Adapting to water scarcity: constraints and opportunities for improving irrigation management in Khorezm, Uzbekistan

摘要: Like many irrigation schemes in Central Asia, the one Khorezm faces a two-fold challenge: on side, severe problems inherited from past need to be remedied and other rising supply–demand gap driven by sharpening competition for water climate change must dealt with. Located lower part of Amu Darya basin, drainage scheme is particularly vulnerable gaps. Promising solutions towards adaptation comprise modified strategies land use higher efficiency flexibility combination with measures lessen constraints system itself, which was initially designed management few, large uniform production units not diverse small units. Solutions consist flexible, modeling-based approaches, re-arranging institutional settings establishing economic incentive systems. Flexible modeling allows an integrated surface groundwater resources avoiding or minimizing impact stress yield. Institutional strengthen position users via improved participation transparency processes Water Consumers Associations (WCAs). Economic support sustainable resource improve functioning WCAs. The findings could extrapolated regions Asia similar conditions challenges.