No. 15 (99) October 2005

ABOUT THE IWRM-FERGANA PROJECT ACTIVITIES

In the SFC basin zones, where new WUAs were set up, specialists from the IWRM-Fergana Project held a series of seminars on the “Main organizational, legal, and financial-economic measures taken during establishment and functioning of WUAs. Water allocation in WUAs on water user requests”. The seminars were held:

• on 29 September on the 5th site of the South Fergana Canal (Andijan province), which 40 local representatives from newly established WUAs attended;
• on 30 September on site “Eshonguzar” of the SFC (Margilan town), which 35 local representatives from newly established WUAs attended;
• on 1-2 October at WUA “Akbarabad” in Kuva district, Fergana province, which 64 local representatives from WUAs established along SFC attended the first day, and 68 ones attended the second day.

M.A. Pinkhasov, Ph.D., WUA Activities Manager of the IWRM-Fergana Project, delivered a paper on “Planning and implementing measures while establishing and functioning of WUA (organizational and financial-economic aspects)”.

The paper discussed the issues and principles of establishing a WUA. A WUA is generally set up by means of an Initiative Group, the task of which is to determine territorial dimensions of a WUA, conduct social mobilization among water users, draw up documents for founding a WUA, make up an inventory of irrigation stock to be transferred to a WUA, suggest a model organizational structure for WUA, and prepare a general meeting (constituent assembly) of WUA members.

Upon founding a WUA, a business plan, a water use plan considering water requirements of each water user, a plan of repair and renewal operations for irrigation and collector-drainage network at WUA are drawn up, monitoring over WUA functioning, and water accounting is organized with both water management organizations (WMO) and water users.

The important requirements for sustainable WUA functioning are: to determine rates and criteria for founding fees of WUA members and co-founders; availability of a legal basis for establishment and functioning of WUA; prevailing of incomes over expenditures in WUA budget or their equality; availability of a production basis in WUA; participation of professional hydraulic engineers, specialists in land reclamation, economists in WUA activities; install water-accounting facilities at on-farm network for each water user being WUA member; organize sustainable effective work between WMO and WUA; fairly established tariff confirmed at general meeting of WUA members; optimal organizational structure of WUA; incentives for WUA staff to perform water supply indicators, equitably allocate water among users, provide favorable reclamation background, improve crop productivity; external assistance (from ministries of agriculture and water resources and their organizations, local authorities) to attract local resources, provide with normative–methodical documents, financial resources and hardware, train WUA personnel and water users.

In his paper “Organization of water accounting in WUA”, S.R. Khamdamov elucidated the following issues:

• role of water accounting in WUA functioning;
• tasks of irrigation water accounting service;
• types of gauging stations at irrigation and collector-drainage networks of WUAs;
• criteria for selecting types of flowmeters depending on slope, flow condition, available sediments and measured range of water flow;
• state of water accounting and completed works in pilot WUAs under the IWRM-Fergana Project;
• necessity to carry out certification of gauging stations, frequency of their calibration, and technical certification of gauging station.

O. Khalikov, executor of WUA activity for Fergana province, delivered a paper on “Works completed in WUA Akbarabad in 2002-2005”. The lecturer presented a protocol on intentions to organize WUA Akbarabad in 2002 to the participants. He told the history of setting up the WUA, work made to establish WUA, its registration in judicial authorities, and positive aspects of hydrographic principle of WUA establishment. He called the participants to organize WUA only on hydrographic principle having considerable advantages over areal principle.

Legal consultant D. Ziganshina presented a paper on “Legal framework for establishment and functioning of WUA”. The paper explained key provisions in regulatory legal documents constituting a basis for establishment and functioning of WUAs in Uzbekistan: the Constitution of Uzbekistan, Civil Code of Uzbekistan, Laws on “Non-Governmental Non-Profit Organizations”, “Private Farms”, “Dekhkan Farms”, “Agricultural Cooperatives (Shirkats)”, “Water and water use”, and “Ownership” of Uzbekistan, Land Code, Tax Code, Decision No.385 dated 3 September 1993 made by the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan “On Limited Water Use in Uzbekistan”, and Decision No.8 dated 5 January 2002 made by the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan “On measures to reorganize agricultural enterprises into private farms”.

Since WUA is a non-governmental non-profit organization (NNO), the procedure of establishing WUA as NNO was described in detail: the order of applying to courts, list of required documents, etc.

The emphasis was laced on urgent issues worrying WUA staff: legal regulations for on-farm systems, specific measures for providing government support to WUA in the form of tax remissions and privileged crediting. The issues relating to the responsibility of water users, WUAs, WMOs and officials from WMOs in case of infringement of law and contract terms were considered.

