Use of water resources

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: South Kazakhstan Region

District: Maktaaral District

Turkestan District

Rural Water Consumer Cooperatives (RWCC) are located in the tail part of Dostyk and Turkestan Main Canals (TMC)

Start date: 01.01.2006

End date: 31.12.2006

Conflicts between water users associated with water distribution;

Loss of water from canals (due to filtration and discharge)

• Survey among stakeholders,
• Microsoft Excel computer-based planning of water use,
• Seminars to train water users on computer-based technologies and water accounting

Actions:

Based on the location of RWCCs and with the account of recommendations by akimats (local governance bodies), 8 RWCCs were selected to conduct a survey based on specially prepared questionnaires. Survey results showed that the main issues in target rural areas were water distribution among consumers and drawing up water use plans (WUP) for RWCCs. The proceeding trainings seminars focused on exactly these themes. At the end of the year, the monitoring of the introduction of new water distribution methods was conducted.

Results:

Application of this water distribution practice allowed to sharply reduce the quantity of conflict situations as well as nearly eliminate water losses due to filtration at the canals’ headworks and discharge.

Lessons learnt:

Hourly water distribution allows more flexibility in the context of water deficit. After the trainings for water users and WUAs personnel on hourly water distribution, the number of corresponding conflicts decreased.

Recommendations:

Considering the high turnover of RWCC staff, the trainings should be repeated on annual basis. Hourly water distribution schemes should be used in locations/periods of acute water shortage.

• Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations)
• Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

Counterpart holds seminars, training courses and programs on effective use of water resources in Kazakhstan with the aim of assisting farmers and other land users in building up their corresponding skills as well as teaching them basic water use principles.  In the course of its collaboration with Counterpart, IWMI analyzed and studied the reclamation condition of irrigated land plots and the technical state of irrigation and drainage networks in Makhtaaral and Turkestan Districts of Southern Kazakhstan Region.

Project title: Support Program for water associations in Southern Kazakhstan

Project duration: 1 year

Project goal and objectives: train water users on new water distribution techniques, computer technologies for drawing WUPs, most simple methods of water accounting.

Project beneficiaries: water consumers

Project implementer: local akimats

Project donor: USAID

IWMI Report “Training on water management on RWCC level and drawing up the water use plan for Makhtaaral and Turkestan Districts of Southern Kazakhstan Region”, Tashkent 2006