SCIENTIFIC-PRACTICAL WORKSHOP “MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER SECTOR IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE”
Scientific-Practical Workshop “Management of Agriculture and Water Sector in the Context of Climate Change”, organized by SIC ICWC, was held on 23 March 2004 in the direction of shirkat farm “Rakhmonov” in Ferghana oblast.
38 people, including farmers from shirkat farm “Rakhmonov”, its chief, representative of Ferghana Oblast Khokimiyat (authority), and farm managerial personnel, participated in the workshop.
The objectives of the workshop were: (i) to organize a meeting of farmers with the scientists from the SANIIRI, dealing with water management problems and ways to improve water and land productivity, water saving technologies; (ii) inform the participants about practical achievements of scientists in raising the effectiveness of irrigation and water conservation techniques; and (iii) discover the current problems faced by the farmers and possible ways to eliminate in the context of climate change.
At the workshop, the papers were presented on the following subjects:
- integrated water resources management: a way to improve water productivity
- water and climate change
- water and land productivity improvement
- water conservation technologies
- experience of applying soil mulching on the farms in Ferghana oblast.
Discussion was organized, at which the farmers emphasized their urgent problems, related to raising water and land use effectiveness, and organizational issues in crop production and ways to improve yield capacity in the context of climate change.
During the workshop the participants touched upon the issues below:
Summarizing the “Climate Change” Project experience in water and land use, raising crop yields in the context of ever increasing water resources deficiency and need for them owing to the warming.
Water supply to farms: owing to geographic position of some farms – in canal lower reach – the amount of coming water reduces.
Need for field certification: implementing it will help to clear not only the structure of fields, but also issues of carrying out irrigations (dates and volume), applying fertilizers and so on. Certificates should be renewed every 5 years.
The necessity to change soil fertility class was identified on some farms. Soil fertility class on farms was overstated, and consequently crop production plan was overstated.
Applying polyethylene film in crop production: a positive side of it is reduced water evaporation and, thus, water conservation. Also, higher yields on plots with applying film and, as a rule, an increase in profit were noted.
Conformity of sowed cotton sorts with land type on concrete farms.
Gender equality and social justice, participation of women in production and public work.
As a result of discussing the mentioned problems, the following conclusions were drawn:
1. At present, diligent water use is necessary: the better they will be used, the more water falls to the Aral Sea. So, the main objective is to save water. Wasteful water use results in significant problems. Increased releases in the Syrdarya upper reaches, lands fallout of crop rotation, soil salinization and others negatively impact on economic situation in the region. Everybody should have equal rights to access to water not depending on the location of concrete farm - in lower, middle or upper reach of irrigation source. It is necessary to improve quality of collector-drainage network and other water structures. In connection with the transition of Uzbekistan to paid water use in the future, every farmer should use water efficiently in order that he may know what he pays for, apply efficient irrigation methods in all places:
- drip irrigation;
- furrow irrigation;
- use of collector-drainage waters;
- multi-tier irrigation.
With reasonable water use, proper farming techniques, it is possible to achieve high crop yields.
2. Broader introduction of field certification will provide farmers with knowledge about soil composition in fields, topography (concrete field irregularity, as a result of which water accumulation in hollows, and dryness on hillocks) for proper irrigation, salinity control (leaching saline places rather than whole plot), proper application of fertilizers depending on soil composition, pest control by chemicals, weed removal.
Data on crop yields are marked in certificate. Knowing of field specifics by farmer allows to analyze all by crop production process flowsheet.
Scientists can provide greater assistance to farmers in developing certificates by their requests, and if this would become popular, the cost will be low.
3. How to prepare for working under conditions of climate change in our region? The existing world models show that air temperature will grow, and water resources (water supply) will reduce by 2-6%. It is necessary to adapt to these conditions and properly select crop production technology. Thus, the experiment with growing watermelons under film has showed that dates of crop sowing and maturing will move as climate changes in the future. It is supposed that vegetation period will become longer that will allow to plant any catch crop. The experience shows that the harvest of corn grown under film is higher than grown without film. But using corn as a catch crop is undesirable, because it takes away feeding elements from soil. It is recommended to use haricot and mung bean as catch crops. As a result, soil fertility will not change, but, may even increase.
