What is the project about

Water management is a defining aspect of the economy and environment in the hot, arid conditions of Turkmenistan.  Irrigated agriculture accounts for 90 percent of total water consumption, supplied by aging, energy-intensive infrastructure.  About 50 percent of water is lost between withdrawal and ultimate delivery.  Water management also plays a direct role as both a cause and a potential remedy for extensive and often severe problems of land degradation in Turkmenistan. Through technology transfer, investment, and policy reform, this project seeks to promote an integrated approach to water management that is energy and water efficient, reduces root causes of land degradation, and enhances local livelihoods and public service delivery.

The project objectives are to provide for sufficient and environmentally sustainable water supply to support and enhance social conditions and economic livelihood of the population of Turkmenistan; reduce GHG emissions associated with water management; prevent and remediate salinization of lands.

The project will address the problems of water management, energy consumption, land degradation (salinization), and agricultural productivity through integrated activities, with a goal toward achieving multiple benefits in different areas.  Thus improved water management will lead not only to greater water availability, but also to significant energy savings, avoided GHG emissions, and reduced salinization.  Application of new renewable-energy solutions in water management will lead not only to avoided GHG emissions, but also to greater water availability in remote populated areas.  This integrated approach will be practically applied and technically proven first at specific sites in the Akhal velayat, then replicated across the country through region-specific planning and outreach, as well as supporting policies and investment at the national level.

What we aim to accomplish

Component 1: To introduce new technologies in irrigated agriculture and pumpingfor energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainable land management (SLM).

The first project component is designed to achieve three targeted outcomes.

• Enhancement of the national knowledge base and delivery of new technical information on appropriate technology for irrigation, pumps, and solar-powered water pumping and purification to water management agency staff and farmers
• New processes established and implemented for planning, deployment, and financial assessment both before and after deployment of integrated water resource management, pump audits and maintenance, and solar-powered water pumping and purification
• Direct energy savings, water savings, and reduction of land degradation from the selected projects

Component 2: To scale-up investment in new and expanded efficient water-management infrastructure.

The second project component focuses on scaling-up investment in improved water management infrastructure.  It is intended to achieve two related outcomes.

• Reduction of water losses and associated energy consumption via direct investment in a large-scale infrastructure project on municipal water supply
• Technical, environmental, and financial justification to scale-up investment in canal linings and/or other widespread infrastructure improvements to reduce water losses, associated energy consumption, and land degradation

Component 3: To deliver local and region-specific planning and educational outreach for IWRM (integrated water resource management) and SLM among farmers and water-sector designers and managers

The project’s third component supports nationwide implementation of IWRM and SLM via planning and training at the regional and district level in all five velayats.  It seeks to achieve two related outcomes.

• Technologies and investments for IWRM and SLM approved according to new Technology Action Plans in all five velayats
• Institutional/human capacity for implementing IWRM and SLM utilized and sustained among farmers and local/regional water management officials in all five velayats via training on best practices as well as compilation and delivery of lessons learned.

Component 4: To develop and support implementation of policy reform for IWRM.

The project’s fourth component seeks the following outcomes.

• Regulations on pump performance and maintenance adopted and enforced
• Operational system established for measuring end-use water consumption
• Regulations adopted for the staged onset of tariffs for end use of water
• Policies and budget allocations adopted in support of expanded investment in improved irrigation and water infrastructure