Introduction: 

This innovation is designed to provide farmers with access to irrigation through small water reservoirs on irrigated farmlands.

In Kyrgyzstan, over 90 percent of agricultural production depends on irrigated lands, with District Water Resources Boards playing a central role in supplying water to farmers. However, climate change and global warming are increasingly impacting agriculture, especially in mountainous regions. The frequency of negative climate events has quadrupled in the past 30 years, leading to severe water shortages like the crisis in 2021, when farmers lost up to 40 percent or more of their crop yields due to insufficient and untimely irrigation water. This shortage is driven by a combination of higher air temperatures increasing crop water demand and reduced glacier melt in the mountains, leading to diminished river flows. These conditions complicate water distribution, especially for water user associations managing irrigation among numerous farmers.

To address these challenges, the CACILM-2 project piloted the installation of six remote water sensors in the Kochkor District irrigation system, with plans to expand to 11 more sensors to enable full coverage and create a comprehensive irrigation water monitoring system. These sensors measure water levels and flow rates in real time, transmitting data remotely to water management offices, allowing for transparent, accurate water accounting and distribution monitoring. The automated system supports better management of scarce water resources, helps enforce irrigation standards, and promotes more efficient water use. The Government of Kyrgyzstan is now scaling up this system nationwide, supported by positive results and strong endorsements from international experts and national authorities.