Water is one of the most valuable resources for life and development in Central Asia, including Turkmenistan. In this regard, protection of the environment, including the conservation and sustainable use of water resources is one of the priorities of the state policy of Turkmenistan. The Water Code of Turkmenistan provides the legal framework for the use of water resources for the agricultural, industrial and housing purposes.
The Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project was developed several years ago. The first project phase was completed in 2009. This important environmental project stipulates that the shared network of drain manifolds will collect drainage water from irrigated lands in all the regions of the country and discharge them in an eco-friendly area – the giant natural depression Karashor, located on the northwest of Turkmenistan. The Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project also stipulates that salt tolerant agricultural crops will be planted along drain manifolds, pastures will be watered and fish farms will be built on the ponds with water from drain manifolds.
The Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project was launched in the framework of the Action Programme to improve the environmental and socio-economic situation in the Aral Sea Basin in 2003-2010. The heads of Central Asian states approved the Action Programme in October 2002 and the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea – in August 2003. Thus, the relevance and feasibility of construction of the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake was recognized by other Central Asian states.
Before the construction of the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake was launched, drainage and waste water generated in Mary, Ahal and Balkan Velayat (regions) used to accumulate in the depressions in the Karakum Desert where they flooded desert pastures, reducing their areas. Drainage and waste water generated on the territory of Lebap Velayat and the neighbouring areas of Uzbekistan have been discharged in the Amudarya for many years, which led to the deterioration of the quality of water in the lower reaches of the river. Certain problems arose in Dashoguz Velayat where drainage water was not drained timely from irrigated areas.
The construction of the large artificial water body in the Karakum Desert plays an important role in improving the condition of irrigated areas in Turkmenistan, raising agricultural productivity, stopping salinization processes and thus preventing soil degradation. Putting the hydraulic facility into operation will address not only environmental and economic problems, but also social issues.
One of the major problems, the solution of which is based on the construction of the Turkmen Lake, is contamination of the Amudarya. In the future, water from all reservoirs will be supplied through the network of drain manifolds of the Turkmen Lake that will minimize contamination of the Amudarya and significantly improve the quality of water in the lower reaches of the river.
Flooding of lands and pastures in the Karakum Desert is a pressing environmental problem. In this regard, the effective functioning of the entire network of drain manifolds through the operation of the Turkmen Lake will contribute to solving this pressing problem in large areas in Central Karakum.
Reusing brackish drainage water is one of the main reserves to develop livestock farming through ensuring reliable forage supplies and growing salt tolerant forage crops. It will also provide additional opportunities to improve biodiversity, raise the productivity of desert pastures and build specialized fish farms on drain manifolds and ponds of the Turkmen Lake.
Speaking at the International Conference on Scientific Advances and Advanced Technology for Restoration of Saline Soils and Improvement of the Operation of Irrigation Facilities (Ashgabat, 2011), Academician I. S. Zonn noted that Turkmenistan systematically and consistently implemented the water resources management policy. As an example, he mentioned the significant progress in the use of water-efficient technology to operate the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake, in particular the use of brackish drainage water to irrigate forage crops and flush saline lands, the introduction of bioengineering methods of cleaning drainage and waste waters and etc. The well-known scientist noted that the drainage of water from old irrigated farm lands and the discharge of it into the natural depressions would provide a solution to environmental challenges and have a positive impact on the hydrological regime of lands and pastures in Northwest Turkmenistan.
Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Professor V. M. Lelevkin (Kyrgyzstan) said that pitting the network of drain manifolds of the Turkmen Lake into operation would transform the landscape of the Karakum Desert and contribute to addressing many environmental issues. Eventually, this will lead to the creation of favourable air temperature and humidity regimes in the region and thus reduce dust storm intensity and improve the formation of precipitation in mountainous regions of Central Asia.
It should be noted that the implementation of the Turkmen Lake project has significantly influenced the redistribution of the routes of migratory and wintering birds in the vicinity of the network of drain manifolds. A lot of new places favourable for nesting and wintering of birds have appeared there.
The Turkmen Lake is one of the important areas (IBA) in Central Asia. In the framework of the Agreement between the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) the action plan to inventory important bird areas and conduct expedition field survey to study the species composition and quantity of birds was developed.
The main value of these areas is favourable security and feeding conditions, particularly water and shore birds, and support of birds in periods of migration and wintering.
Today, the role of water resources is growing, and their economic value is increasing worldwide. Water conservation has become a global theme. Therefore, improvement of the effectiveness of efforts and introduction of fundamentally new, balanced and well thought-out approaches in this sphere have a long term economic value.
According to Turkmen and foreign experts, the high profitability of the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project raises no doubts. Moreover, its economic return will increase over the years as the functioning of this grandiose hydraulic facility will involve reduction of costs on the creation of the optimal water regime in agriculture, compensation of investment in addressing environmental issues and conservation and enhancement of natural resources.
