Collective Action in the Irrigation Sector of Uzbekistan: a Case Study of Water Consumers’ Associations (Wcas) in the Karshi Steppe
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Program: USAID Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Cycle 4 project: Mitigating the competition for water in the Amudarya River Basin, Central Asia, by improving water use efficiency Collective Action in the Irrigation Sector of Uzbekistan: A Case Study of Water Consumers’ Associations (WCAs) in the Karshi Steppe Kakhramon Djumaboev, Ahmad Hamidov, Oyture Anarbekov and Zafar Gafurov i Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research The authors: Kakhramon Djumaboev is Senior Research Officer/Project Leader (Water Resources Management Specialist) at the Central Asia Office of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Ahmad Hamidov is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Germany. He was a consultant at the Central Asia Office of IWMI, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, at the time this report was prepared. Oyture Anarbekov is Senior Research Officer (Water Governance/Institutional Specialist) at the Central Asia Office of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Zafar Gafurov is a Research Officer (Remote Sensing and GIS Specialist) at the Central Asia Office of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Djumaboev, K.; Hamidov, A.; Anarbekov, O.; Gafurov, Z. 2017. Collective action in the irrigation sector of Uzbekistan: a case study of water consumers’ associations (WCAs) in the Karshi Steppe. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 39p. doi: 10.5337/2018.200 / collective action / water use / water users associations / water management / water resources / irrigation systems / irrigated farming / irrigation management / irrigation canals / steppes / farmers / drainage / infrastructure / case studies / Uzbekistan / Copyright © 2017, by IWMI. All rights reserved. IWMI encourages the use of its material provided that the organization is acknowledged and kept informed in all such instances. Front cover photograph: Karshi main canal (photo: Kakhramon Djumaboev, IWMI). Please send inquiries and comments to: IWMI‐[email protected] This report is published by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Cycle 4 project, which is administered by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The ‘Mitigating the competition for water in the Amudarya River Basin, Central Asia, by improving water use efficiency’ project is led by IWMI. The information and views set out in this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of USAID. ii Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank James Ayars (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA]-Agricultural Research Service [ARS]) for his input and feedback to content of the report. Also, the technical assistance provided by Sarvarbek Eltazarov (Regional consultant, International Water Management Institute – Central Asia [IWMI-CA]), Bekzod Akramov (Consultant, IWMI-CA) and Rashid Toshev (Field consultant, IWMI-CA) is gratefully acknowledged. iii Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Water Management Reforms in Kashkadarya Province ..................................................... 1 Current Challenges with Water Consumers’ Associations ................................................. 2 Study Objectives and Hypotheses ..................................................................................... 4 Theoretical Background .............................................................................................. 5 Skills of WCA Chairman .................................................................................................... 6 Importance of Canal Location ............................................................................................ 6 Methodology of the Study ............................................................................................ 8 Location and Climatic Conditions of Kashkadarya Province .............................................. 8 Current Conditions of Irrigated Agriculture in Kashkadarya Province ................................. 9 Selection of Study Cases................................................................................................... 9 Empirical Methods: FGDs and Expert Interviews ............................................................. 11 Analytical Tools for Data Analysis .................................................................................... 11 Description of Study Findings.................................................................................... 12 Characteristics of Selected WCAs ................................................................................... 12 An example of Muglon Obi Hayoti WCA .......................................................................................... 12 An example of Chashmai Mirob WCA ............................................................................................. 13 Existing Main Challenges in the Selected WCAs ............................................................. 14 Potential Causes for the Problems .................................................................................. 16 Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................ 20 Bibliography ............................................................................................................. 21 Annexes .................................................................................................................... 23 iv Introduction Water Management Reforms in Kashkadarya Province Kashkadarya Province plays an important role in the economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan (hereafter referred as Uzbekistan). The province produces natural gas, agricultural products (cotton, wheat, fodder crops, and fruits and vegetables) and raw materials for construction. About 75% of water is supplied by Amudarya River through the cascade of pumping stations. The remaining water comes from Zarafshan River (5%) through Eskianhor canal and 20% from Kashkadarya River and other internal rivers.1 Prior to the Soviet occupation, the local population in Kashkadarya was primarily engaged in cultivating grain crops and some gardening (Khodjaev and Avazov 2011). Since the late 1920s and early 1930s, due to the overarching political objective of boosting the Soviet Union’s economy, the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) became involved in the expansion of irrigated areas, concentrating on more effective use of machinery and the engineering or rebuilding of different types of irrigation systems. Furthermore, the existing water supply infrastructure and large-scale irrigation systems were developed and improved (Tolstov 1962). As a result of this expansive policy, the irrigated land in the province increased from 63,000 hectares (ha) in 1915 to 514,000 ha in 2010 (Khodjaev and Avazov 2011). This increase was due to a gigantic Soviet hydraulic program through the construction of dams, irrigation canals, pumping stations and various hydraulic facilities and in particular, with Mega project – Karshi Steppe Reclamation Program. The Karshi Steppe is characterized by harsh climatic conditions with frequent water shortages (ibid.). The process of agricultural water sector reform began with Decree No.320 of the Cabinet Ministries of Uzbekistan in July 21, 2003 “Improvement in the Organization of Water Resources Management”. A key element of the reform was to create a two-level system for managing waters – the establishment of Basin Irrigation System Authority (BISA) and the creation of Water Consumers’ Associations (WCAs). Annex 1 shows an organizational structure of national water management institutions in Uzbekistan. The Department of Water Resources was established in the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (MAWR) to manage water resources in the country. Under it, 10 BISAs were established, and under each BISA, irrigation system authorities (ISAs) were set up. There are several ISAs in each province and each basin, and there are altogether 63 ISAs. In place of the previous Kashkadarya Provincial Water Department, which had managed water resources in accordance with the territorial principles, Amu-Kashkadarya BISA was established in 2003 to manage water resources based on the hydrographic (basin) principles. Under Amu-Kashkadarya BISA, five ISAs were established (Figure 1). An organizational structure of Amu-Kashkadarya BISA is provided in Annex 2. As a result of this structural change in water management, some parts of Kamashi, Shahrisabz and Chirokchi districts of Kashkadarya Province were added to the jurisdiction of Zarafshan BISA. Main responsibilities of Amu-Kashkadarya BISA, which is funded through the Government budget, include: i) operation and maintenance (O&M) of all large-scale water infrastructures; ii) rational use of water resources at the basin; iii) implementation of unified technical policy in the water management sector; and iv) provide reliable water use measurements. 1 Communication with Amu-Kashkadarya BISA official, June 16, 2016. 1 In the meantime, main tasks of the ISAs in Amu-Kashkadarya BISA are: i) maintain main canals; ii)