Innovative Micro Earth Reservoirs Featuring Geotextile and Geomembrane Liners with Drip Irrigation Discharge Systems to Improve Water Management in Kyrgyzstan

Improve water use efficiency and management in agriculture
Enhance the precision and transparency of irrigation water distribution to reduce losses and ensure equitable access among farmers.

Develop and scale automated water monitoring systems
Expand the deployment of remote water sensors across irrigation networks to enable real-time water level and flow monitoring, supporting accurate water accounting.

Strengthen institutional capacity and sustainability
Build local staff skills and institutional frameworks to maintain automated water metering systems beyond donor support, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Adapt water management to climate change impacts
Implement flexible, adaptive water policies and legal frameworks that respond to changing water availability due to climate change, especially in mountainous and arid zones.

Enhance water retention and infrastructure modernization
Increase water storage capacity through reservoirs and ponds, and modernize aging irrigation infrastructure to reduce evaporation and seepage losses.

Promote climate-resilient agricultural practices
Encourage the adoption of drought-resistant crops, water-saving irrigation technologies, and improved irrigation scheduling using digital soil moisture sensors.

Implement centralized, digital water management systems
Create unified platforms for data collection, monitoring, and decision-making that facilitate transparent, efficient, and equitable water distribution.

Increase stakeholder engagement and water conservation culture
Raise awareness and improve cooperation among farmers, Water User Associations, and local authorities to foster responsible and efficient water use.

Ensure financial viability of water management systems
Address tariff structures and funding mechanisms to cover operational costs of water metering and irrigation services, encouraging sustainable usage and maintenance.

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.

Despite these advances, challenges remain in implementing automated water metering systems, including low water tariffs that do not cover operational costs, limited interest from water users due to the high costs of installation relative to the low price of water, and sustainability issues after donor-funded projects end, partly due to limited staff capacity and turnover. Continued training, extended supervision, and institutional support are essential to fully realize the benefits of automated water monitoring and ensure sustainable water management in Kyrgyzstan’s irrigated agriculture.

Given the uncertainties of future climate behavior and its complex impacts on water resources, Kyrgyzstan needs adaptive and flexible water management strategies. This includes updating water policies and legal frameworks, improving natural resource management with a focus on arid zones, and establishing early warning and emergency response systems for water-related disasters. Enhancing climate and seasonal forecasting, promoting water conservation culture, and adopting climate-resilient technologies—such as drought-resistant crops and efficient irrigation—are also critical to adapting the water sector to changing conditions.

Currently, Kyrgyzstan’s irrigation system faces significant inefficiencies due to aging infrastructure, manual water accounting, and high water losses (over 40%) from evaporation and seepage. Water User Associations (WUAs) manage large parts of the irrigation network but often lack financial resources and oversight for maintenance. The government’s proposed policies prioritize digitalization, infrastructure development, and increased water retention through reservoirs and ponds. A national plan is underway to equip irrigation gauging stations with remote sensors and create a centralized digital water monitoring system, enhancing transparency and enabling efficient water distribution.

At the farm level, digital tools are being introduced to automate water demand calculations and contract management, reducing administrative burdens for WUAs. Additionally, low-cost remote soil moisture sensors developed locally will help optimize irrigation scheduling amid climate variability. Scaling up remote sensing and digital monitoring requires investments, training, and institutional coordination, including establishing a centralized body to oversee sensor production, software development, data management, and capacity building across water management agencies and local authorities to ensure sustainable and efficient water use nationwide.

Increased agricultural productivity and food security
More reliable and efficient irrigation will reduce crop losses caused by water shortages, helping farmers maintain or increase yields despite climate challenges.

Improved water resource sustainability
Reduced water losses through better monitoring, infrastructure upgrades, and conservation practices will preserve water resources for long-term use.

Enhanced resilience to climate change
Adaptive water management and climate-resilient technologies will help mitigate the negative effects of droughts, reduced glacier melt, and variable precipitation on agriculture and communities.

Greater transparency and equity in water distribution
Automated water metering and centralized monitoring systems will reduce conflicts and improve fairness in allocating scarce water among users.

Stronger institutional and technical capacity
Improved skills and organizational frameworks within water management agencies and local bodies will support sustainable water governance.

Economic benefits for farmers and communities
Efficient water use and stable irrigation supplies will reduce production risks and costs, increasing farmers’ incomes and contributing to rural development.

Reduced environmental degradation
Better water management will limit damage from floods, landslides, and droughts, protecting ecosystems and reducing disaster risks.

Improved data-driven decision-making
Real-time monitoring and digital tools will enable timely, informed actions by authorities and water users, optimizing resource allocation and planning.

Long-term sustainability of water infrastructure
Modernized irrigation networks and regular maintenance funded through appropriate tariffs will extend infrastructure lifespan and functionality.