The prudence and foresight of this initiative of Turkmenistan are evident from a scientific point of view as well as in terms of substantial economic and environmental dividends. What is most important is that all this provide a tremendous social effect, the essence of which i sustainable development and nature management throughout the region.
The Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project was developed several years ago. The first project phase was completed in 2009. This important environmental project stipulates that the shared network of drain manifolds will collect drainage water from irrigated lands in all the regions of the country and discharge them in an eco-friendly area – the giant natural depression Karashor, located on the northwest of Turkmenistan. The Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project also stipulates that salt tolerant agricultural crops will be planted along drain manifolds, pastures will be watered and fish farms will be built on the ponds with water from drain manifolds.
The Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project was launched in the framework of the Action Programme to improve the environmental and socio-economic situation in the Aral Sea Basin in 2003-2010. The heads of Central Asian states approved the Action Programme in October 2002 and the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea – in August 2003. Thus, the relevance and feasibility of construction of the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake was recognized by other Central Asian states.
Before the construction of the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake was launched, drainage and waste water generated in Mary, Ahal and Balkan Velayat (regions) used to accumulate in the depressions in the Karakum Desert where they flooded desert pastures, reducing their areas. Drainage and waste water generated on the territory of Lebap Velayat and the neighbouring areas of Uzbekistan have been discharged in the Amudarya for many years, which led to the deterioration of the quality of water in the lower reaches of the river. Certain problems arose in Dashoguz Velayat where drainage water was not drained timely from irrigated areas.
The construction of the large artificial water body in the Karakum Desert plays an important role in improving the condition of irrigated areas in Turkmenistan, raising agricultural productivity, stopping salinization processes and thus preventing soil degradation. Putting the hydraulic facility into operation will address not only environmental and economic problems, but also social issues.
One of the major problems, the solution of which is based on the construction of the Turkmen Lake, is contamination of the Amudarya. In the future, water from all reservoirs will be supplied through the network of drain manifolds of the Turkmen Lake that will minimize contamination of the Amudarya and significantly improve the quality of water in the lower reaches of the river.
Flooding of lands and pastures in the Karakum Desert is a pressing environmental problem. In this regard, the effective functioning of the entire network of drain manifolds through the operation of the Turkmen Lake will contribute to solving this pressing problem in large areas in Central Karakum.
Reusing brackish drainage water is one of the main reserves to develop livestock farming through ensuring reliable forage supplies and growing salt tolerant forage crops. It will also provide additional opportunities to improve biodiversity, raise the productivity of desert pastures and build specialized fish farms on drain manifolds and ponds of the Turkmen Lake.
Speaking at the International Conference on Scientific Advances and Advanced Technology for Restoration of Saline Soils and Improvement of the Operation of Irrigation Facilities (Ashgabat, 2011), Academician I. S. Zonn noted that Turkmenistan systematically and consistently implemented the water resources management policy. As an example, he mentioned the significant progress in the use of water-efficient technology to operate the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake, in particular the use of brackish drainage water to irrigate forage crops and flush saline lands, the introduction of bioengineering methods of cleaning drainage and waste waters and etc. The well-known scientist noted that the drainage of water from old irrigated farm lands and the discharge of it into the natural depressions would provide a solution to environmental challenges and have a positive impact on the hydrological regime of lands and pastures in Northwest Turkmenistan.
Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Professor V. M. Lelevkin (Kyrgyzstan) said that pitting the network of drain manifolds of the Turkmen Lake into operation would transform the landscape of the Karakum Desert and contribute to addressing many environmental issues. Eventually, this will lead to the creation of favourable air temperature and humidity regimes in the region and thus reduce dust storm intensity and improve the formation of precipitation in mountainous regions of Central Asia.
It should be noted that the implementation of the Turkmen Lake project has significantly influenced the redistribution of the routes of migratory and wintering birds in the vicinity of the network of drain manifolds. A lot of new places favourable for nesting and wintering of birds have appeared there.
The Turkmen Lake is one of the important areas (IBA) in Central Asia. In the framework of the Agreement between the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) the action plan to inventory important bird areas and conduct expedition field survey to study the species composition and quantity of birds was developed.
The main value of these areas is favourable security and feeding conditions, particularly water and shore birds, and support of birds in periods of migration and wintering.
Today, the role of water resources is growing, and their economic value is increasing worldwide. Water conservation has become a global theme. Therefore, improvement of the effectiveness of efforts and introduction of fundamentally new, balanced and well thought-out approaches in this sphere have a long term economic value.
According to Turkmen and foreign experts, the high profitability of the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake project raises no doubts. Moreover, its economic return will increase over the years as the functioning of this grandiose hydraulic facility will involve reduction of costs on the creation of the optimal water regime in agriculture, compensation of investment in addressing environmental issues and conservation and enhancement of natural resources.
The prudence and foresight of this initiative of Turkmenistan are evident from a scientific point of view as well as in terms of substantial economic and environmental dividends. What is most important is that all this provide a tremendous social effect, the essence of which i sustainable development and nature management throughout the region.