Overview

The Integrated  Water  Management  in  the  Ferghana  Valley (IWRM-Ferghana)  project is designed to improve the effectiveness of water resources management through the introduction of integrated water resources management (IWRM) principles in the Ferghana Valley shared by 3 Central Asian countries - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It mainly addresses possibilities for water saving,  improvement of soil fertility, the reorganisation of water administration, the promotion and institutional build-up of water users' associations, the establishment of unified management for three pilot main

canals and the definition of transparent, fair and efficient water allocation mechanisms among users and between the countries. PROJECT's GOAL Thus the project's overall goal is to contribute  to more  secure  livelihoods,  increased environmental  sustainability, greater  social  harmony,  and  to  support  rural  restructuring  in Central  Asian  countries  through  improved  effectiveness  of  water  resources  management  making Ferghana Valley as the role-model.   Figure. Map of Ferghana Valley

Project's historical sequence

• PHASE I: A six month Inception Phase was launched in September 2001 and was further extended until 30th April 2002 to prepare and finalise the implementation arrangements and related documents (project structure, agreements, project document, credit proposal) for the Implementation Phase (Phase II).   



• PHASE II (01.05.02 – 30.04.05) that followed included eight outputs spread over three components. The two project objectives were:
  (i) To introduce and pilot test Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and water users participation among the water management institutions in the Ferghana Valley; and
  (ii) To demonstrate options to increase water productivity at all water management levels.



• PHASE III: Now the project has entered into its 3rd phase for another 3 years of activities - from May 1, 2005 through April 30, 2008 - to strengthen the achievements made in the previous phases.
  The specific project objectives for this ongoing phase will be:
  (i) Modern water governance, policies and management procedures as well as appropriate institutional arrangements are made fully functional at all selected pilot canals;
  (ii) Improved irrigation management practices and more productive water use are achieved.
  * Apart from continuing WUA establishment and strengthening existing WUAs along the pilot canals, IWMI will develop a methodology to identify suitable locations for institutional interventions through water poverty mapping. The process of developing a methodology to map will also include aspects of water productivity and indicators of poverty to ascertain where interventions to improve land or water productivity are likely to have a significant poverty impact.  This will be linked with local level livelihoods and poverty analysis to determine, pilot and monitor what the best interventions are likely to be. For this purpose, IWMI will add its own resources to develop water poverty mapping procedures. The goal is to identify the best sites for effective institutional rearrangements in water sector in order to alleviate poverty

The project was also supplemented by the Canal Automation Project (Duration: 01st November 2003 to 30th October 2006) which is looking at providing the infrastructure necessary for a fine-tuned, transparent and measurable water flow in the three irrigation schemes served by the pilot canals.

The Integrated Water Management in the Ferghana Valley (IWRM-Ferghana) is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by an association between IWMI and SIC-ICWC.