Water supply and water use management is a term, which is generally used in IWRM and means an activity that delivers a range of (policy-related, legal, socio-economic, technological, etc.) functions for the purposes of water supply and water use, i.e. implies the concepts of both water governance and water management (in narrower sense).

In narrow sense, water supply and water use management means the activity, which includes planning and implementation of technical, technological, financial and institutional measures for the purposes of water supply and water use, i.e. “management” is considered here as the management of operation and maintenance of water infrastructure.

Water supply and water use management in under responsibility of government-authorized management bodies – water-management organizations (WMOs) together with local authorities and local self-governance entities.

WMO is an institution, which is established to manage, operate and maintain in the command area of water infrastructure.

The key levels where water supply and water use management is delivered are national, basin, system, WUA, and farm.

The main types of WMOs (in case of Uzbekistan) are the Central Water Management Administration (CWMA), Basin Irrigation System Authorities (BISA), Irrigation System Authorities (ISA), Main Canal Authority (MCA), Pumping Station Administrations (PSA), and Association of Hydrogeology and Land Reclamation Field Offices (AHLRFO).

The mission of WMO is to create conditions for the achievement of high and sustainable crop yields in irrigated land, provided that water and land resources are used efficiently.

WMO meets its mission on the basis of its By-Laws, according to which the key objectives of WMO are as follows:

• Ensure intended and efficient use of water resources and maintain the established regime of water use in the irrigation system as a whole;
• Sound and responsive management of water resources in the irrigation system;
• Maintain reliability of operation of the irrigation system and hydraulic structures;
• Prepare the irrigation system for reliable operation and maintain the system;
• Accurate record keeping of withdrawn and delivered water;
• Adopt water saving technologies; improve efficiency and ensure proper use of allocated funds and materials, equipment and machines.

The main functions of WMO include:

• Drawing, adjustment and fulfillment of water distribution plans.
• Preparation and fulfillment of work plans on maintenance, repair and protection of facilities along the irrigation system.
• Monitoring and evaluation.
• Improvement of water and land supply and water demand management, modernization of irrigation and drainage systems, etc.

WMO possesses:

• O&M objects: facilities designed for diversion, storage, distribution, delivery and off-take of water, i.e. reservoirs, canals, nodal structures, pumping stations, irrigation and drainage network, collectors, drains, etc.
• O&M means: devices and equipment for operation of facilities - gauging stations and groundwater observation wells.
• O&M providers: personnel dealing with O&M.

WMO’s administration coordinates O&M activity.

The staffing profile and salaries of WMO (in Uzbekistan) are set on annual basis through staffing plans registered at the Ministry of Finances and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. The staff of WMO is comprised of administration, operational staff, and support staff.

Author: Mirzaev N.N., SIC ICWC