INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT — A BASE FOR THE PROSPERITY OF FERGHANA VALLEY
The Swiss Agency for International Development and Cooperation (SDC) finances the “Integrated Water Resources Management in Ferghana Valley (IWRM-Ferghana)” Project during the period from May 1, 2002 to April 30, 2005. The customer is the Inter-state Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC). Responsibility for the execution of the project is laid on the Association of two institutions — IWMI and SIC ICWC.
During the implementation phase all the project activities are carried out in four oblasts of the valley: Andijan and Ferghana (Uzbekistan), Osh (Kyrgyzstan) and Sogd oblasts (Tajikistan). In order to support the project activities at the local level, the Association has set up its regional field office in Osh city (Kyrgyzstan). The project activities are implemented mainly along three main canals — one in each of the presented countries. These are South Fergana Canal (SFC) being at the same time inter-state, inter-oblast and inter-rayon canal in Uzbekistan, inter-rayon Aravan-Akbura Canal (AAC) in Kyrgyzstan, and inter-rayon Khoja-Bakirgan Canal (KBC) — former Gulyakandoz Canal — in Tajikistan.
Key results of the project for two years
Communication network based on electronic mail between all key participants of the project (SIC ICWC, republican authorities, oblast water organizations, pilot WUAs, and BVO “Syrdarya”) was developed and created.
ICWC Training Center branch was set up and equipped in Osh city. The staff was trained, work program was drawn up. Beginning from October 2002, planned (under the project) and unplanned training seminars are held every month in the branch for personnel of water organizations, and also for water users and NGOs in Ferghana Valley.
IWRM conceptual basis, taking into account hydrographic boundaries, participation of all the concerned parties and democratic management principles, was developed and submitted to republican water authorities. IWRM concept was approved by water authorities in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on May 16, 2003.
As a result of broad propagation of IWRM ideology by the project, the Uzbek Government decided to transform water resources management by hydrographic principle — decision of the Cabinet of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On improving management in water sector”, No. 320 dated July 21, 2003.
Alternative organizational structures of water management for WUA and canal levels were determined, discussed and approved by the partners and other stakeholders. Based on these proposals, water authorities of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan created new subsidiaries — Canal Authorities — for Aravan-Akbura Canal in Kyrgyzstan, Khojabakirgan Canal in Tajikistan, and South Ferghana Canal in Uzbekistan.
The project worked out “Model Provision on Canal Water Committee (CWC)” as well as recommendations for applying these provisions for each of the three pilot canals, and transmitted them for use in practice. In December 2003, CWCs were established at Constituent Assemblies for each of the three pilot canals.
The project draws great attention to broad propagation of IWRM ideology. A comprehensive approach to social mobilization (IWRM principles interpretation) was developed: a training program for social mobilization and institutional development was prepared. Systematical training seminars and sociological surveys, organized by the project, provide new opportunities for involving the vast masses in water sector reform in Ferghana Valley. In addition, the Ministry of Reclamation and Water Resources of Tajikistan and Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan asked the project to organize 5 training seminars (3 for Uzbekistan and 2 for Tajikistan) for rayon unit on the subject "How can WUAs be created through Social Mobilization?”.
New Water User Associations (WUA “Akbarabad” for South Ferghana Canal in Uzbekistan, WUA “Kerme-Too-Akbursay” for Aravan-Akbura Canal in Kyrgyzstan and WUA “Obi-Zeravshan” for Gulyakandoz Canal in Tajikistan) were founded by the efforts of the project. Newly formed WUAs were registered in compliance with the legislation, and the Boards of these WUAs signed the agreements on joint management with adequate commissions in early 2003.
The project is rendering technical assistance for examination and additional equipment of water-measuring facilities on pilot canals, and has made initial attempts for introducing water measurement system within WUAs. This will allow to improve water accounting within the bounds of WUA and make it more transparent. Water-measuring facilities were mainly produced and certified in regional Metrological Center of ICWC in Bishkek.
The project has begun water supply process management in a real time scale on pilot canals and within the framework of pilot WUAs in the form of planned water allocation schedule and its monitoring during the vegetation period on the requests of water users and in view of climatic conditions. This a first step towards equitable water allocation, and at the same time an attempt to reduce non-productive water losses.
The project specialists have created an information system (which includes database, mathematical models system and GIS) that operates in a real time regime and is a powerful tool for planning, analyzing and improving water management.
The certification of demonstration fields within the bounds of pilot farms allowed to create an instrument for farmers to analyze their reserve and potential for improving land and water productivity. The instrument for water consumption prediction according to climatic conditions is being tested in a real time regime, and it is supposed to introduce it on a large scale. The analysis shows that land and water productivity has improved on 9 of 10 pilot plots. On one pilot plot, located on South Ferghana Canal, where farmer did not followed the project recommendations, the productivity has reduced.
A great number of women are involved in discussions on land and water productivity management and other issues, related to water resources management in Ferghana Valley. About 60 women actively participated in the project workshop on water productivity, held at WUA “Akbarabad” on September 15, 2003.
As a result of transition to IWRM in Ferghana Valley, based on the proposed principles, taking into account carrying out organizational, technical and other measures, and under the stipulation that enough amount of financing be ensured, the “IWRM-Ferghana” Project final results should be achieved:
- achievement of stable water supply throughout Ferghana Valley;
- uniform and equitable allocation of water resources among sub-basins with considerable reduction of non-productive water losses;
- introduction of democratic water resources management principles through involving the representatives of all the parties and sectors, interested in water use, in management;
- settlement of part of social problems, related to equitable supply of water, first of all, drinking, to population of Ferghana Valley;
- settlement of environmental problems, related to water sector activities in the valley; and
- improving water and land resources use productivity in Ferghana Valley, as an ultimate aim.
NEW WEB-SITE
At the end of January the specialists of SIC ICWC information service launched an official web-site of SIC ICWC at the address www.sic.icwc-aral.uz
Information on Scientific-Information Center of ICWC — the tasks being solved, projects implemented in the region, international collaboration, catalogue of publications — is available in the web-site.
In section Library there is a catalogue of SIC ICWC partners references, it is possible to download the declarations and statements of the Heads of Central Asian states, international conventions and agreements, other useful information.
All information in the web-site is presented in Russian and English.
ICWC official web-site (www.icwc-aral.uz) has been considerably modernized as well. Now it is possible to find here information not only on history of ICWC foundation and its everyday activity, but also on all the meetings as well as conferences, held under the aegis of ICWC.
All information in the web-site is now available both in English and Russian.
The activities on designing and updating the web-sites have been implemented within the framework of the “Central Asia Regional Water Information Base (CAREWIB)” Project, funded by the Swiss Agency for International Development and Cooperation (SDC).
|