On June 25, a field inspection of water canals, hydraulic structures of pilot WUAs Ak-Chii and WUA Ta-Bek and a farm plot where drip irrigation is being installed was carried out.
Participants of the field visit are Zafar Makhmudov – Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), Nazik Mamedova – Head of Corporate Relations and Sustainable Development, Coca-Cola Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Grebnev – climate policy specialist of CAREC, Kuban Matraimov – director of CAREC branch in Kyrgyzstan, Koylubaev Bakir – water expert of CAREC, chairmen of Ak-Chii WUA and Ta-Bek WUA, representatives of the local village government, local deputies, farmers and a representative of the contracting organization Ak- Shumkar.
In Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, the CAREC is implementing regional project “ Increasing economic independence and improving the status of women in Central Asia through access to irrigation water and infrastructure” is being implemented , aimed at supporting local communities in the rational management of water resources. The project is implementing under financial support from the international Coca-Cola Foundation.
CAREC Executive Director, Zafar Mahmudov, in an interview with representatives of the WUAs, local authorities and farmers, noted: “The CAREC project with the financial support of the Coca-Cola Foundation is an example of the capabilities of international organizations in solving the internal problems of water users in Central Asian countries. At the same time, the Coca-Cola Foundation is also a big water user, producing famous carbonated drinks, but they have an international fund that directs funds to solve environmental problems and rational use of natural resources, including water. CAREC is a regional environmental organization that constantly implements environmental, water and climate change projects, helping both government agencies and local residents and farmers”.
Representatives of local authorities and pilot WUAs, farmers expressed gratitude to CAREC and the Coca-Cola Foundation for solving the problems of irrigation of their agricultural lands; the rehabilitated canals will make it possible to deliver irrigation water with low losses to farmers’ plots, which is more than 300 hectares of land. Also, annual conflicts with WUAs and farmers regarding the distribution and shortage of irrigation water will be resolved.
“Rehabilitated canals cannot solve all the problems of loss and shortage of irrigation water, but it creates the potential to continue such work for the benefit of rational use of water resources,” said the head of Ta-Bek WUA Minara Asanova.
On the territory of WUA Ta-Bek, drip irrigation is installed on an area of up to 1 hectare, on the plot of farmer Chokomanov Nurlan, who grows strawberries, raspberries and raspberries. The farmer built a swimming pool on his own and then was unable to purchase and install drip irrigation. Thanks to the support of the WUA and its efforts, our project supported the installation of drip irrigation for optimal use of irrigation water and dosed use of mineral fertilizers through the drip irrigation system.
