Your search found 11 records
1 Bekchanov, Maksud; Bhaduri, A.; Lenzen, M.; Lamers, J. P. A. 2014. Integrating input-output modeling with multi-criteria analysis to assess options for sustainable economic transformation: the case of Uzbekistan. In Bhaduri, A.; Bogardi, J.; Leentvaar, J.; Marx, S. (Eds.). The global water system in the anthropocene: challenges for science and governance. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. pp.229-245. (Springer Water)
Economic development ; Economic sectors ; Input output analysis ; Models ; Environmental sustainability ; Indicators ; Water use efficiency ; Water resources ; Virtual water ; Water productivity ; Crop production ; Case studies / Uzbekistan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046590)
(0.15 MB)
Integrating economic efficiency and environmental sustainability indicators is essential for designing policies for a sustainable development. Given the growing pressure on water resources, efficient water use becomes an essential environmental criteria for formulating adjustment reforms. Despite the wide use of backward and forward linkages as well as direct and indirect resource (energy, water, etc.) uses based on environmentally extended input-output models for assessing the performance of economic sectors, the common practice of presenting different indicators separately obstructed a straightforward policy interpretation of results. To derive a composite indicator that allows to direct ranking of sectors, we combined therefore a direct and indirect water use intensities with backward and forward linkage indexes by using the multi-criteria analysis method-TOPSIS (Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution). The model was implemented to formulate sectoral transformation measures guided by sustainable growth objectives in Uzbekistan, Central Asia, which is a representative of an area with growing water scarcity. The results showed that the presently promoted crops under the state order system—cotton and wheat—and crop preferred by farmers— rice—are the least effective production options for reaching such a sustainable growth. It is argued therefore that unbiased support for all crops through adaption of the current state order system for cotton and wheat cultivation is needed to achieve a more diversified crop portfolio with an increased share of fruits and vegetables. A further development of agro-processing industries and livestock sector bears more potential for sustainable economic development than a further promotion of producing raw agricultural commodities. Investing in industrial sectors illustrated more potential than in agriculture related sectors when aiming at economic effectiveness and increased water use efficiency. It is concluded that, with a relevant sectoral transformation, Uzbekistan has high opportunities to cope with reduced water availability.
2 Bekchanov, Maksud; Lamers, J. P. A.; Martius, C. 2014. Coping with water scarcity in the irrigated lowlands of the lower Amudarya basin, Central Asia. In Lamers, J. P. A.; Khamzina, A.; Rudenko, I.; Vlek, P. L. G. (Eds.). Restructuring land allocation, water use and agricultural value chains: technologies, policies and practices for the lower Amudarya region. Bonn, Germany: Bonn University Press. pp.199-216.
Water scarcity ; Irrigated land ; Irrigation water ; Water use efficiency ; Irrigation methods ; Furrow irrigation ; Drip irrigation ; Farmers ; Soil moisture ; Crop management ; Rice ; Maize ; Organic fertilizers ; Economic aspects / Central Asia / Uzbekistan / Lower Amudarya Basin / Khorezm Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046731)
(0.15 MB)
Improving irrigation efficiency is of utmost importance in the irrigated lands of Central Asia, such as the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan, since water misuse and subsequent soil salinization threaten environment, economy, and livelihoods. To this end, several field-level ‘water-wise’ innovations were selected, which are classified into four groups that address crop pattern change, soil moisture maintenance, uniform water distribution, and furrow irrigation improvement. The potential of these innovations to raise irrigation water use efficiency from its current low level was analyzed from a socio-economic and technical point of view with a focus on short-term measures to cope with sudden water shortages. The overall water use reduction potential of these options was estimated considering their adoption feasibility within the time horizon of one year. To prioritize the examined innovations according to their contribution to overall water use reduction and water profitability, ‘marginal water profitability curves’ were developed. This integrated approach could serve as a simple but effective policy tool. The findings indicate that the option of replacing rice by maize contributes to more than 50 % of the total possible water use reduction. However, while all the other options increase the total revenue, reduced revenues will be unavoidable when paddy rice is replaced by maize. Manuring provides the highest additional profit per volume of reduced water use, but contributes less than 10 % of the total water use reduction potential. With water-wise options as an immediate and short-term measure to cope with sudden water shortages, the theoretical total estimated water reduction at the field level amounts to 183 – 376,000,000 m3 or 9.0 – 18.5 % of the current total irrigation water requirement in the region. For coping with sudden shortages characterized by a water availability of only 60 % of the normal water supply, long-term planning and management of irrigation activities focusing on a wider adoption of advanced irrigation technologies are necessary.
