VI INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS “WATER: ECOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY” ECWATECH-2004
The VI International Congress “Water: Ecology and technology” (ECWATECH-2004) was held in Moscow on 1-4 June 2004.
1200 delegates from 25 countries of the world, from international and national organizations, including financial, governmental regional and municipal authorities, scientific organizations, production and technical enterprises, companies and firms, related to the settlement of water problems, took part In the congress.
In the course of the congress a subsection “Aral Sea Basin” was organized, in which Prof. V. Dukhovny and other prominent scientists of the region participated. At the subsection R. Giniyatullin spoke as well.
The participants of this subsection noted with satisfaction that over 12 years the community of water organizations has been getting stronger by the efforts of the basin countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – and the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination founded by them. This allowed to avoid any conflicts over water between the countries, in spite of the change of extreme wet and dry years as well as to develop common approaches to future development and management, in particular:
- Transition to integrated water resources management
- Orientation to water conservation and water productivity improvement
- Creation of a system of shallow water bodies and forest reclamation in the South Priaralie to protect the delta from desertification, restore bio-productivity, and socially improve life
- Construction of the North Sea reservoir and independently settle the Syrdarya river delta.
The subsection participants pointed with gratitude to the support of these initiatives by the GEF, NATO “Science for Peace” Program, INTAS-Aral, World Bank and German Agency for Development.
ABOUT THE COURSE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IWRM-FERGHANA PROJECT
On 9 June 2004 a workshop on “Adapting the results of demonstration plots for developing agricultural activities sustainability of farms. Structure, objectives and activities of a Consultative Service” was held among the farmers of Sogd oblast (Tajikistan).
Director of Project Office and Training Center in Osh A.S. Satybaldiyev addressed a welcoming speech to the participants of the workshop. He familiarized the audience with the goals and objectives of the workshop.
“Water and land productivity at farm level” activity manager S.S. Mukhamedjanov presented a paper on the “Structure, objectives and activities of a Consultative Service”. He told about the goals and objectives of a Consultative Service, main issues of its activities, current problems in farms, ways and methods to solve them. Recommendations for rationally using irrigation water, raising water and land productivity, carrying out agrotechnical measures, which would help farmers to solve a number of issues they face, were developed based on the results of the detailed agricultural production process study conducted on 3 farms in Sogd oblast within the framework of the IWRM-Ferghana Project.
In his paper “Consultative Service in developing countries”, IWMI senior specialist in water resources management I. Abdullayev told about what is an Agricultural Extension Service, how it was organized, how and where it functions, who renders extension services, what problems stand with public extension services, familiarized with the approaches to organize Support Services, basis and structure, and gave examples of Extension Services in the developed and developing countries.
In his paper “Development of the network of consultative services within the framework of WUAs”, Coordinator for Sogd oblast K. Khojiyev noted that at the moment, after reforms in agriculture, farmer has become an only owner, and independently answers for the whole production, facing a number of organizational, financial, legal and other problems. The results of the IWRM-Ferghana Project in respect to the activity on water and land productivity at farm level confirmed the necessity of a scientifically grounded approach (setting irrigation dates and depths, carrying out agrotechnical measures) to agricultural production process to raise crop yield capacity and make a profit. A consultative service consisting of specialists such as agronomists, hydraulic engineers, entomologists and others can help farmers in this respect.
Later, a discussion with farmers, technicians and observers of demonstration plots took place, during which issues related to the organization of a consultative service, its financing, specialists necessary most of all (agronomist, hydraulic engineer, economist, lawyer, marketing specialist and so on) were touched upon. Other issues were considered such the organization of water accounting, observance of the sequence of water receipt, water planning and allocation for personal plots, rehabilitation of irrigation systems, receipt of credits from the governments, and who in what way should solve all these urgent problems.
