 On 24 February, 2006 the World Bank Country Office in Uzbekistan hosted a press briefing. The main objective of the briefing was to inform the local journalists about the World Bank activities in the sector of water resources in general and about the implementation of the Drainage, Irrigation and Wetlands Improvement Project in particular. Martin Raiser, Country Manager for Uzbekistan, started the briefing saying that it had taken some time since we met last to communicate news about our work in Aral Sea Basin. It doesn’t mean that we have nothing to say: it means we are busy doing real things like digging canals, constructing drains and improving wetlands. Intensive development of new irrigated areas in 1960-80-es was accompanied by land salinity, water logging, land degradation and increases in the discharge of highly mineralized drainage water into the Amu Darya River through a system of collector drains. These led to increased mineralization and pollution of the river water, as well as negative impacts on the health of the population and on agricultural production. The World Bank financed Drainage, Irrigation and Wetlands Improvement Project aims to improve the situation. Masood Ahmad, Lead Water Resources Specialist of the World Bank, informed the briefing participants about the implementation of the Drainage, Irrigation and Wetlands Improvement Project. He said that the World Bank had been involved in water sector of Uzbekistan and had been one of the key players in this sector since early 90-th. He also noted: “A great number of research and analytical works have been done in the sector. The Drainage, Irrigation and Wetlands Improvement Project is based on the World Bank’s experience accumulated worldwide. The Project was signed in 2004 and we are now at the beginning of its implementation”. Masood Ahmad showed the map with the zone of Project implementation focusing on South Karakalpakstan. He explained that the Project implementation would bring the following benefits: - Drainage water waste from the Beruni collector will no longer be discharged into the Amu Darya River with direct health benefits for the population in the northern regions of Karakalpakstan where the Amu Darya is still the main source of drinking water;
- the quality of 100, 000 ha of land in three southern districts will improve significantly, crop yields will increase while the amount of irrigation water use per ha will decline;
- drainage water will be collected and discharged through a system making use of the northward downward sloping terrain, allowing the substitution of electric pumps with natural gravity, thereby generating significant electric power and cost savings;
- the Badai-Tugai nature reserve will cease receiving salinated water for irrigation purposes with significant benefits for the preservation of the vegetation in this unique environment.
By improving drainage, the project would be the first meaningful intervention in the Aral Sea Basin to break this vicious cycle of high water applications, water logging and secondary soil salinity, hence requiring again high water applications for the next season leaching. Mahvash Wasiq, Operations Officer, responsible for economic/financial and operational analysis of the Project, noted that the World Bank brings to water sector not only finances, but also technical know-how, knowledge and expertise. The project implementation is accompanied with bringing knowledge on procurement, on contracting, on project management etc. She also mentioned that a Chinese company SinoHydro, one of the largest companies in the world, was selected on tender basis to build the Main Drain. The construction works are underway. During the Question&Answers session closing the event Martin Raiser, Masood Ahmad and Mahwash Wasiq answered the questions related to the water issues, the Drainage Project and beyond. | |
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