3 Bekchanov, Maksud; Lamers, J. P. A.; Nurmetov, K. 2014. Economic incentives for adopting irrigation innovations in arid environments. In Lamers, J. P. A.; Khamzina, A.; Rudenko, I.; Vlek, P. L. G. (Eds.). Restructuring land allocation, water use and agricultural value chains: technologies, policies and practices for the lower Amudarya region. Bonn, Germany: Bonn University Press. pp.299-317.
Irrigation development ; Investment ; Arid zones ; Water management ; Water use efficiency ; Models ; Water availability ; Water supply ; Pricing ; Economic aspects ; Farmers ; Drip irrigation ; Crops ; Land levelling / Central Asia / Uzbekistan / Aral Sea Basin / Khorezm Region / Amu Darya River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046732)
(0.17 MB)
Water is getting scarce in many parts of the world, consequently challenging researchers, policy makers and practitioners to design options for a more efficient use of these resources, especially in irrigated agriculture. Although technical-economic efficiency of potential water-wise options and institutional restrictions for their implementation in the developing and less-developed countries are well documented, little evidence exists about the incentives for farmers and regional development agencies to adopt the efficient irrigation innovations. A linear programming model for optimizing regional agricultural income was developed to analyze the impact of water availability, water pricing, and investment accessibility on water-wise innovation adoption and conveyance efficiency improvement. The model was applied to the case of Khorezm, a region in northwestern Uzbekistan that is part of the downstream Amu Darya River in the Aral Sea Basin. Model results indicate that improving conveyance efficiency is economically less attractive than improving field-level water use efficiency due to enormous investment costs for lining the canals. Water-wise options such as manuring cotton and potatoes, implementing hydrogel in wheat and cotton, and drip irrigation of melons and vegetables are among the most promising field-level improvement options to gain optimal regional incomes under decreased water availability and increased water prices. It is illustrated that despite the huge investments needed for a wide-scale implementation of modern irrigation technologies such as drip irrigation and laser-guided land leveling, their adoption will substantially improve water use efficiency, while their implementation costs can be compensated for by the additional revenues due to increased yields and reduced costs.
4 Bekchanov, Maksud; Bhaduri, A.; Ringler, C. 2015. Potential gains from water rights trading in the Aral Sea Basin. Agricultural Water Management, 152:41-56. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2014.12.011]
Water rights ; Water resources ; Water demand ; Water use efficiency ; Water allocation ; Economic aspects ; Cost benefit analysis ; Catchment areas / Central Asia / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Uzbekistan / Aral Sea Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046790)
(2.08 MB)
Increasing water demand due to population growth, irrigation expansion, industrial development, and the need for ecosystem improvement under mounting investment costs for developing new water sources calls for the efficient, equitable and sustainable management of water resources. This is particularly essential in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) where ineffective water management institutions are the primary reason of intersectoral and inter-state water sharing conflicts and lack of incentives for improving water use efficiency. This study examined market-based water allocation as an alternative option to the traditional administrative allocation to deal with water scarcity issues in the ASB. Potential economic gains of tradable water use rights were analyzed based on a newly constructed integrated hydro-economic river basin management model. The analysis differentiates between inter-catchment and intra-catchment water rights trading. The results show that compared to a baseline with fixed water use rights, inter-catchment water rights trading can increase basin-wide benefits by US$ 373–476 million. Under intra-catchment trading, gains are still US$ 259–339 million, depending on relative water availability. Gains from trade are larger under drier conditions. However, water rights trading carries a series of transaction costs. We find that in case transaction costs exceed US$ 0.05/m3 of water traded there is no additional economic gain from water rights trading. Enforcement of the rule of law, infrastructural improvements, participation of representatives of key water stakeholders in decision making processes, and mutual trust and cooperative relationships among the riparian countries are suggested as means for reducing transaction costs of water rights trading contracts.
