Issues of water users' associations for sustainable irrigation and drainage in Central Asia

Abstract

Water users associations (WUAs) are expected to play an important role in operation and maintenance (O&M) of the irrigation and drainage infrastructure in Central Asia. The roles and issues facing WUAs in the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan are reviewed and analyzed in this study. It is identified that continuous financial stability of WUAs after the completion of donors' irrigation projects is crucial for appropriate O&M. Especially, the estimated calculation of the cost recovery, irrigation service fees (ISF) and O&M costs are optimistic rather than realistic cases as these have been determined politically and are based on several assumptions. They should be determined based on economic and financial analysis, taking into account farmers' ability to pay. Collection rates of the cost recovery and ISF should also be improved.