4. Experience of applying film in crop production showed good results. It is necessary to use practice of film application at a larger scale. Evaporation reduces, water is saved, crop yields increase by applying film. For example, in Tashlak rayon the yields of cotton grown under film amounted to 54 centner/ha, and grown without film – 27 centner/ha.
Wide propaganda of applying film in crop production is needed. Given 1 kg of film costs 1100 sums ($1.1), benefit from applying it is incomparably higher.
5. Purchase of fertilizers by farmers presents no difficulty. They are available for sale in enough amount. Proper application of them is needed. During drawing up certificate for each field, the amount and scheme of applied fertilizers will be defined.
6. Determination of soil fertility class on farmer plots is an important issue. The scientists from SANIIRI can help in this respect. Based on the analysis, they can properly define soil fertility class and make an official conclusion. Then GIPROZEM can officially change the grade on the basis of conclusion.
7. By the parameters of gender equality in the region, the following data were found out. In agriculture, women take broader part in crop production as an auxiliary link. Men play the main role. Farmer women are met fairly rarely. In exclusive cases (for example, death of husband) woman assumes management of production activity. In other cases, woman should do field works along with performing her home obligations. But there are not irrigator women on farms. This work is a prerogative of the men. Man controls incomes in family, but consults with his wife while buying. As a rule, a woman takes up children upbringing in family. The practice shows that usually girls achieve a number of great successes in school education. Sometimes they continue education in the nearest city (Ferghana).
ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM ‘SUSTAINABLE CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT’
PATRONS’ COUNCIL MEETING
On 5-6 April 2004 in the Center for Global Dialogue in Ruschlikon, Switzerland, a meeting of International Program ‘Sustainable Catchment Management’ Patrons’ Council was held. The participants were members of the Council of Patrons headed by Swiss Re Board Chair Peter Forstmoser, Swiss Federal Chancellor for Foreign Affairs Mischelin Colmi-Rei, who presented paper “Policy of the Swiss Government in International Sustainable Development”, representative from the SDC and many others from international governmental organizations: Global Exchange on Social Improvement (GEXSI) – Dr. Maritta Ê. Bieberstein Koch-Weser, Albrecht Graf von Handerberg; International Red Cross – Doris Pfister, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – Director Dr. Claude Martin, International Two-Century Association” – Director Rolf Leutert.
The Council summarized the previous activities in 2003, awarded grants for the best works, and outlined a program of grants for 2004.
The first place with a grant of $75,000 was awarded to “Sustainable watershed development in Ka Tu Community in Central Vietnam” Project from Vietnam, presented by WWF Indo China and Provincial Forest Protection Department of Quang Nam.
The second place with a grant of $25,000 was awarded to the project named “Use of ‘Vetiver’ plants for sustainable protection of erosion slopes in Dabi mountains in China”.
Both projects are aimed at population well-being improvement, public management of watersheds in flow formation zone, and struggle for supporting sustainability of nature.
Tanzanian project “Water Sources Management in the area of Kilimanjaro mountain and sustaining its sustainable quantity and quality for communal use” won an incentive prize on behalf of the George Fischer Fund.
At joint meeting of patrons and judge headed by Thomas Strafe, the issues on poor presentation of Central Asia, Russia, Caucasus, and Eastern Europe region in this contest were discussed.
In 2002 competition, from this region 22 works were presented, only 2 were selected for nomination; in 2003 competition – respectively 8 and none.
The main causes for it are these:
- the most of works were theoretical (researches, modeling) and do not have a clear way to further realization;
- all works were not related to watershed management problem, but water management problem, having in view ecological and social orientation;
- outputs and significance are shown very unclearly;
- almost all works do not emphasize participation of the public, community, local authorities in their basin aspiration;
- very bad English, as a result of which sometimes even the ideas of the presented projects are not understandable;
Prof. V. Dukhovny as a patron, responsible for the region, promised to bring the new contest conditions to all participants and inform about the need for taking the proposed comments into account in the region.
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