1. Impacts from Sustainable Land Management Investments Case Study - Kyrgyzstan UNCCD CRIC - 5 Buenos Aires, Argentina March 2007

2. Outline Introduction Desertification and Land Degradation Processes Kyrgyzstan Water Resources and Irrigation Water User Associations in the Kyrgyz Republic Case Study WUA Performance in Orok Village Conclusions

3. Objectives What are –Impacts from investments in Sustainable Land and Water Management (SLM)? –Linkages between SLM, economic growth, poverty reduction, and good governance? Do investments in Natural Resources Management –Improve peoples’ livelihoods? –Decrease land degradation rates? –Strengthen local environmental governance? Do Water User Associations (WUAs) –Achieve positive results in SLM?

4. Desertification and Land Degradation Desertification is land degradation Reduces ecosystem integrity –Productivity, biodiversity, and resilience Causes –Multiple, complex, and varied –Over-exploitation of natural resources –Poor agricultural practices, overgrazing, deforestation, etc.

5. UNCCD in Central Asia National Action Programs (NAPs) Subregional Action Plan (SAP) –Monitoring and evaluation of processes –Drought early warning system –Improving water use in agriculture –Combating land degradation Cooperation –Water-saving technologies in agriculture –Enterprises for agricultural technology –Water Users Associations (federations) –Best practices –Principles of free-market-oriented agricultural systems Country Area Arable land Irrigated land million ha Kazakhstan271.7 22.5 3.6 Kyrgyzstan 19.81.31.1 Tajikistan 14.3 0.90.7 Turkmenistan48.8 2.21.8 Uzbekistan 44.74.74.3 Central Asia 399.451.411.4

6. CACILM Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management ADB supported program to –Promote sustainable land management –Build capacity in land and water resource management National Programming Framework (2006 – 2016) –Capacity building Agriculture, Forestry, Pastures –Research Integrated resource management

7. UNCCD in Kyrgyz Republic Joined 1997, ratified 1999 Coordination Council - Leads in implementing UNCCD National Action Plan –Natural resources management –Public awareness –Combat land degradation –Land productivity –Improve economy –Promote rural tourism –Restore pastures –Reforestation –Monitoring

8. Kyrgyz Land & Water Resources Area –Total land - 19.85 million ha –Arable land - 1.3 million ha –Irrigated land - 1.1 million ha 2003 –Highly saline 14,900 ha –Moderately saline 31,600 ha –Slightly saline 65,200 ha –Waterlogged 114,100 ha

9. Kyrgyz Economy Mountainous country –Ave. elevation 2,750 m Population - 5 million Agriculture –34% of GDP –43% of work force –20% of exports Water Use –Agricultural 9.4 billion m3 –Domestic and industrial 0.3 billion m3 Kyrgyz GDP per capita 1995-2004

10. Kyrgyz Land Reforms Transition –From Large, collective and state farms Centrally planned economy –To Many small-scale producers in a market economy Kyrgyz Agricultural Output, 1990 – 2005

11. Kyrgyz Farm Management Shortage of –Support services –Microfinance –Inputs –Infrastructure –Marketing outlets Small size of farms –Initial land distribution –Un-economic units Kyrgyz Agricultural Yields, 1990 – 2005

12. Kyrgyz Arable Lands Problems –Soil erosion –Salinity –Waterlogging –Loss of vegetative cover –Weed cover Caused by –Abandonment of farms –Unsustainable agricultural practices –Weak linkage between land users and state agencies and private sector –Decreased land reclamation –Poverty of rural population

13. Kyrgyz Irrigation Systems Problems –Secondary salinization –Lack of Drainage –Waterlogging –Erosion Caused by –low efficiency of irrigation networks due to poor maintenance –low efficiency of water use at the farm level –deterioration of drainage network –lack of financial and technical resources

14. Payment for Water Farmers pay –$0.75/1000 m3 Parliament won’t increase to –$2.50/1000 m3 Cost of irrigation system and service –$58/ha –6 x more than expenditures Irrigation fee for different regions of Kyrgyzstan

15. Water User Associations Land privatization –Land Code –Law on Farming 1999 WUAs –1995 – 2002 On-farm irrigation systems transferred to WUAs Development of Kyrgyz WUAs 1999 – 2007 –2005 Water rights based on hydrological basins Tariffs reflects irrigation and drainage system O&M costs

16. IMT in Kyrgyzstan IMT to WUAs –1991 504 irrigation systems 1 million irrigated ha –2005 430 WUAs 708 thousand irrigated ha –Successful where cash crops are grown favorable economic conditions water-short areas –Improvements expected Rule of law Financial management Water user awareness Farmer participation Irrigated land under Kyrgyz WUAs

17. WUA Sustainability Establish & collect fees –Cover O&M, and administrative costs –Water service fees In kind payments –Allowed up to 30% –Running 50% - 80% ISF Collection Rates in of Kyrgyzstan

18. Case Study: Orok Village Orok Village Administration Jantai Tush WUA –Irrigated land 1,247 ha –Water use 8,500,000 m3 –Debt $3,108 –6833 inhabitants 1931 families 1867 have no conveniences 210 Poor Families ($186/person/year) 65 Moderately Poor ($124/person/year) 28 Extremely Poor ($44/person/year) –Livestock has increased inn last 4 years

19. WUA State & Activities Established 2002 Canal network –65 km –50 km unlined Net value $55,334 O&M $907 - $1,295 Staff –Director –Accountant –Hydraulic technician –Ditch riders (seasonal) Farmers: Where can we get good seeds?

20. WUA Water Supply Interfarm irrigation system –Ala-Archa river –Kirovsky canal –Jantai main canal –Canals P-1 and P-2 Some flumes are damaged Water delivery difficult Water Intake and Supply (thousands m 3 ) Irrigation for seedling emergence

21. Irrigation Systems Water Use in Irrigation & WUA Effectiveness –~100% using furrow and border strip irrigation –65% measured volume with a weir –35% measured volume "by eye“ –~100% water distributed appropriately Irrigation Service Payments

22. Crop Yields Farmers have –7 tractors –2 harvesters –3 balers –6 trucks Crop Yields (% of 2003)

23. Farm Animals (2004 as % of 2002)

24. Farm Microcredit Some farmers obtained loans ( $958 - $5,180) Some farmers did not –High rates (up to 30%) –Difficult document preparation –Repayment difficulty –Length of loan period

25. Some Problems Shortages of –Funds (farmers, village, WUA) Maintenance of machinery, irrigation systems and structures. New machinery and equipment –Processing and storage facilities –Markets –Pastures Shortcomings of land and agrarian reform –Break-up of large enterprises –Reduction of Management services Technical knowledge Seed farming Lack of knowledge about –Farming –Effective use of water

26. Conclusions Problems of WUAs –Tariffs for irrigation services are too low –Excessive "in kind" payment of irrigation service fees –WUAs Passive Lack physical infrastructure Management not aware of authority and responsibility Incomplete managerial functions Lack management transparency Poor auditing conditions

27. Conclusions Benefits of WUAs –Water users Use irrigation water more responsibly Understand that excessive use of water for irrigation has a cost Participate in water management Undertake mutually agreed activities for resource management Participate in establishing tariffs for irrigation water supply Control operation and maintenance of irrigation systems Take responsibility for decision making and implementation Reduction of moisture-loving crops –WUAs New institutions have demonstrated potential and vitality Set example of proper management of local associations Provide input to water sector reform Assist in restructuring water resources management Improve water distribution Advise on irrigation methods