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Access to safe drinking water and irrigation for agricultural fields are fundamental human rights and an integral part of the growth and development prospects for Central Asia. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), per capita water resources in the Central Asian countries are presently sufficient (about 2.3 thousand m3) but concerns about rational use and long-term water availability are rising, especially with regard to agriculture, which in Central Asia ranges between 10-45% of national GDP figures depending on the country.
According to experts, only 31% of rural residents in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have access to safe water supply, compared to 57% and 86% in the cities, respectively. In the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, more than 60% of the rural population does not have access to clean drinking water.
Much of Central Asia’s water infrastructure was built between 1950 and 1990 with few upgrades and little maintenance. As a result, many irrigation and drainage systems are outdated and operate at zero book value. Furthermore, pricing policies still raise a lot of questions among the population, which leads to low collection rates for drinking water supply and irrigation water delivery.
In this context, the introduction of automated accounting for drinking and irrigation water could provide significant value for Central Asia in terms of maintaining infrastructure and promoting rational use. The 18th lecture in the WEFE Nexus series will focus on mechanisms for improving existing drinking water supply and irrigation management systems with innovative platforms that use GIS and other technologies to improve billing and service delivery. In particular, we will look at successful examples from the Kyrgyz Republic where GIS-tracked irrigation use and automated billing services for drinking water have produced impressive results for rural populations in these countries.
Lecturers: