161
water allocated for the compulsory crops of cotton and wheat is tightly regulated by
the WUAs, enabling them to collect fees in return for services, for voluntary crops
(such as fruit and vegetables) grown by individual households or small cooperatives
of local residents, water is poorly regulated and rarely paid for. Here, again, there is
emerging evidence of water users developing their own forms of collective action in
response to an institutional void. In the WUA Kadyrjon-Azamjon, an unusual system of water management has developed whereby a community citizen council
organises water allocation and cost collection itself.
Practices of regulation are, indeed, closely bound to practices of payment for
irrigation services rendered. WUAs do not receive any state funding as a rule,
although temporary subsidies can be made available from water management
organisations for specifi c measures, such as the reduction of water losses. Also, in
Uzbekistan, water fees are not levied, in line with the principle that water is a public
good. Instead of charging for water used, WUAs are dependent on fees for the irrigation services they provide. These irrigation service fees were introduced in Uzbekistan
only in 2001. They can vary according to the size of the farm and to the type of crop.
For example, farmers in the WUA Tomchikul pay 45,000 soum
1 per ha for (private)
orchards but only 20,000 soum per ha for cotton fi elds (excursion in WUA
Tomchikul). The incentives for farmers to conserve water are, under this system,
1 Soum is the Uzbek currency. 1 Euro ≈ 3100 UZS.
Besharik
Furkat
Uzbekiston
Dangara
Sokh
Uchkuprik
Rishtan
Bagdad
Buvaida
Oltiarik
Koshtepa
Yazyavan
Toshlok
Fergana
Kuvasay
Kuva
Fergana City
119 Water Users Associations (WUAs)
7791 Farmers and other Water Users
Water Management
The Aral Sea Basin
Syrdarya River Basin
MAWR RUz
“Syrdarya-Sokh” BAIS
“IsfaraSyrdarya”
AIS
“SokhOktepa” AIS
“NarynFergana”
AIS
“IsfayramShakhimardan”
AIS
Water Demand (bottom-up)
Hierarchy Levels
International
District
Basin & International
National
Provincial
Main Canals &
Irrigation
System
Secondary Canals
Tertiary &
Quaternary
Canals
Governance
SIC lCWC
Branches of AIS
BWO Syrdarya
National Water Council
Basin Water
Canal Water
Committee
WUAs General
Assembly
WUG and Mirobs
Water Supply (up-down)
Fig. 11.3 Structure of water management organisations in Uzbekistan (Source: Kenjabaev 2014 ,
p. 27)
11 Where Water Meets Agriculture: The Ambivalent Role of Water Users Associations
water allocated for the compulsory crops of cotton and wheat is tightly regulated by
the WUAs, enabling them to collect fees in return for services, for voluntary crops
(such as fruit and vegetables) grown by individual households or small cooperatives
of local residents, water is poorly regulated and rarely paid for. Here, again, there is
emerging evidence of water users developing their own forms of collective action in
response to an institutional void. In the WUA Kadyrjon-Azamjon, an unusual system of water management has developed whereby a community citizen council
organises water allocation and cost collection itself.
Practices of regulation are, indeed, closely bound to practices of payment for
irrigation services rendered. WUAs do not receive any state funding as a rule,
although temporary subsidies can be made available from water management
organisations for specifi c measures, such as the reduction of water losses. Also, in
Uzbekistan, water fees are not levied, in line with the principle that water is a public
good. Instead of charging for water used, WUAs are dependent on fees for the irrigation services they provide. These irrigation service fees were introduced in Uzbekistan
only in 2001. They can vary according to the size of the farm and to the type of crop.
For example, farmers in the WUA Tomchikul pay 45,000 soum
1 per ha for (private)
orchards but only 20,000 soum per ha for cotton fi elds (excursion in WUA
Tomchikul). The incentives for farmers to conserve water are, under this system,
1 Soum is the Uzbek currency. 1 Euro ≈ 3100 UZS.
Besharik
Furkat
Uzbekiston
Dangara
Sokh
Uchkuprik
Rishtan
Bagdad
Buvaida
Oltiarik
Koshtepa
Yazyavan
Toshlok
Fergana
Kuvasay
Kuva
Fergana City
119 Water Users Associations (WUAs)
7791 Farmers and other Water Users
Water Management
The Aral Sea Basin
Syrdarya River Basin
MAWR RUz
“Syrdarya-Sokh” BAIS
“IsfaraSyrdarya”
AIS
“SokhOktepa” AIS
“NarynFergana”
AIS
“IsfayramShakhimardan”
AIS
Water Demand (bottom-up)
Hierarchy Levels
International
District
Basin & International
National
Provincial
Main Canals &
Irrigation
System
Secondary Canals
Tertiary &
Quaternary
Canals
Governance
SIC lCWC
Branches of AIS
BWO Syrdarya
National Water Council
Basin Water
Canal Water
Committee
WUAs General
Assembly
WUG and Mirobs
Water Supply (up-down)
Fig. 11.3 Structure of water management organisations in Uzbekistan (Source: Kenjabaev 2014 ,
p. 27)
11 Where Water Meets Agriculture: The Ambivalent Role of Water Users Associations