Establishment and development of WUAs, enhancement of technical capacities of intra-farm irrigation and drainage infrastructure |
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Category | Water resources | Water resources |
Tool | Set of hydro-reclamation measures |
Public participation principle Other: Methods of integrating water users and WUAs |
Field of application |
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Usability of practice for adaptation to climate change | Low | Moderate |
Implemented by | Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan and German Technical Cooperation Agency (GIZ) |
Department of Water Management and Reclamation of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of the Kyrgyz Republic with the support of the World Bank |
Used by |
Country: Turkmenistan Province: Mary Region District: Sakarçäge District Other settlement: Zakhmet Daikhan Farm |
Country: Kyrgyzstan Province: Talas Region |
Local specifics | 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. |
Water User Associations (WUAs) are located in the western and central parts of the Tien Shan Mountains - from the Fergana Valley in the west to the central part of the Tien Shan in the east, from Kazakhstan in the north to the northern part of the Pamir in the south. The territory of Kyrgyzstan stretches for 900 km from west to east and for 410 km from north to south (approximately between latitudes of 39N and 43N). Scale of coverage: 450 WUAs with the serviced area of 736 000 ha; the intra-farm infrastructure consisting of 22.7 thous. km of irrigation canals (including 5.5 thous. km lined and in trays), 4.3 thous. km of open and closed collector and drainage networks, over 250 pools of daily and decade-based regulation, about 20 thous. units of hydro-engineering facilities. |
Practice usage period |
Start date: 01.01.2009 End date: 31.12.2010 |
Start date: 01.01.2001 End date: 31.12.2013 |
Problem solved through this practice | 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. |
After the country obtained independence, collective and state farms split into multiple small household and country farms, and the water management sector of Kyrgyzstan faced typical transition challenges, including the following key ones:
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Tools used in the practice | Set of hydro-reclamation measures: preventive land forming (leveling), composting, monitoring of ground water bedding and mineralization, decentralized water management planning, capacity building, etc. |
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Description of the practice and its results | 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:
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Actions: Within the framework of the first World Bank Project “Intra-Farm Irrigation” (PVO-1), in the course of 5-6 years more than 450 WUAs were established which are currently independently servicing the intra-farm irrigation network supplying water to over 700 thous. ha of agricultural land. In addition, the intra-farm water supply networks of 354 WUAs were fully re-balanced from the books of rural administrations and other economic entities. 1,138 km of intra-farm irrigation and 142.3 km of collector and drainage networks, 32 day run-off ponds, 3,401 hydro-posts, etc. underwent rehabilitation. Trainings on all aspects of WUA operation (administration, financial management, water use, O&M of WUA irrigation infrastructure, legal framework of WUA activities, monitoring) were conducted covering over 48 thous. WUA members. The Law of the KR “On Water User Unions (Associations)” was adopted (February 2002). 35 Water Management Councils covering 229.4 thous. ha of irrigated land were established. In addition, 14 Unions (Federations) of Water User Associations covering 121.7 thous. ha of irrigated land were created and underwent legal registration across the country. The purposes of such Unions are joint operation and technical maintenance of intra-farm networks located within their respective service zones. In early 2008, the 2nd Project “Intra-Farm Irrigation” (PVO-2) was launched to extend further support to, build the capacity of and train about 500 WUAs in all regions of the republic. Out of them, 29 WUAs covering the irrigated area of approx. 51,000 ha executed rehabilitation operations and upgraded their irrigation and drainage systems. Within the framework of implementing this practice, WUAs received assistance to ensure their ability to effectively and productively use the rehabilitated intra-farm irrigation systems in a sustainable manner with the special focus on water resources and assets management. Results: The practice facilitated capacity building of WUAs, improving of water resources management by WUAs as well as enhancing the technical capacities of intra-farm and drainage infrastructure. |
Lessons learnt and recommendations made | Lessons learnt:
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. |
Lessons learnt: The newly established farm-level institutions – Water User Associations – ensure uniform and stable delivery of irrigation water from state water management organizations to final water users. Recommendations: At present, the capacities of WUAs as well as WUA Unions (Federation) are rather low. Considering the fact that WUAs represent the weakest link in water hierarchy and the role of water users in addressing the tasks of national food, water and environmental security, the government should find ways to support (first of all, financially) WUAs and WUA Unions (Federations). Training of WUA personnel on all aspects of associations’ activities should be carried out on annual basis. |
Source of practice | Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations) |
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Readiness for implementation |
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 |
Brief information on the project | 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: Intra-Farm Irrigation (PVO-1 and PVO-2). Project duration: 2001-2013 (13 years). Project goal and objectives: establish, develop and strengthen WUAs as well as rehabilitate intra-farm irrigation and drainage infrastructure. Project beneficiaries: water users and WUAs. Project implementer: Department of Water Management and Reclamation of the MoA of Kyrgyzstan |
Funding source | UNDP and Global Environmental Facility | World Bank |
Information sources | Online publications:
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Contacts of a person, who filled this form | SIC ICWC |
SIC ICWC |
Form submission date | 17.04.2018 | 18.05.2018 |