MEETING OF HEAD OF THE STATES
OF ORGANIZATION «
CENTRAL-ASIAN COOPERATION»
Meeting of Head of the states of organization “Central-Asian Cooperation” was
held on July 5-6, 2003 in Almaty. Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan made decision to make more decisive step in projects’ implementation.
The meeting was devoted to creation of consortiums on waterpower resources use,
communication projects’ implementation as well as food supply of region
countries.
Consortium is complex management and financial organization. Initially it should
be realized, what each state will obtain in result of their formation. For instance,
the tasks to be decided by water-power consortium – operation of hydropower,
reservoirs, irrigation costs; supply of coal and oil products to hydropower plants;
power transfer, and so on.
To develop concepts on implementing these projects Head of the states decided
to involve experts from World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and other international
financial institutions.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OB-IRTYSH RIVER BASIN
The conference was held on June 18-21, 2003 in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Its objective
is to discuss problems and measures on improving environmental and economic
situation in Ob-Irtysh basin, establish long-term cooperation between non-governmental,
scientific, and public organizations working in area of management and conservation
of the rivers in Kazakhstan and Russia with developing plan of joint measures
on improving environmental state of surface and groundwater.
There more 40 presentations and reports were presented from 12 cities of Kazakhstan,
Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and the Ukraine, including such major scientific centers
as Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Barnaul, Moscow, and Almaty.
Thematic of the reports reflected all spectrum of critical problems on water
resources use in Ob-Irtysh basin, environmental assessment and forecasts as
well as experience of international and interdepartmental cooperation in deciding
basic tasks on environmental situation improvement in watershed. Basic problems
of Irtysh River basin water resources study were identified as well as their
environmental assessment problems. Range of shortfalls, which should be eliminated
to solve problems in effective water use, restoration, and conservation in
such largest watershed in the world, was noted.
ABOUT CIRMAN-ARAL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
On June 23-28, 2003 in SIC ICWC meeting of participants from the project “Crop
irrigation management for control of desertification induced irrigation in
the Aral Sea basin” (CIRMAN-ARAL), implemented under EU Copernicus program.
Project executors – experts from Lisbon Agrarian University (ISA) and
SIC ICWC. Following issues were discussed:
1. Description of furrow irrigation in Ferghana Valley
1.1. Field data comparison. Analysis was carried out with using graphical comparison
of required factors. Parties made a conclusion that compacting furrows by tractors’ wheels
creates conditions for stream advance time reduction, while improving moistening
uniformity. This can lead to increase of water losses for surface release,
therefore good irrigation management is required to increase its effectiveness.
It was noted that there is significant difference in the first irrigation period
and insignificant one in subsequent water applications for the same type of
compacted furrows. Also a conclusion has been made that infiltration is higher
under irrigation in each furrow that demonstrates water saving capacity under
next water delivery through one furrow. It was noted that discrete irrigation
influenced on soil absorbing capacity during the first irrigation. Total advance
time under discrete irrigation is 25-30% of advance time under continuous irrigation.
For subsequent water applications essential difference in advance phase was
not found. All this proves high discrete irrigation capacity for irrigation
efficiency increase during the first irrigation (advance time reduction) and
during subsequent water applications at the expense of reducing water losses
for surface release.
1.2. Irrigation parametrization by SRFRINV model. Optimization program for
infiltration and roughness parameters, important for more significant experiments
in irrigation, was tested. Its application demands study of process of some
program parameters by “cut-and-try method” for specific conditions
of Fegrhana Valley fields. This task decision will take several weeks.
1.3. Base characteristics of furrow irrigation. For the first joint attempt
was made to classify furrow irrigation. Basic factors of furrow irrigation
design and management were characterized and considered as within WUA framework
so for all Ferghana Valley. This will provide comprehensive evaluation of on-farm
irrigation improvement effect. Data collection will allow in future creation
of different scenarios on base of SADREGA model.
1.4. Data analysis on Osh and Khojent oblasts. List of tasks and data will
be prepared to help groups of these oblasts in preparation of field data analysis
and database requirements for Decision Support System (DSS).
2. DSS for irrigation improvement at field level
SADREGA model adapted to conditions of Central Asia was presented. English
version of this program Windows will be completed in this year. Database preparation
is going on. Detailed list of all data will be finished by ISA group and directed
to SIC ICWC. SADREGA model and DSS for furrow irrigation have already prepared
in Portuguese and will be finished by the end of 2003. Linkage of SADREGA model
with delivery model with using specific output files will be completed simultaneously.
3. Establishment of irrigation schedule by means of ISAREG model
Detailed explanations on introducing files management in ISAREG model were
given. There was special discussion of groundwater contribution in irrigation
with acceptable results. New adjusted software version will be sent by ISA
group.
4. Progress in GISAREG model use to promote DSS
GISAREG model was transferred to SIC ICWC group and tested. Model use progress
should be achieved on WUA area, as it is water supply system unit. For this
purpose farm area of “Azizbek-1” has been selected, because it
is typical for Ferghana Valley and includes pilot project area, provided by
proper knowledge about water management. On these data on-farm canal networks
will be typified, and models will be tested after supplementing water supply
network block to GISAREG model. Set of text files was prepared for models’ data
exchange.
SEDAM model for DSS was presented on example of irrigation district of Zholtaya
River. Decision about SEDAM model use in Ferghana Valley conditions and its
inclusion in DSS was made by project coordinator.
There is some incompleteness of data for WUA area not included in Copernicus
project as well as on delivery rules on secondary canals system. The first
information will be removed, for example, off maps, and the second – from
questionnaire filled by WUA staff.
5. Data on cotton irrigation
List of detailed data with all demanded data was prepared for cotton irrigation
analysis. All data were taken for 2 fields for 2001. Additional data will be
obtained in 2003.
ABOUT «IWRM-FERGHANA» PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
On activity «Pilot canals»
On 1 of June 2003 Ministry of Reclamation and Water Resources of Tajikistan
approved new organizational management structure for pilot Gulyakandoz Canal.
Independent Canal Administration at Sogd oblvodkhoz was formed. Canal management
is carried out by Water Council, which consists of parties concerned in water
resources distribution and use.
Monitoring of pilot canals operation is going on. Its objective – tracking,
assessment, and analysis of changes in water management on pilot canal in result
of introducing institutional and technical decisions during implementation
of “IWRM-Ferghana” project.
Monitoring objects are following:
- Pilot canal PC headwork;
- Water outlets from PC (main branches, pumping stations and units);
- Balance plots;
- Water users (located in PC command zone of the republic, oblast, rayon
- all, WUA - all, collective farms - optionally, private farms - optionally).
Every decade data on daily and decade costs on three pilot canals and other
appropriate data come to “IWRM-Fegrhana” project center.
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