Ashgabat, 2 August 2021: In framework of the project " Supporting climate resilient livelihoods in agricultural communities in drought-prone areas of Turkmenistan" jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programmed (UNDP), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and GEF Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), the field days dedicated to the rational use of irrigation water have been conducted on 15 July and 24 July 2021 in the project pilot regions - Lebap and Dashoguz veleyats of the country.

The events, which gathered farmers, mirabs (local water distribution regulators), chief agronomists, foremen, tenants, representatives of the velayat and etrap hiakimliks, aimed at introducing the innovative low-cost water-saving technologies for irrigation of row crops to the water users and raising awareness of decision-makers on the selection and application of furrow irrigation of row crops.

Currently, the irrigation network on farms consists of open canals in earthen beds. More than half of the scarce irrigation water is lost in these canals through infiltration, evaporation and due to an old irrigation technology used in the fields. As a result, only up to a half of the water resources is used for a harvest. The most common type of crop irrigation used by farmers is a furrow irrigation system. Such row crops as cotton, corn, sugar beet have been traditionally watered this way.

During the field days, the UNDP project specialists demonstrated the optimal parameters of irrigation technique, which meets the requirements of furrow irrigation. The application of this approach will not only increase the productivity of irrigation water, but also prevent a rise in the level of saline groundwater, thereby preventing secondary soil salinization. The use of such an optimal combination of irrigation techniques is a part of the national climate change mitigation measures in the agricultural sector.

Participants noted that such events are very important for farmers, since many of them just started working in a field of water conservation. The need for an in detail studying on all possible options and methods for the rational use of irrigation water was noted by the event participants. By using water-saving furrow irrigation technologies, farmers will be able to save water and time used for irrigation, which will help to reduce the financial costs of farmers, achieve an even distribution of water in the soil along the entire length of the furrow, reduce washout of the fertile soil layer and, most importantly, will increase crop yields.

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A joint project between UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan "Supporting Climate Resilient Economic Livelihoods of Agricultural Communities in Arid Regions of Turkmenistan" was launched in 2016 and aims to support adoption of adaptation measures with climate change considerations for sustainable development of agricultural communities living in Lebap and Dashoguz velayats of Turkmenistan. The added value of the project is that the project will allow farmers in one of the country's driest regions to overcome critical barriers that prevent them from reducing their vulnerability to acute water scarcity due to climate change and other natural risks in agriculture.