Comparison of practices

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

Country: Turkmenistan

Province: Mary Region

District: Sakarçäge District

Other settlement: Zakhmet Daikhan Farm

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Province: Osh Region

District: Nookat District

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.

The northeastern part of Osh Region lies in the Tien Shan spurs (Fergana Range) with the Pamir-Altai Mountains in the south and west (Turkestan, Alai, Trans-Alai (Lenin Peak) Ridges.  The climate in the region is sharp continental.  The Kyzyl-Suu, Ak-Buura and Kara Darya are the largest rivers in the area used for irrigation.

Start date: 01.01.2009

End date: 31.12.2010

Start date: 01.01.2013

End date: 31.12.2016

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.

Conflicts due to disputes over water resources and pastures

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

Repair works to restore irrigation networks and infrastructure

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.

Disputes over water resources and pastures can lead to conflicts, in particular among the communities living in border zones in the Fergana Valley.  Every year, this urgent issue gains even more relevance as - according to expert forecasts – by 2020 Kyrgyzstan’s population may reach 7 mln 70% of which will live in rural communities.

Actions:

The project to rehabilitate irrigation canals aimed to improve access to water resources and pastures for local residents.  The project also promoted introduction of equal-right practices in the sphere of water resources and pastures management among local population.  All project actions targeted the improvement of living conditions of local residents and decreasing tensions.

Results:

On June 8, 2016, Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) held the ceremonial opening of 5 repaired irrigation canals in Nookat District of Osh Region.  Repair works to rehabilitate the irrigation canals were co-funded by Nookat District Water Management Administration, ajyl aimaks (Kyrg. rural local governance bodies) and local residents themselves.

Financial and economic:

• residents of Nookat District, nearby villages of Aravan District and the town of Kyzyl-Kiya gained access to irrigation water;
• farmer incomes grew thanks to addressing the issue of irrigation water shortage.

Environmental:

The condition of over 4,000 ha (irrigated land) improved.

Technical results:

The total length of all repaired irrigation canals exceeded 10,900 meters.

Social results:

• living conditions of local residents improved;
• tensions associated with the use of water and pastures in Fergana Valley border zones decreased.

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.

Lessons learnt:

Repair and restoration of irrigation infrastructure facilitated the improvement of living conditions among local population, decreased tensions and disputes associated with water and pasture use in border zones of the Fergana Valley, and enhanced farmer welfare.

Recommendations:

The practice yielded positive outcomes and is recommended for further scaling-up to improve the welfare and ensure sustainable development of mountain communities in border zones.

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

Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

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: Improving infrastructure and building capacity of relevant local institutes on effective management of water and pasture resources.

Project duration: 2013-2016.

Project goal and objectives: enhance welfare and ensure sustainable development of mountain communities, prevent conflicts, facilitate stability and security of using natural resources in border zones.

Scale of implementation and project beneficiaries: populations of Nookat and Aravan Districts, town of Kyzyl-Kiya.

Project implementer: Mountain Societies Development Support Programme Kyrgyzstan (MSDSP KG).

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

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