As an example, A.S. Satybaldiyev cited the experience of the Kyrgyz Republic in organizing Credit Unions inside WUAs and rehabilitating irrigation systems owing to credits. One of the ways to solve the current problems in agriculture, he noted, is consolidation of small farms, i.e. cooperation.
In his paper “Practical recommendations for effective irrigation water use”, S.S. Mukhamedjanov presented farmers a simplified method for defining irrigation dates and depths and water intake volume by daily evaporation, information, which farmers can receive in WUAs through data of devices on demonstration plots. Given information caused a keen interest of farmers. Demonstration plot technician B. Bokiyev was made responsible for gathering and presenting information on daily evaporation in Zerafshan WUA, and Zerafshan WUA Chairman A. Safarov for providing it at the request of interested farmers. Each farmer was given a list-form methodology for defining irrigation dates and depths.
As a result of the reforms carried out in agriculture of Ferghana Valley countries, more than 80% of irrigated plots with an irrigated area of less than 40-50 ha was created, and the plan of water use accepted earlier lost its water allocation function. Water allocation specialist A. Alimzhanov in his paper “Organization of water allocation between farms” told about the advantages of the method for water allocation at the request of water users, developed within the framework of the IWRM-Ferghana Project and being introduced at present.
Consultant in agronomy S.A. Nerozin reported on carrying out monitoring on demonstration plots in Sogd oblast, agromeliorative field certificates, information and recommendations contained in them, using this document for practical purposes. The participants of the workshop were presented a chart of agricultural operations developed in view of soil and climatic conditions and containing rules for conducting agrotechnical operations with the indication of used machines and mechanisms, parameters of working organs installment. The problems of the application of mineral and organic fertilizers, dates and rates of applying them under planned level of yields, measures taken to struggle against weeds, diseases and pests were discussed separately.
During the discussion, issues of crop planning depending on water availability were considered, examples of water allocation among personal plots in “Akbarabad” WUA, observance of water allocation discipline, and punishment of violators were given.
In conclusion, A.S. Satybaldiyev summarized, thanked the participants for concern and an active participation in he workshop, called them to consult in the future with project specialists, oblast-level executors, technicians and observers of demonstration plots about all problems and matters.
NEW WATER AND ECOLOGICAL PORTAL «CENTRAL ASIA WATER INFO»
At the beginning of June, the specialists of the Scientific-Information Center of ICWC launched a Central Asia Water and Ecological Web Portal www.cawater-info.net.
The portal was created in the framework of the ‘Central Asia Regional Water Information Base (CAREWIB)’ Project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and being implemented jointly with the UNECE and UNEP/GRID-Arendal.
The aim of the CAREWIB Project is to improve information provision for water and ecological sectors in Central Asian countries. This should help to raise development sustainability and strengthen the partnership in rational use of natural resources in the region.
The sections of the portal are:
1) News block: information on the current events in the regions and abroad, related to the subjects of the portal (water and ecology)
2) Catalogue of water and ecological web sites both Central Asian and foreign
3) Information system on water and land resources in the Aral Sea basin, including on-line data of Hydromet Center
4) Knowledge base (bibliographic database, electronic library)
5) Database (sections: Projects being implemented in the region; Addresses of Central Asian water and ecological organizations; Brief information on the Aral Sea basin countries; Maps of Central Asia; Databases of various profile)
6) Calendar of events: information on conferences, exhibitions, congresses, symposiums and so on
7) Forum for the discussion of regional problems in the field of ecology and water sector.
SEARCHING ECOLOGICAL PORTAL
Within the framework of the UNEP Project “Decision Making Support System in Central Asia”, the Scientific-Information Center of CSD launched a Searching Ecological Portal “ECO-PORTAL” of Central Asia www.eco-portal.kz.
The portal was created to ease information search in the field of ecology, legislation and statistics in Central Asia region. The portal is also designed for free exchange of information on ecology and sustainable development in Central Asia between registered users by independently locating articles on home page as well as putting forward hot themes to discuss them at forum.
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