Water, Land and Ecosystems - Uzbekistan

Local and national institutions and policies governing water resources management

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 11:37:41 +0000

TypeBook Chapter

Languageen

Authors

Cassara, M.
Beekma, J.
Strasser, L. de
Anarbekov, Oyture
Murzaeva, Makhliyo
Giska, S.
Dorre, A.

Citation

Walker, D.; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Gowing, J.; Forsythe, N.; Parkin, G. 2019. Guideline: selection, training and managing para-hydrologists. Oxford, UK: University of Oxford. REACH Programme. 31p. (REACH Working Paper 6)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/106765

Analysis of cotton water productivity in Fergana Valley of Central Asia

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Subjects

Water productivity
Agricultural water management
Irrigation
Energy

Languageen

Authors

Reddy, J.M.
Muhammedjanov, S.
Jumaboev, Kahramon
Eshmuratov, Davron

Cotton water productivity was studied in Fergana Valley of Central Asia during the years of 2009, 2010 and 2011. Data was collected from 18 demonstration fields (13 in Uzbekistan, 5 in Tajikistan). The demonstration field farmers implemented several improved agronomic and irrigation water management practices. The average values of crop yield, estimated crop consumptive use (ETa) and total water applied (TWA) for the demonstration sites were, respectively, 3700 kg/ha, 6360 m3/ha, and 8120 m3/ha. The range of values for TWA and ETa were, respectively, 5000 m3/ha to 12,000 m3/ha and 4500 m3/ha to 8000 m3/ha. A quadratic relationship was found between TWA and ETa. The average yield of the adjacent fields was 3300 kg/ha, whereas the average yield of cotton in Fergana Valley as a whole was 2900 kg/ha, indicating 28% and 14% increase in crop yield, respectively, from, demonstration fields and adjacent fields. There was no significant difference in crop yields between the wet years (2009 and 2010) and the dry year (2011), which is explained by the quadratic relationship between TWA and ETa. The water productivity values ranged from 0.35 kg/m3 to 0.89 kg/m3, indicating a significant potential for improving water productivity through agronomic and irrigation management interventions. The ratio of average ETa divided by average TWA gave an average application efficiency of 78% (some fields under-irrigated and some fields over-irrigated), the remaining 22% of water applied leaving the field. Since more than 60% of the water used for irrigation in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan is pumped from, even if all this 22% of water returns to the stream, substantial energy savings would accrue from improving the average application efficiency at field level. The range of values for TWA indicates the inequity in water distribution/accessibility. Addressing this inequity would also increase water productivity at field and project level.

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Citation

Reddy, Junna Mohan; Muhammedjanov, S.; Jumaboev, Kakhramon; Eshmuratov, Davron. 2012. Analysis of cotton water productivity in Fergana Valley of Central Asia. Agricultural Sciences, 3(6):822-834.

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Open Access

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34578

Solutions

A water rights trading approach to increasing inflows to the Aral Sea

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Bekchanov, Maksud
Ringler, Claudia
Bhaduri, Anik

Tremendous development of irrigation since the 1960s combined with unbalanced water resources management led to the destruction of the ecosystems in the delta zone and the gradual desiccation of the Aral Sea, once the fourth largest freshwater lake of the world. Command-and-control based water management in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) inherited from Soviet times did not create any incentives for investing in improved irrigation infrastructure, adopt water-wise approaches, and thus maintain flows into the Aral Sea. This study examined the potential for market-based water allocation to increase inflows to the Aral Sea while maintaining stable agricultural incomes. We find that a water trading system can improve inflows to the Aral Sea but would require significant compensation for agricultural producers. Agricultural producers can use the compensation payments to cope with reduced water supply by improving irrigation and conveyance efficiencies and by developing alternative rural activities such as livestock grazing, agro-processing, and cultivation of low water consumptive crops. We also find that a water trading system would be more efficient if it includes both trade among irrigation sites and between sites and instream uses.

Citation

Bekchanov, Maksud; Ringler, C.; Bhaduri, A. 2015. A water rights trading approach to increasing inflows to the Aral Sea. 34p. (Online first). doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2394

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77525

Economic costs of reduced irrigation water availability in Uzbekistan (Central Asia)

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Bekchanov, Maksud
Lamers, J.P.A.

