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Central Asia: Towards Regional Initiatives for Modernizing Irrigation in the 21st Century

November 19-20, 2019

Almaty, Kazakhstan


¡°Towards Regional Initiatives for Modernizing Irrigation in the 21st Century¡± is a regional technical workshop taking place in Almaty, Kazakhstan on November 19-20, 2019.

The workshop is an initiative of the World Bank Group, with support from the European Union, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, to promote water and energy security at the regional level in Central Asia.

  • About

    Irrigation will continue to play a critical role in food security, job creation and fuel growth in Central Asia in the mid-term. Rainfed agriculture is not feasible and, given that irrigated agriculture is, on average, at least twice as productive per unit of land compared to rainfed farming, this provides an important buffer against increasing climate variability, and allows for more secure crop diversification.

    It is certain that irrigation will continue to play a key role in ensuring regional food and nutrition security; however, countries are facing a number of challenges in the sector, including low irrigation efficiency, aging facilities, and high operating cost.

    The emerging imperative is to modernize irrigation systems moving from supply-oriented water delivery to demand-oriented water delivery, to improve water productivity. Mere rehabilitation is not enough. Farm characteristics have been changing from large collective farms to smallholdings for individual farmers.

    Moreover, there has been a change in response to market demands, where cultivation has started to shift from ¡°monoculture¡± crops to a diversification of crops oriented towards high-value crops.

    The main objective of any irrigation modernization program should be to undertake both technical and managerial upgrading to improve both resource utilization and water delivery service to users. On-farm irrigation improvements will only realize their potential when adequate water delivery (flexible, reliable and equitable) is provided to the user from the main system.

    Objectives

    Participants at the workshop will:

    • Learn from the findings of stocktaking, international experiences of irrigation modernization and research institutions and universities in the region;
    • Discuss potential private sector involvement;
    • Discuss possible irrigation modernization in each country as next steps; and
    • Build networks to help countries towards irrigation modernization.

    Participants

    Workshop participants include policy makers, practitioners from irrigation administrations, scientists and researchers from research institutes and universities, representatives of water user/consumer associations, from the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Other participants include private sector and development partners.

    The workshop is funded by the Central Asia Water and Energy Program and Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership.

  • The Workshop Agenda

    Day 1, November 19

    Time

    Content

    Speaker

    09:00

    10¡¯

    Welcome

    Mr. Jean-Francois Marteau, Country Manager, Kazakhstan

    World Bank

     

    09:10

    10¡¯

    Inaugural Speech

    Mr. Turlybek Arman Alashevich, Chairman, Committee for Water Resources, Kazakhstan

     

    09:30

    20¡¯

    Setting the stage

    Mr. Kazuhiro Yoshida, Sr. Irrigation and Drainage Specialist, World Bank, USA

     

    09:50

    15¡¯

    Central Asia¡¯s Agriculture is on the move: Does irrigation follow?

    Mr. Sergiy Zorya, Lead Agriculture Economist, World Bank, Uzbekistan

     

    10:05

    15¡¯

    Break

     

    10:20

    15¡¯

    Introducing the IFC

    Ms. Cassandra Colbert, Country Manager for Kazakhstan, IFC

     

     

    10:35

    25¡¯

    Modern irrigation and efficient field delivery system in Central Asia

    Mr. Dan Patterson, Silverleafe International

     

    11:00

    25¡¯

    South and Southeast Asia experience: Pipe distribution and Pressurized irrigation for efficient use of water on farm-level, Q&A

    Mr. Alan Clark, Principal Irrigation Specialist, NHC, Canada

     

    11:25

    25¡¯

    Modernization of canals-Australian experience

     

    Mr. Damien Pearson, Deputy GM Commercial Operations, Rubicon Water

     

    11:50

    5¡¯

    Break

     

    11:55

    65¡¯

    Technical Panel

    ?   Mr. Mirobit Mirdadayev,  General Director of Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Water Management, Kazakhstan

