Drought Management and Mitigation

Assessment for the Caucasus &Central Asia

1. Meteorological Drought Refers to a deficit of precipitation compared to

long-term averages -, this often occurs throughout Central Asia and the Caucasus. Owing to the aridity of the local climatic conditions,

2.Hydrological Drought: When there is deficit of surface and subsurface

water supply. Large reservoirs upon which entire provinces depended, such as the Kairakum Reservoir in Central Asia and Mingechevir in the Caucasus, were drained before the spring of 2001. Lack of surface flows by exploiting groundwater sources the water table also lowered significantly.

Agricultural Drought: • When lack of precipitation affects soil moisture and

water supply to crops and livestock to the degree that production declines significantly.

• Stress on vegetation over longer period during critical growth period above the ET, severe agricultural drought strikes.

• Livestock in drought-affected areas, animals suffered from heat stress, lack of fodder, productivity fall and capacity of animals to endure the winter. The drought degraded pasture, fall in fodder production/ leading to productivity loss. Significant percent of rainfed cropland lose a greater portion of their harvest than those on irrigated land.

Socioeconomic Drought:When drought extended beyond Ag sector to disrupt the

economy. Hydro- power supply, lead to decreased industrial production, increased deforestation. Fisheries suffers. Forest fires became more widespread. Tax revenue and the budget suffers. Population faces essential goods- cereals and milk prices rise.

The drought amplifies poverty. Only meat was cheaper in some areas, Meat prices falls severely due to slaughter of cattle by farmers that could not feed animals during the drought.

Quantity and quality of drinking water supplies declines and aquifers shrink. Health due to poor nutrition and lack of clean water lead to Diarrhea and water-borne diseases, viral hepatitis etc exacerbeate. Social stress and tension within villages increase, especially concerning the distribution of irrigation and drinking water.

Some areas became so unlivable that migration from them accelerate.

Drought is a recurrent feature of the CAC countries.Leads to Decreased Agricultural Production as registered

by Lower crop yields and livestock productivity• Lower water levels in rivers and lower groundwater• Shortage of water for irrigation, household, and

hydropower needs• Increased essential commodity prices and labor and

input costs• Water pollution & Poor health• Soil degradation• Deforestation• Desertification• Lost income• Hunger and Emigration

Lessons of severe droughts in CCA in 2000-2001. • Early warning systems did not alert water users

of impending scarcity.

• Relief operations were mobilized on ad hoc, yet these remained behind the pace of events and were often insufficiently funded, as well as inadequately targeted.

• The economy, population, and environment sustained considerable damage, which ultimately postponed development.

Development Investment Based on Watershed Approach

for Minimizing the Drought Impact.

Until the last decade aid agencies throughout the world Focused on relief, not on management and mitigation. One way to address this is to take up sound conservation approach. Efficient use of Land and Water resources through Watereshed based farming system approach. Investment on long range comprehensive watershed based planning involving the community in the development process to minimize drought impact

TAJIKISTANCOMMUNITY AGRICULTURE &

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROJECT

The key element of the Tajikistan CAWMP is its community-linked development approach, -involves participatory local investment initiatives which partner directly with communities, and support at the Grass-roots level for people’s accountability, and coordination of various institutions –line ministries in the development.

The investment is made to strategically strengthen the pillars that improve land and water management to enhance agricultural productivity sustainably Combines improved ecosystem management with local income generating activities. The long-term vision is to build the productive assets of the population in rural areas.

Project Objective.To build the productive assets of rural communities

in selected mountain watersheds, for sustainably increase productivity and curtail degradation of fragile lands and ecosystems.

It is being implemented in Surkhob, Vanj, Zarafshan, and Toirsu watersheds covering catchments area of over 36,000 km2, with about 400,000 ha of agricultural land, and a population of about 550,000.

The project cover 47 of the 64 Jamoats in these watersheds. The GEF objective is mainstreamed into the overall development objective and outcomes of the project.

I. Component -Rural Production Investments

• A. Farm Productivity Improvement. Support Groups of farming households to invest in productivity enhancing activities of their choice, most of which will provide immediate income. Investments include inputs for annual crops, horticulture, livestock, processing, distribution, leasing, and credit facilities.

II. Component : Institutional Support and Capacity Building

A) Research and Demonstration: to help national scientific institutions and line ministries to provide technical services including training to communities for seed and seedling production, livestock breeding and animal health and husbandry improvements, and market and enterprise analysis and development. The Tajikistan Agricultural Research System in collaboration with the CGIAR. The FTC, MOA and other Ministries and the State Committees such as State Land Committee will also benefit. GEF financing supports the popularization and preservation of indigenous crop and other sustainably useful species.

B. Land Resource Management:To enables farmers to adopt sustainable use of

fragile lands and provide land use right certificates after three years of maintenance, subject to adoption of continued good scientific land use.

Provide combination of appropriate income-generating investments with soil conservation technologies that will enhance the organic content of the soil. Interest Groups working on contiguous areas will make long-term investments on horticulture, woodlots, or fodder, combined with soil and moisture management structures.

C. Rural Infrastructure:• Typical investments would compliment the

agriculture and land resource management subprojects, and may include drinking water, small irrigation, access road rehabilitation, and small power generation (micro –hydels).

• Beneficiaries will contribute their own resources up to 20% of the total value of any investment in the form of labor. Investment proposals will be prioritized by villagers though participatory approach and operations, maintenance and financing arrangements by the community.

B. Community Mobilization and Subproject Preparation

This subcomponent includes training and facilitation for Jamoat Development Committees (JDCs) as well as households and common interest groups with support of local facilitators (contracted through international NGOs). It also includes support for small confidence building mobilization grants for each village, plus information and experience sharing through training

Component III. Project Management:

• PMU provide the secretariat services to the State Level Steering Committee (SLSC) and the Watershed Development Committees (WDCs) .

The Project Funding supports:• National Project Management Unit,• Project Coordination Units for the four

watersheds, and Institutions supporting it• M & Evaluation. For feed back and guidance