Reduced river runoff and expected upstream infrastructural developments are both potential threats to irrigation water availability for the downstream countries in Central Asia. Although it has been recurrently mentioned that a reduction in water supply will hamper irrigation in the downstream countries, the magnitude of associated economic losses, economy-wide repercussions on employment rates, and degradation of irrigated lands has not been quantified as yet. A computable general equilibrium model is used to assess the economy-wide consequences of a reduced water supply in Uzbekistan—a country that encompasses more than half of the entire irrigated croplands in Central Asia. Modeling findings showed that a 10–20 % reduction in water supply, as expected in the near future, may reduce the areas to be irrigated by 241,000–374,000 hectares and may cause unemployment to a population of 712–868,000, resulting in a loss for the national income of 3.6–4.3 %. A series of technical, financial, and institutional measures, implementable at all levels starting from the farm to the basin scale, are discussed for reducing the expected water risks. The prospects of improving the basin-wide water management governance, increasing water and energy use efficiency, and establishing the necessary legal and institutional frameworks for enhancing the introduction of needed technological and socioeconomic change are argued as options for gaining more regional water security and equity.

Citation

Bekchanov, Maksud; Lamers, J. P. A. 2016. Economic costs of reduced irrigation water availability in Uzbekistan (Central Asia) Regional Environmental Change, 21p. (Online first). doi: 10.1007/s10113-016-0961-z

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77032

Interactive institutional design and contextual relevance: water user groups in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Mukhtarov, F.
Fox, S.
Mukhamedova, Nozilakhon
Wegerich, Kai

Institutional design for water governance assumes the possibility of intentional introduction of policy innovations into the new contexts or amending existing institutions. Such institutional design has been common in the water sector and examples include participatory irrigation management, integrated water resources management plans and water privatization programmes. With increasing application of institutional design across various political, socio-economic and cultural settings, the importance of the context is increasingly accepted. The key question is therefore how to reconcile institutional design and contextual variability. Based on our research on the introduction of water user associations in parts of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, we conclude that a top-down institutional design implemented nation-wide and not involving multiple stakeholders and engaging their views, is doomed to failure. As an alternative, we offer interactive institutional design, which is based on collaborative approaches to institutional design and treats design as works of assemblage.

Citation

Mukhtarov, F.; Fox, S.; Mukhamedova, Nozilakhon; Wegerich, Kai. 2014. Interactive institutional design and contextual relevance: water user groups in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Environmental Science and Policy, 9p. (Online first) doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2014.10.006

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/58441

Of transboundary basins, integrated water resources management (IWRM) and second best solutions: the case of groundwater banking in Central Asia

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Karimov, Akmal A.
Giordano, Mark
Mukherji, Aditi
Borisov, V.
Djumanov, J.

This paper tells the story of trade-off between hydropower and irrigation and its implications for groundwater use in Syrdarya basin in Central Asia. With the independence of the central Asian republics, this trade-off has become a transboundary issue. Efforts to coordinate bilateral action using integrated water resources management (IWRM) principles of basin-wide cooperation have not yet yielded the hoped for results. This paper shows that there could be a 'second best' option of solving at least part of this transboundary problem by 'banking' winter flows released for hydropower production in Kyrgyzstan in the underground aquifers of Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley and extracting it for irrigation in the summer months.

Citation

Karimov, Akmal; Giordano, Mark; Mukherji, Aditi; Borisov, V.; Djumanov, J. 2012. Of transboundary basins, integrated water resources management (IWRM) and second best solutions: the case of groundwater banking in Central Asia. Water Policy, 14(1):99-111. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wp.2011.149

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40348

Adapting to water scarcity: constraints and opportunities for improving irrigation management in Khorezm, Uzbekistan

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Tischbein, B.
Manschadi, A.M.
Conrad, C.
Hornidge, A.-K.
Bhaduri, Anik
Ul-Hassan, Mehmood
Lamers, J.P.A.
Awan, Usman K.
Vlek, Paul L.G.

Like many irrigation schemes in Central Asia, the one in Khorezm faces a two-fold challenge: on the one side, the severe problems inherited from the past need to be remedied and on the other side, the rising supply-demand gap driven by sharpening competition for water and climate change must be dealt with. Located in the lower part of the Amu Darya basin, Khorezm irrigation and drainage scheme is particularly vulnerable to supply-demand gaps. Promising solutions towards adaptation comprise modified strategies of land and water use towards higher efficiency and flexibility in combination with measures to lessen the constraints of the system itself, which was initially designed for the management of a few, large and uniform production units and not for many diverse and small units. Solutions consist of flexible, modeling-based approaches, re-arranging institutional settings and establishing economic incentive systems. Flexible modeling allows an integrated use of surface and groundwater resources avoiding or minimizing the impact of water stress on yield. Institutional settings strengthen the position of water users via improved participation and transparency of processes in Water Consumers Associations (WCAs). Economic measures support sustainable resource use strategies and improve the functioning of WCAs. The findings could be extrapolated to other regions of Central Asia with similar conditions and challenges.

