Drought Management in Iran, Masoud Bagherzadeh Karimi

NENA REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS WORKSHOP

on

Operationalizing the Regional Collaborative Platform to address ‘water consumption’, ‘water productivity’

and ‘drought management’ in Agriculture

Cairo, 27-29 October, 2015

Drought Management in IRAN

Pilot project

Local community participation in Sustainable Agriculture

for Saving Lake Urmia Basin’s Ecosystem

Dr. Masoud Bagherzadeh Karimi

Deputy Director General on Wetlands

Department of Environment - I.R.IRAN

Location and geography of Lake Urmia Basin

• 6 Hydrological Basins in IRAN.

• Lake Urmia basin located in North-West

of the country,

• LU basin area: 52000 km2

• LU area: 5,000 km2

• Shallow water body (average depth 5.4 meter)

• Average water level 1275. 5 masl

• More than 5 Million People in the basin

• Vast hyper-saline (185 t0 250 gr/lit) lake

– now (>400 gr/lit)

Ecological Importance of Lake Urmia

The Lake is a National Park

One of the largest wetlands in Iran with globally importance

(designated as a Ramsar Site in Ramsar Convention)

5 Ramsar Sites in the basin, include Urmia lake

and some of surrounding wetlands.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

9 globally important bird areas in Lake Urmia’s Islands

and surrounding wetlands.

Current situation of LU

Current water level 1270.1(Oct. 2015) - (Av. 1275.5, Max. 1278.4) masl

Current area 900 km2 - 5,000 km2 in normal conditions

Current water volume 1.4 bcm - 32 bcm in normal conditions

Main Challenges in LU Basin

• Drought and climate change in the region

(decreasing of precipitation (20%) and increasing of temperature (2 c) )

• More water abstraction from rivers and ground water resources;

• Increasing trends for water and land development projects;

• Expansion of agricultural lands (from 200,000 ha in 1980 to

490,000 ha in 2013);

• Use of traditional irrigation systems;

• Existing of unauthorized irrigation wells;

• Planting crops that consume a lot of water

Sustainable Agriculture around LU by Government and Local

Communities/Alternative Livelihood

Project title:

Contribution to water saving in the ecosystem by

modelling local community engagement in

sustainable agriculture practices

Started in 2015

Main Goals:

- Local Community Participation in Lake Urmia restoration;

- Saving 35% water at farm level in 41 villages and 30,000 ha. farm lands;

- Raising public awareness about stakeholders role in ecosystem restoration;

Synergy in a pilot project

Project Sites

Step 1:

Inter-sectoral and coordination committees

Step2:

Training for local cooperatives,

private companies and local

governmental offices

Step3:

Engaging the local community and trust building

Main message

Sustainable agriculture and income for

saving water and saving eco

Step 4 and 5:

Participatory Data Gathering and Planning at farm level

Step 6:

Modification at farm level and applying new techniques

Demonstration Farm

Participatory monitoring of results

Water Volume

Monitoring Tools

17

Evaluating the impact of water saving

techniques

Installing of measuring tools on pilot farms

Monitoring a whole season

Analysis of results

18

NGOs participation in raising the local community awareness

• Publication and distribution of 6 booklets (1000 editions)

• 4 brochures (2000 editions)

• A pedagogical film for children

Main Results

•A new approach was introduced to local people and authorities;

• A clear message was sent to decision makers about the importance

of local community participation in water saving in farm level;

• More than 13000 farmers are involved in the project;

• 31% water saving in 30000 ha. of farm lands;

• Local farmers are sure that their income would not decrease;

• Local communities are involved in ecosystem restoration process;

Water Consumption in demonstration and control farms

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

M^3/Hec

Tasuj Salmas Nazluchay Barandazuchay Mahabad Miyandoab Naghadeh Gol

Water consumption using traditional methods Water consumption using sustainable agriculture techniques

22

Water consumption in demonstration and control farms- Volume of water saved

6283

4300

1983

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

ب ب هک تار در مزارع شاهد/متوسط میزان مصرف ا

متوسط اب صرفه جوی ی شده در هر هک تار هک تار در مزارع الگوی ی/متوسط میزان مصرف ا

31%

m³/ha

m³/ha

m³/ha

Control farms

average water consumption

Demonstration farms

average water consumption Water saved

23

Project Phase II (2016)

Continuation of project implementation in 41 villages of Phase I;

upscaling 12 new villages (8,400 ha);

Starting the project in 22 new villages (15,400 ha);

The project sites increased to 75 villages and 53800 ha;

فدی

ر

مرکز جهادکشاورزی روستا شهرستان استان

1

یرق

شن

جاایرب

آذ

مرکز خدمات کشاورزی گوگان تیمورلو آذرشهر

مرکز خدمات کشاورزی گوگان دستجرد آذرشهر 2

مرکز خدمات کشاورزی گوگان قشالق آذرشهر 3

مرکز خدمات کشاورزی ایلخچی سرای اسکو 4

مرکز خدمات کشاورزی ایلخچی مهدینلو اسکو 5

مرکز خدمات کشاورزی ایلخچی سرین دیزج اسکو 6

مدیریت جهادکشاورزی شهرستان بناب قره چپق بناب 7

مدیریت جهادکشاورزی شهرستان بناب آخوند قشالق بناب 8

مدیریت جهادکشاورزی شهرستان بناب چپقلو بناب 9

مدیریت جهادکشاورزی شهرستان عجب خضرلو عجب شیر 10

شیر

مدیریت جهادکشاورزی شهرستان عجب شیشوان عجب شیر 11

شیر

لیالنکشاورزی مرکز خدمات گدکلو ملکان 12

مرکز خدمات کشاورزی لیالن شریفلو ملکان 13

مرکز خدمات کشاورزی لیالن حسن آباد ملکان 14

15

یرب

غن

جاایرب

آذ

محمدیار کشاورزی خدمات مرکز شهرک المهدی نقده

آباد مرحمت کشاورزی خدمات مرکز ملک آباد میاندوآب 16

شمالی رود زرینه کشاورزی خدمات مرکز حاجی بهزاد میاندوآب 17

غربی مکریان کشاورزی خدمات مرکز گرده گرو مهاباد 18

نازلوچای کشاورزی خدمات مرکز آده بزرگ ارومیه 19

نازلوچای کشاورزی خدمات مرکز قهرمانلوی سفلی ارومیه 20

نازلوچای کشاورزی خدمات مرکز قرابغلو ارومیه 21

روستا شهرستان استان نازلوچای چیچک لوی منصور ارومیه 22

1

ن جا

ایرب

آذ

یرب

غ

گرده قیط، میمند نقده

حسن آباد، شکورکندی، سفلیحاج حسن میاندوآب 2

گردیعقوب، گاپیس مهاباد 3

زیرمانلو، چیچکلوی بخش قلعه، قهرمانلوی علیا، یورقون آباد، خانخداوردی ارومیه 4

o Osqou

25

Risks and Challenges

•Fragile inter-sectoral cooperation and the need for strengthening;

• Taking care of local community participation on all stages;

• Sustainability of the new approach, the need for at least 3-5 years of

follow up;

• Wrong and right driving forces at agricultural sector;

• These new approaches need more time comparing to current system

and ongoing approaches;

Thank you