Technical Assistance on Irrigation Norms in Uzbekistan / Central Asia – WB project

Technical Assistance on Irrigation Norms in Uzbekistan / Central Asia – Central Asia Water and Energy Program

World Bank

Start date (month/year): February 2025

Completion date (month/year): July 2025

Mr. Bruce Lankford

Mr. Shavkat Kenjabaev

Role on the Assignment: Consultant

The study focused on a comprehensive desk review of hydromodules and irrigation norms in Uzbekistan, analyzing their historical development, current practices, and future prospects under conditions of climate change and water scarcity. Irrigated agriculture remains the backbone of the region’s economy and food security, yet outdated Soviet-era irrigation norms continue to drive excessive water use, soil salinization, and inefficiencies in agricultural water management. The project assessed the evolution of hydromodule zoning, its application in current irrigation planning, and the growing need for updated, climate-responsive standards. It provided insights into how technological innovations, particularly remote sensing and GIS, can support the revision of hydromodule and irrigation norms, making them more adaptive, efficient, and aligned with sustainable water governance in Uzbekistan.

• Conducted a detailed review of existing irrigation norms and hydromodule zoning in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries.
• Analyzed historical development of irrigation standards from the Soviet period to present-day practices.
• Evaluated the role of hydromodules in modern irrigation systems, including their use by Basin Irrigation System Authorities (BISA) and District Irrigation Departments (DID).
• Assessed current estimation methods of hydromodules and irrigation norms, highlighting their limitations and gaps under changing agro-climatic conditions.
• Identified institutional stakeholders and organizations actively working on irrigation norms and hydromodule zoning in Central Asia.
• Highlighted urgent needs for revision of hydromodule standards due to climate change, transboundary water challenges, and evolving cropping patterns.
• Provided recommendations for integrating remote sensing (MODIS, Sentinel), GIS, and water balance modeling (e.g., SEBAL, RCB model) into irrigation planning.
• Outlined advantages, disadvantages, and political considerations of updating irrigation norms, proposing a hybrid approach combining data-driven modeling with farmer participation..