On Water Users Associations

 

With the beginning of agrarian and land reform, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, having studied international experience of operation and maintenance of the on-farm irrigation and collector-drainage network, concluded that the most optimal solution for the maintenance of this network is the establishment and development of water user associations (WUAs). Therefore, Resolution of the GoKR No.473 dated August 13, 1997 approved the Regulations on Water User Associations. On March 15, 2002, No. 38, the "Law on Water User Associations" was adopted and Government Decree No. 234 dated April 6, 2004, the on-farm irrigation canals were put onto the books of water user associations (WUAs) and maintained at the expense of funds received from water users. The establishment of water users' associations is conditioned by the necessity to implement the rights for water use by farm and farming enterprises, the expediency of concentrating their efforts and means for carrying out concerted actions aimed at the most effective use of water resources of irrigated, watered and reclaimed lands.

 The number of WUAs in the Republic for the 2nd quarter of 2017 is 486 water users associations which are legally registered. Irrigated area of WUA coverage in the Republic is 749.2 thousand hectares or 73.2% of the total irrigated area. .