    ?  Mr. Amanzhol Atakanov, Deputy Director of the Kyrgyz Research Institute of Irrigation, Kyrgyzstan

    ?  Mr. Dilshod Umarov, Director, Research Institute on Water Engineering and Amerioration (Tajik NIIGiM), Tajikistan

    ?  Mr. Ibadulla Narzullaev, Deputy Chief Engineer, ¡°Turkmensuwylymtaslama¡± (Giprovodhoz) Institute, State Water Committee of Turkmenistan

    ?  Mr. Akmal Karimov, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME), Uzbekistan

    Commentator

    ?  Mr. Alan Clark, Principal Irrigation Specialist, NHC, Canada

     

    14:20

    30¡¯

    China Turpan Water Management Model

    Mr. Liping Jiang, Senior Irrigation and Drainage Specialist, ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº, China

     

    14:50

    30¡¯

    Operational Water Accounting and Water Productivity Monitoring

    Mr. Wim Bastiaanssen, Independent water accounting and irrigation consultant

     

    15:20

    30¡¯

    Institution changes for improved service delivery

    Mr. Paul van Hofwegen, Irrigation and Water Management Consultant, World Bank

     

    15:50

    20¡¯

    Financial support architecture for promoting micro-irrigation

    Ms. Stuti Sharma, Water Resources Management Specialist, World Bank

     

    16:20

    30¡¯

    World Caf¨¦

     

    16:50

    60¡¯

    Informal Networking

     

    19:00

    90¡¯

    Dinner Reception

     

     

    Day 2, November 20, 2019

    Time

    Content

    Speaker

    09:00

    30¡¯

    Irrigation PPPs in practice ¨C presentations of the cases in Brazil and Morocco

    ¡¤     Mr. Nico Saporiti, Senior Investment Officer, Transaction Advisory Group, International Finance Corporation/ World Bank Group

    ¡¤     Mr. Ari Skromne, Senior Investment Officer, Transaction Advisory Group, International Finance Corporation/ World Bank Group

    09:30

    90¡¯

    Challenges and opportunities in irrigation PPPs in Central Asia

    ¡¤     Mr. Yossi Ingber, Commercial Project Management, Team Leader, Netafim

    ¡¤     Mr. Sergey Stefanov, Regional Sales Manager ¦© Eurasia, Valmont

    ¡¤     Mr. Philippe Goral, Business Development Manager, Europe, ASIA, MENA, BRL Ing¨¦nierie

    ¡¤     Mr. Nurzhan Kushebayev, Business Analyst, Kusto Group

    ¡¤     Mr. Dan Patterson, Silverleafe International

    11:15

    90¡¯

    Countries¡¯ Panel ¨C Experience and Perspectives

    ¡¤     Mr. Yerdos Kuzlhanbekov, Director of the Division, Committee of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Kazakhstan

    ¡¤     Mr. Abdybai Dzailoobaev, Deputy Director, State Water Resources Agency, Kyrgyzstan

    ¡¤     Mr. Bahrom Gafforzoda, Deputy Director, Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation (ALRI), Tajikistan

    ¡¤     Mr. Seyitguly Ovlyagulyyev, Director, Main Directorate of Water Structures and Construction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Turkmenistan

    ¡¤     Mr. Ravshan Mamutov, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Uzbekistan

     

    14:05

    20¡¯

    Attract young generation in Irrigation for a bright future

    Julia Komagaeva, Country Operations Officer, WB Russia

    14:00

    90¡¯

    Group work on priority actions

    15:30

     

    Tea Break

    16:00

    30¡¯

    Report by each group for the next steps

    17:00

    30¡¯

    Closing Panel

    Moderator: Mr. Kazuhiro Yoshida, ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº

     

    17:30

    10¡¯

    Closing Remarks

    Mr. Pieter Waalewijn, Global Lead, Water in Agriculture, ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº, USA