5 Bekchanov, Maksud; Ringler, C.; Bhaduri, A. 2018. A water rights trading approach to increasing inflows to the Aral Sea. Land Degradation and Development, 29(4):952-961. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2394]
Water rights ; Water market ; Water allocation ; Water management ; Ecosystems ; Environmental flows ; Irrigation water ; Economic aspects ; Hydrology ; Models ; Rivers ; Flow discharge ; Land use ; Farmers / Central Asia / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Uzbekistan / Aral Sea
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047004)
(0.40 MB)
Tremendous development of irrigation since the 1960s combined with unbalanced water resources management led to the destruction of the ecosystems in the delta zone and the gradual desiccation of the Aral Sea, once the fourth largest freshwater lake of the world. Command-and-control based water management in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) inherited from Soviet times did not create any incentives for investing in improved irrigation infrastructure, adopt water-wise approaches, and thus maintain flows into the Aral Sea. This study examined the potential for market-based water allocation to increase inflows to the Aral Sea while maintaining stable agricultural incomes. We find that a water trading system can improve inflows to the Aral Sea but would require significant compensation for agricultural producers. Agricultural producers can use the compensation payments to cope with reduced water supply by improving irrigation and conveyance efficiencies and by developing alternative rural activities such as livestock grazing, agro-processing, and cultivation of low water consumptive crops. We also find that a water trading system would be more efficient if it includes both trade among irrigation sites and between sites and instream uses.
6 Bekchanov, Maksud; Ringler, C.; Bhaduri, A.; Jeuland, M. 2016. Optimizing irrigation efficiency improvements in the Aral Sea Basin. Water Resources and Economics, 13:30-45. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wre.2015.08.003]
Irrigation efficiency ; Water availability ; Water allocation ; Water scarcity ; Economic aspects ; Investment ; Environmental flows / Central Asia / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Uzbekistan / Aral Sea Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047174)
Water scarcity driven by climate change, growing demand, and inefficient management of water and related infrastructure is a serious threat to livelihoods in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) of Central Asia. In recent decades, downstream water shortages have become increasingly common and inflows into the Aral Sea have become very limited. Meanwhile, water losses are enormous both at conveyance and field levels because of outdated infrastructure and the dominance of highly inefficient basin and furrow irrigation methods. Intensification and modernization of irrigation systems, while requiring investment of scarce capital resources, could thus substantially reduce non-beneficial water consumption and help in coping with increasing water scarcity. This study applies a hydro-economic model that solves for the investment in improved irrigation efficiency across the various irrigation sites in the ASB that delivers the highest economic gains. Improvement of the efficiency of irrigation canals and implementation of field efficiency investments and practices, such as drip irrigation, and alternate dry or short furrow irrigation (for rice), would substantially improve economic outcomes. Conveyance efficiency investments are particularly worthwhile in downstream regions where sandy soils are common and return flows largely feed saline lakes in tail-end depressions. Meanwhile, field-level efficiency should be fully upgraded in all rice-producing regions through the use of drip and alternate wet and dry irrigation, as well as with drip irrigation in the cotton-producing Ferghana Valley of the Syr Darya Basin. The value of these improvements increases with reduced water availability. Implementation of an optimal set of investments could increase basinwide benefits by 20% (from US$ 3.2 to 3.8 billion) under normal water availability and by 40% (from US$ 2.5 to 3.5 billion) under dry conditions (80% of normal supply).
