Hydrometeorological Research Institute (NIGMI) of Uzhydromet 72, K.Makhsumov street, 700052, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Fax: (99871) 133 11 50 Phone: (99871) 135 83 29 E-mail: sanigmi@albatros.uz
Dr. Sergey Myagkov
FRESH DRINKING WATER RESOURCE IN KIZILKUM DESERT
WORKSHOP ON GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID COUNTRIES
4-7 APRIL 2005, CAIRO, EGYPT
SUMMARY
The Zeravshan River, which runs through Uzbekistan's Bukhara Province, has become highly mineralized and degraded due to the extraction of water for irrigating crops and the subsequent return of run-off water. Water in many of the area's shallow wells also has a high mineral content. Bacterial contamination of the river and wells was also a problem. Due to endemic poverty, many people living long the lower reaches of the river are forced to drink its water or pay high prices for alternative sources of safe water.
Using hydrogeological studies, project scientists identified a previously almost un-tapped aquifer lying 60 meters to 150 meters below ground level.
The installation of a pump into this aquifer is now providing safe drinking water for some 1,200 people. Medical examinations revealed that, within four months of operation, the health of the local population had improved dramatically.
Other, shallower wells drilled on farms and in schoolyards are also providing safe drinking water.
Owing to problems with drought in some years, there was also a need to address the water needs of local agricultural enterprises, which include the irrigated production of cotton and wheat. An agrometeorological site has been established where such parameters as soil and air temperature, soil and air humidity and rainfall are measured. Combined with an accurate map of the area, produced using a geographic information system (GIS), an irrigation water distribution model has been developed for use in drought conditions.
Bukhara province is situated in the Kizilkum desert (Coordinate: N39-40, E63-64) in the lower course of Zeravshan River. Water mineralization is more than 2 gram per litre in the lower course of Zeravshan River and it can not be used as drinking water.
Agriculture around Bukhara is characterised by large-scale irrigation, centralised production of cash - crops (cotton and wheat), and close-to-home horticulture for the rural population’s subsistence needs (vegetables, potatoes, and various fruits).
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN UZBEKISTAN
There are 94 major aquifers in Uzbekistan. The renewable groundwater resources are estimated at 19.68 km3/year, of which 12.88 km3/year are considered to be overlap with surface resources. Limits to groundwater abstraction for each aquifer in Central Asia have been established. It is permitted to use only such a quantity of groundwater that does not cause surface flow reduction. This quantity is estimated at 6.8 km3/year. However, the actual groundwater abstraction is estimated at 7.5 km3/year, which thus leads to surface flow reduction.
According to the country's evaluation methods, the majority of waterways are either moderately or considerably polluted.
The drainage waters of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and of the Fergana valley are much polluted. Among the most heavily polluted waterways are those of Tashkent region. Examples include the Chirchik River and the Akhangaran River.
Groundwater stream and
groundwater basins of Uzbekistan
An integral part of Uzbekistan's total water resources is groundwater, which is used in the country's economy as a main source of supply for cities and towns, industrial enterprises, the watering of pasture lands, and partially for irrigation. Under the influence of intensive anthropogenious activity, the natural quality of underground water has significantly declined.
As a result, 40% of known fresh groundwater is completely unsuitable for drinking; this negative tendency continues.
The following major problems exist in regard to the use of water resources in Uzbekistan:
• insufficient supply of safe drinking water for the population (especially in rural areas);
• existing irrigation practices;
• poor management of water resources and inadequate incentives for conservation.
Geneses types (inflow and outflow) of groundwater regime
METHODOLOGY
The project in the Bukhara province set out to tackle a
combination of inter-linked socio-economic and environmental problems, including:
• drinking water often in short supply and of poor quality;
• irrigation water often in short supply, especially in drought years, and highly mineralized;
• irrigated land in poor condition due to exhaustion and salinization;
• high population density;
• high anthropogenic load on natural resources; and
• unemployment, especially among women.
Many of these problems are linked directly to the supply of water in sufficient quantities and of sufficient quality.
Therefore, tackling this issue was made a priority of the
project.
Types of water transportation Home well
Depth < 5 meters,
Mineralization >2 gram per liter
Initial efforts were aimed at obtaining a baseline assessment of the problem. Local people were surveyed in order to understand their difficulties and to take into account any solutions that they had considered but were unable to apply because of a lack of money. Many women, for example, were unable to find employment except or heavy agricultural work.
At the same time, chemical analyses of groundwater samples from wells between 40 metres and 400 metres deep were carried out to develop a hydrogeological map of the whole region.
Analysis of these maps showed that there was a layer of fresh water ranging between 60 metres to 150 metres below the surface. At depths less than 60 metres, this fresh water mixed with water highly mineralized water from an upper horizon derived from leached irrigation water. Below 160 metres, the fresh water began to mix with another, deeper horizon of mineralized water.
Other analyses revealed that, the further away from the Zeravshan valley, the more mineralized the groundwater became.
Diagram showing the depth of the freshwater aquifer across Uzbekistan. In the Bukhara region, it ranges from about 60 metres to 150 metres below the surface.
A map showing that groundwater mineralization increase with distance from the
Zeravshan River (heavy line) (values in grammes per liter).
A Scheme of depth groundwater stream in Zeravshan River Valley
And mineralization of Groundwater
IMPACT
The provision of safe drinking water to rural communities in Bukhara Province has meant that people now no longer have to choose between paying for clean water or drinking unsuitable water.
To measure the impact of this switch to clean drinking water, 814 people in the village of Iransha, Jondor Region, Bukhara Province, were assessed both before and after a new well became operational on 5 December 2002. The results showed that there had been a decrease in the incidence of several types of disease, on most cases by more than half, including chronic gastritis and chronic enterocolitis.
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Diffuse goiter Chronic gastritis Chronic cholecystitis Chronic enterocolitis Gastric illnesses Stomach ulcer
diseases
April 2003 September 2002
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
As the issue of drinking water supply in Bukhara district is acute, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan has passed a resolution to investigate measures to develop an efficient water supply for the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand with the participation of the World Bank and International Development and Reconstruction Bank.
Within Bukhara itself, there is also need for Government support to help local people begin to take advantage of their new water supply. In general, social and economic indices in the region are sufficiently positive for entrepreneurs to develop small and medium-sized businesses. However, even if local banks are eager to support entrepreneurs by providing loans and micro- credits, few would-be entrepreneurs have the required knowledge and business management skills to make use of these facilities.
For example, discussions with some local entrepreneurs have revealed that many of them do not know about credit unions in the city of Bukhara. This means that many people with viable ideas do not intend to start a business as, in the perceived absence of such support mechanisms; they lack the courage to do so.
LESSONS LEARNED
Gathering the views of the local public by conducting surveys at the beginning of the project provided essential information to present to local administration authorities. Armed with this background information and a full explanation of the objectives of the project, these administrators readily gave the necessary permissions for drilling and laying down pipelines.
CONCLUSION
The designed project significantly improved the water supply to the rural population of local shirkats with fresh water. The potentials of underground water stocks in the Bukhara region require further studies and definition to avoid any damages to its possible exploration. Due to the humanitarian support provided within the framework of the Convention on combating desertification and drought, practical help was provided for the rural population who live in an area with the heaviest impacts of desertification and drought. It also improved the health condition of the population for 20-45%.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The scientific investigations and also humanitarian assistance to the rural population were
done thanks to the GTZ-CCD Project within the
framework of the Sub-regional Program on actions
to combat desertification in the Aral Sea Basin. The
potentials of the local sources of underground water
in Kizilkum desert have been examined.
GIS of project territory
Channels and Collectors
Villages and roads
