“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.
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.
Participants at the workshop will:
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.
Day 1, November 19
Time | Content | Speaker | ||||
09:00 | 10’ | Welcome | Mr. Jean-Francois Marteau, Country Manager, Kazakhstan World Bank |
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09:10 | 10’ | Inaugural Speech | Mr. Turlybek Arman Alashevich, Chairman, Committee for Water Resources, Kazakhstan |
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09:30 | 20’ | Setting the stage | Mr. Kazuhiro Yoshida, Sr. Irrigation and Drainage Specialist, World Bank, USA |
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09:50 | 15’ | Central Asia’s Agriculture is on the move: Does irrigation follow? | Mr. Sergiy Zorya, Lead Agriculture Economist, World Bank, Uzbekistan |
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10:05 | 15’ | Break |
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10:20 | 15’ | Introducing the IFC | Ms. Cassandra Colbert, Country Manager for Kazakhstan, IFC
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10:35 | 25’ | Modern irrigation and efficient field delivery system in Central Asia | Mr. Dan Patterson, Silverleafe International |
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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 |
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11:25 | 25’ | Modernization of canals-Australian experience
| Mr. Damien Pearson, Deputy GM Commercial Operations, Rubicon Water |
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11:50 | 5’ | Break |
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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 |
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14:20 | 30’ | China Turpan Water Management Model | Mr. Liping Jiang, Senior Irrigation and Drainage Specialist, The World Bank, China |
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14:50 | 30’ | Operational Water Accounting and Water Productivity Monitoring | Mr. Wim Bastiaanssen, Independent water accounting and irrigation consultant |
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15:20 | 30’ | Institution changes for improved service delivery | Mr. Paul van Hofwegen, Irrigation and Water Management Consultant, World Bank |
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15:50 | 20’ | Financial support architecture for promoting micro-irrigation | Ms. Stuti Sharma, Water Resources Management Specialist, World Bank |
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16:20 | 30’ | World Café |
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16:50 | 60’ | Informal Networking |
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19:00 | 90’ | Dinner Reception |
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Day 2, November 20, 2019
Time | Content | Speaker | ||
09:00 | 30’ | Irrigation PPPs in practice – 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 Ι Eurasia, Valmont · Mr. Philippe Goral, Business Development Manager, Europe, ASIA, MENA, BRL Ingénierie · Mr. Nurzhan Kushebayev, Business Analyst, Kusto Group · Mr. Dan Patterson, Silverleafe International | |
11:15 | 90’ | Countries’ Panel – 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
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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, The World Bank
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17:30 | 10’ | Closing Remarks | Mr. Pieter Waalewijn, Global Lead, Water in Agriculture, The World Bank, USA | |