M.A. Pinkhasov, leader of WUA Activity under the IWRM-Fergana Project, delivered a paper on “Methods for solving water disputes in WUA”. He dwelled on the nature and reasons for water conflicts and disputes. In particular, he noted that conflicts and disputes between water users within WUA, between WUA and water users, between WUA and WMO can be caused by: failure to fulfill terms of a contract between water users and WUA on water delivery in time and volumes and providing other services including land reclamation services performed by WUA; failure to fulfill contract terms between WMO and WUA, infringement of established water receiving order by WUA member (unauthorized water withdrawal, unauthorized increase of water intake points, adjustment of hydraulic structures, installing of temporal dams, pumping plants at canals, drilling water wells etc.), deterioration in reclamation condition of lands, induced by inactivity or inadequate measures relating to operation of reclamation systems, infringement of the Statute of WUA and so on.

Disputes and conflicts between WUA members and WUA, between WUA and water management organizations can be considered at WUA Arbitration Board, Canal Water Committee, courts of elders (organized at local administrations), and WUA Regulating Body at the ministry of agriculture and water resources (for the time present, this body has been appointed at the Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Processing Industry only).

Further, the lecturer dwelled on proactive measures to prevent water conflicts and disputes. He told in detail about recommended mechanisms for settling disputes and conflicts and noted that if they would be used, one could avoid legal proceedings, and they would provide quick consideration, do not impose a big financial burden, which exists in referring to court.

A.A. Alimjanov, assistant of the regional group for WUA activity, read a paper on “Water distribution in WUA”. He noted that as a result of reforms conducted in Uzbekistan, unprofitable and ineffective large farms (collective and state) were broken up, and a great number of new water users with small irrigated areas were established. The disintegration of collective and state farms led to breakdown of their irrigation and reclamation services, the function of which is now fulfilled by water user associations (WUA).

In this context, the main tasks of WUA regarding water resources use are:

• to provide rational and economic water use in WUA;
• reduce non-productive water losses in irrigation network of WUA;
• provide guaranteed and equitable water distribution among users;
• provide free access to information on water distribution among water users of WUA.

At present, water distribution on large farms and newly established WUAs is based on planned water use indicators designed 15-20 years ago or at secondary canal level.

The current water distribution based on the above-mentioned principles is ineffective as the cropping pattern has changed, and it is impossible to identify whom, when and what needs should be supplied with water according to water use plan drawn up at secondary canal level.

Under the new conditions, WUA should make up its water use plan taking into account water requirements of each user regardless of location and size of his irrigated area. These materials are required to draw up water use plan:

• linear circuit for inter-farm irrigation network;
• cropping pattern for each water user outlet;
• irrigation regime for hydromodule (water allowance) zones;
• technical characteristics and performance of inter-farm irrigation network.

In the context of small farms, water distribution by direct current to each farm at low average decade flows in accordance with water use plan seems ineffective (1 l/sec per 1 ha, 3 l/sec per 5 ha).

Under the new conditions, water use plan has lost its water distributing function, keeping necessary water volume only.

To improve the efficiency of water distribution among small economic entities, it is necessary to transit from decade water distribution to daily water distribution. This principle takes into account interests of all parties: water users, WUA and water management organization, providing transparency and openness of water distribution process.

Further, the speaker dwelled on advantages of applying the method of water distribution by water user requests, which:

• involves all water users in water distribution process and raises the confidence of water users in WUA;
• makes timely irrigation possible, at which each water user is informed by WUA official about water supply time and volume;
• prevents prolonged irrigation;
• gives water users an opportunity to plan and timely carry out land treatment in cropping;
• improves the performance of secondary, tertiary and other canals;
• has opportunity to integrate process of water distribution from canal to field

At the seminars, IWMI specialist Zh. Kazbekov presented a paper on “Water management at WUA level” prepared together with I. Abdullayev. He told the audience about overall IWMI activities in Central Asia, projects being implemented by them, particularly IWMI participation in the IWRM-Fergana Project.

In his presentation, the speaker dwelled on indicators to be taken into account in water management at WUA level, on forming GWP in planning, distribution in time.

Further, Zh. Kazekov dwelled on these matters:

• participation of water users in determining rights to water;
• planning water management from bottom (GWP) to top (CA);
• determining right to water by criteria (proportionally, peak value, historic, precedence, designed);
• interrelations of main water management processes at WUA level;
• organizational hierarchy of water management process.

In conclusion, he noted necessary measures to improve water management at WUA level.

The seminars were held in parallel with practical trainings.