7 Bekchanov, Maksud; Ringler, C.; Bhaduri, A.; Jeuland, M. 2015. How would the Rogun Dam affect water and energy scarcity in Central Asia? Water International, 40(5-6):856-876. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2015.1051788]
Water scarcity ; Energy demand ; Energy generation ; Hydrology ; Economic aspects ; Models ; River basin management ; Upstream ; Water allocation ; Water power ; Irrigation water ; Water availability ; Reservoirs / Central Asia / Aral Sea Basin / Amu Darya Basin / Rogun Dam
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047222)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2015.1051788
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047222.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047222.pdf
(0.00 MB)
The construction of the Rogun Dam in the Amu Darya Basin to increase upstream energy generation creates potential trade-offs with existing downstream irrigation, due to the different timing of energy and irrigation water demands. The present analysis, based on a hydro-economic optimization model, shows that cooperative basin-wide maximization of benefits would lead to large increases in upstream hydropower production and only minor changes in downstream irrigation benefits. However, if upstream stations, including Rogun, are managed unilaterally to maximize energy production, hydropower benefits might more than double while irrigation benefits greatly decrease, thereby substantially reducing overall basin benefits.
8 Bekchanov, Maksud; Sood, Aditya; Jeuland, M. 2015. Review of hydro-economic models to address river basin management problems: structure, applications and research gaps. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 60p. (IWMI Working Paper 167) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2015.218]
River basin management ; Hydrology ; Economic impact ; Models ; Water demand ; Water power ; Water resources ; Water management ; Water quality ; Water use ; Water supply ; Water allocation ; Water footprint ; Virtual water ; International waters ; Groundwater recharge ; Reservoir storage ; Catchment areas ; Environmental flows ; Ecosystem services ; Indicators ; Climate change ; Dam construction ; Food security ; Institutions
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047337)
(2 MB)
Across the globe, the prospect of increasing water demands coupled with the potential for reduced water availability is calling for implementation of a range of technological, institutional, and economic instruments to address growing water scarcity. Hydro-economic models (HEMs), which integrate the complex hydrologic and economic interrelationships inherent in most water resources systems, provide an effective means of diagnosing and devising solutions to water-related problems across varied spatial and temporal scales. This study reviews recent advances in hydro-economic modeling and characterizes the types of issues that are typically explored in the hydro-economic modeling literature. Our findings suggest that additional efforts are needed to more realistically account for the range and complexity of interlinkages between water systems and society, particularly with regards to ecology and water quality, and the food and energy sectors. Additionally, the forces that depend on water and operate on the broader economy, for example in interregional trade should be investigated further. Moreover, effects on the distribution of income within countries, and on migration should be considered in basin management modeling studies.
9 Bekchanov, Maksud; Ringler, C.; Mueller, M. 2015. Ecosystem services in the water-energy-food nexus. Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems, 2(1):103-105.
Ecosystem services ; Water use efficiency ; Water availability ; Fertilizer application ; Participatory approaches ; Food demand ; Economic development ; Rural areas ; Stakeholders
(Location: IWMI Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047358)
http://www.degruyter.com/dg/viewarticle.fullcontentlink:pdfeventlink/$002fj$002fcass.2015.2.issue-1$002fcass-2015-0016$002fcass-2015-0016.pdf?format=INT&t:ac=j$002fcass.2015.2.issue-1$002fcass-2015-0016$002fcass-2015-0016.xml
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047358.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047358.pdf
(0.08 MB) (81.48 KB)
Given their substantial societal benefits, such as supporting economic activities and providing better livelihoods in rural areas, ecosystem services should gain higher importance in water-food-energy nexus debates. Yet, not all values from ecosystems are quantifiable, data is often not adequate and methods of measuring these values are not sound. This situation challenges researchers and water managers to improve research tools and give adequate attention to ecosystem services by implementing interdisciplinary approaches and integrated management of ecosystems and their services.
