Agricultural drainage projects will yield greater benefits if they are coupled with complementary support for irrigation and other agricultural support mechanisms. In this case, the farms achieved more efficient drainage through the project, but the project did not pay enough attention to ensuring the prudent use of water. Overwatering is still practiced by farmers, exacerbating the inefficient transfer of water from sources to farms (40% reported water loss). A parallel project from a development partner or a government program that focused on irrigation efficiency, agricultural extension services, better seed quality, and other inputs would likely have yielded a wider range of benefits than is possible through a single subsector approach. This is particularly the case in the project area, given the projected impacts that climate change is expected to have on the Amu Darya River Basin. When irrigation becomes more efficient, the water savings could be allocated to environmental projects such as supporting the rehabilitation of the Aral Sea and allowing flows to smaller wetlands and salt lakes in the region to improve habitats and attract international tourism.
Land Improvement Project