Citation

Tischbein, B.; Manschadi, A. M.; Conrad, C.; Hornidge, A.-K.; Bhaduri, A.; Ul Hassan, M.; Lamers, J. P. A.; Awan, Usman Khalid; Vlek, P. L. G. 2013. Adapting to water scarcity: constraints and opportunities for improving irrigation management in Khorezm, Uzbekistan. Water Science and Technology: Water Supply, 13(2):337-348. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2013.028

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Research Themes

Land and Water Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40319

A water accounting procedure to determine the water savings potential of the Fergana Valley

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Subjects

Water accounting
Agricultural water management
Energy
Multiple uses of water
Hydrology/hydrogeology

Languageen

Authors

Karimov, A.A.
Molden, David J.
Khamzina, T.
Platonov, Alexander
Ivanov, Y.

The Syrdarya River basin in Central Asia exhibits symptoms of scarcity because of growing competition between hydropower upstream and environment, cities and agriculture downstream. Different approaches to water management, based on water savings in agriculture could relieve the stress of competition, yet keep alive a vibrant agriculture. The Fergana Valley, a highly productive area within the upstream of the Syrdarya River, was analyzed to determine the water savings potential of agriculture. This paper used a water accounting procedure to identify both the scope for savings and the strategies to realize those gains. Significant nonproductive depletion of water at 2681�4164 million m3 (Mm3) was identified in the form of evaporation, flows to sinks and pollution. The water-saving potential is estimated at 2823 Mm3 annually, which is about 10% of the total inflow into the area, through a range of practical approaches. This strategy would bring regional benefits by reallocation of surplus winter flow from the upstream for summer use in the downstream.

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Citation

Karimov, Akmal; Molden, David; Khamzina, T.; Platonov, Alexander; Ivanov, Y. 2012. A water accounting procedure to determine the water savings potential of the Fergana Valley. Agricultural Water Management, 108:61-72. (Special issue on "Irrigation efficiency and productivity: scales, systems and science" with contributions by IWMI authors).

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Limited Access

Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34716

Solutions

Of transboundary basins, integrated water resources management (IWRM) and second best solutions: the case of groundwater banking in Central Asia

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Subjects

Groundwater
Irrigation
Energy
Institutions/governance/policies/reforms
Water-food-energy nexus
Integrated water management

Languageen

Authors

Karimov, Akmal A.
Giordano, Mark
Mukherji, Aditi
Borisov, Vecheslav
Djumanov, Jamol

This paper tells the story of trade-off between hydropower and irrigation and its implications for groundwater use in Syrdarya basin in Central Asia. With the independence of the central Asian republics, this trade-off has become a transboundary issue. Efforts to coordinate bilateral action using integrated water resources management (IWRM) principles of basin-wide cooperation have not yet yielded the hoped for results. This paper shows that there could be a ?second best? option of solving at least part of this transboundary problem by ?banking? winter flows released for hydropower production in Kyrgyzstan in the underground aquifers of Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley and extracting it for irrigation in the summer months.

Citation

Accessibility

Limited Access

Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34697

Solutions

The costs of benefit sharing: historical and institutional analysis of shared water development in the Ferghana Valley, the Syr Darya Basin

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Soliev, Ilkhom
Wegerich, Kai
Kazbekov, Jusipbek S.

Ongoing discussions on water-energy-food nexus generally lack a historical perspective and more rigorous institutional analysis. Scrutinizing a relatively mature benefit sharing approach in the context of transboundary water management, the study shows how such analysis can be implemented to facilitate understanding in an environment of high institutional and resource complexity. Similar to system perspective within nexus, benefit sharing is viewed as a positive sum approach capable of facilitating cooperation among riparian parties by shifting the focus from the quantities of water to benefits derivable from its use and allocation. While shared benefits from use and allocation are logical corollary of the most fundamental principles of international water law, there are still many controversies as to the conditions under which benefit sharing could serve best as an approach. Recently, the approach has been receiving wider attention in the literature and is increasingly applied in various basins to enhance negotiations. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the costs associated with benefit sharing, particularly in the long run. The study provides a number of concerns that have been likely overlooked in the literature and examines the approach in the case of the Ferghana Valley shared by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan utilizing data for the period from 1917 to 2013. Institutional analysis traces back the origins of property rights of the transboundary infrastructure, shows cooperative activities and fierce negotiations on various governance levels. The research discusses implications of the findings for the nexus debate and unveils at least four types of costs associated with benefit sharing: (1) Costs related to equity of sharing (horizontal and vertical); (2) Costs to the environment; (3) Transaction costs and risks of losing water control; and (4) Costs as a result of likely misuse of issue linkages.

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Citation

Soliev, Ilkhom; Wegerich, Kai; Kazbekov, Jusipbek. 2015. The costs of benefit sharing: historical and institutional analysis of shared water development in the Ferghana Valley, the Syr Darya Basin. Water, 7(6):2728-2752. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w7062728

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Open Access

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77540