10 Bekchanov, Maksud; Lamers, J. P. A.; Bhaduri, A.; Lenzen, M.; Tischbein, B. 2016. Input-output model-based water footprint indicators to support IWRM in the irrigated drylands of Uzbekistan, Central Asia. In Borchardt, D.; Bogardi, J. J.; Ibisch, R. B. (Eds.). Integrated water resources management: concept, research and implementation. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. pp.147-168.
Water footprint ; Water use efficiency ; Water scarcity ; Water demand ; Water supply ; Water resources ; Water management ; Indicators ; Irrigated farming ; Agriculture ; Arid zones ; Supply chain ; Economic sectors ; Economic development ; Crop production ; Fruit ; Vegetables ; Cotton ; Rice ; Empowerment / Central Asia / Uzbekistan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047543)
(0.52 MB)
Water scarcity due to increasing water demand triggered by population growth and irrigation expansion versus a limited and increasingly variable water supply as a consequence of climate change is presently one of the global challenges. This is exemplified in Uzbekistan, Central Asia, where irrigated agriculture is the primary source of the livelihoods of the rural population that makes more than 60 % of all inhabitants. Yet, socio-economic and ecological challenges keep growing, also due to the inefficient management of water resources. Therefore, options to increase water use efficiency were analyzed while considering the entire supply chain of products including the production, processing, consumption and trade stages and processes. These options were analyzed through an elaborated environmentally extended input-output model. The options examined throughout the entire supply chain included: (i) implementing advanced field-level water saving technologies, (ii) increasing crop diversity through expanding fruits and vegetables production and reducing the area of current dominant crops (cotton and paddy rice in downstream), (iii) fostering the further development of less-water demanding agricultural processing industries, (iv) upgrading production value chains by expanding the production of the commodities with higher values added, (v) reducing production and consumption losses, and (vi) diversifying exports by replacing the current cotton fiber exports with cotton commodities of higher values added. The findings may spur decision-makers to formulating strategic priorities at national level and coordinating water uses considering comprehensively technical, economic and ecological aspects along the entire supply chain, which is a key element of IWRM concepts. However, it is argued that increasing water use efficiency through technological and economic transformation reforms necessitates the empowerment of water users, raising their awareness for, and providing the institutional and market infrastructure, which is in-line with IWRM principles as well.
11 Bekchanov, Maksud; Lamers, J. P. A. 2016. Economic costs of reduced irrigation water availability in Uzbekistan (Central Asia) Regional Environmental Change, 21p. (Online first). [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-0961-z]
Economic aspects ; Macroeconomics ; Costs ; Irrigation water ; Water availability ; Water supply ; Water governance ; Water use ; Water power ; Agriculture ; Unemployment ; Farmland ; Land use ; Income ; River basins ; Downstream ; Energy consumption ; Models ; Public services ; Resource management ; Value added ; Household consumption / Central Asia / Uzbekistan / Aral Sea Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047544)
(1.41 MB)
Reduced river runoff and expected upstream infrastructural developments are both potential threats to irrigation water availability for the downstream countries in Central Asia. Although it has been recurrently mentioned that a reduction in water supply will hamper irrigation in the downstream countries, the magnitude of associated economic losses, economy-wide repercussions on employment rates, and degradation of irrigated lands has not been quantified as yet. A computable general equilibrium model is used to assess the economy-wide consequences of a reduced water supply in Uzbekistan—a country that encompasses more than half of the entire irrigated croplands in Central Asia. Modeling findings showed that a 10–20 % reduction in water supply, as expected in the near future, may reduce the areas to be irrigated by 241,000–374,000 hectares and may cause unemployment to a population of 712–868,000, resulting in a loss for the national income of 3.6–4.3 %. A series of technical, financial, and institutional measures, implementable at all levels starting from the farm to the basin scale, are discussed for reducing the expected water risks. The prospects of improving the basin-wide water management governance, increasing water and energy use efficiency, and establishing the necessary legal and institutional frameworks for enhancing the introduction of needed technological and socioeconomic change are argued as options for gaining more regional water security and equity.
Powered by DB/Text WebPublisher, from
