FROM IMPROVED WATER ACCOUNTING TO INCREASED WATER PRODUCTIVITY IN THE FERGANA VALLEY

摘要

Facing competition for limited water resources with domestic, industrial, hydropower andrnenvironmental uses, agriculture has to adapt to produce more food with less water. This paperrnproposes to apply water accounting procedure to identify the scope for water productivityrnimprovement. The Fergana Valley, a highly productive area within the upstream of the SyrdaryarnRiver Basin, was selected to examine the proposed procedure. Significant non-productiverndepletions of water as evaporation at 31-34% of the available water were identified in thernFergana Valley. There is also flow to sinks and pollution in the downstream at 1-5% of therngross inflow due to the changes of the river flow regime, its quantity and quality, caused byrnthe return flow from the irrigated land and the winter hydropower releases from the upstream.rnTotal non-productive depletions of water at 4,200-5,200 million m~3 (Mm~3) were identified inrnthe form of evaporation, flows to sinks, and pollution. Proper water saving technologies tornreduce non-productive depletions will improve water productivity in the Fergana Valley andrnincrease water availability for the downstream water uses.