Turkmenistan is arid, but also dependent on agriculture for sustenance and commerce. Regional water scarcity contributes to trans-boundary water issues. Climate change is expected to exacerbate the situation via diminishing water supply – through increases in temperature, further climate aridification and regional competition for water.

This project aims to improve water prospects through the implementation of water efficiency and irrigation measures, as well as the development of water user associations benefiting over 30,000 farmers. The most vulnerable communities will be served during the initial phase of this project; lessons learned from the pilot are intended to inform water policies at the national level by establishing price incentives, technologies and management systems to achieve greater water use efficiency. Stakeholders include government officials, private sector farmers, and providers of water management and agricultural support services. Successful completion of this project will have a larger import via the dissemination of water preservation strategies throughout the wider water-vulnerable population of Turkmenistan.

Click here for the update one year into the project, written by Matthew Savage, Project Chief Technical Advisor (July 2013).