Understanding Afghan Traditional Irrigation and Water Management Systems

Prepared by: Ron Savage, Field Program, DST Spin Boldak, Kandahar Feb. 2011

Issues: •Most of Afghanistan’s water for irrigation, industry and household use depends on winter snowfall. •There is little watershed management taking place in the country •Lack of access to water contributes to poverty and exacerbates tribal tensions

Precipitation and Evapo-Transpiration Comparison Kandahar and Kunduz

SPIN BOLDAK

•Rainfall primarily in winter and spring

•Spin Boldak ET exceeds precip. in very month, including winter,

• Precip. Mostly absent throughout growing season

•Few mountains to capture snow

•Need for water storage and irrigation for successful agriculture

•Winter wheat largest crop in ha

•Wind is a major contributor to ET and crop stress

KUNDUZ

•More favorable with all parameters

•Frost is probably an issue

•Kunduz has more precip. than ET in winter and spring.

Understanding Afghan Traditional Irrigation Systems

Gravity flow sources:

- Reservoirs

- Wadis or ruds

- Rivers & streams

- Springs

Two principal types of irrigation systems: Gravity Flow and Pumped

Pumped sources:

- Tube wells

- Hand dug (bauris)

- Boreholes

- Reservoirs

Delivery: - Diesel Electric Pumps -Solar Elecric Pumps -Hand pumps -Pipes & Hoses -Buckets

Delivery: - Canals -Furrows - Pipes -Hoses

Surface Water systems

Reservoirs & Check Dams

Rock dam for reservoir Sand bag check dams

Canal Systems

Earthen canals: Low costs, 20-30% seepage, high maintenance, lower volumes of water, erosion

Concrete lined: High cost, <5 seepage, low maintenance, high volumes of water, dangerous

Irrigated vineyards outside Kandahar

Secondary canal for field distribution

Traditional Pumping system

Pumped from shallow well

Typical pumping system for shallow wells, usually less than 40 m, hand dug well

A farmer quickly clears the way for rushing irrigation water being pumped from pools in the wadi below

Note: The yellow arrow indicates the flexible hosing used to carry the water, which is then pumped into a higher channel, and from there into the furrows

Traditional

• Stream diversion

• Flood or runoff systems

• Karez

• Handdug wells (bauri)

• Waffle grid cultivation

Diversion ditches are often built along permanent streams.

A Karez seen from the air

Kerez systems

Kerez systems – two views

Kerez Systems

Upstream: Kerez maintenance shaft

Downstream: Permanent flow with mulberry trees

Wadi Systems

Floodwater diversion

Wadis wander, making runoff diversion challenging

Ever widening wadi channel Protection Walls help protect banks but should normally not be made of concrete. Gabions are a much better

option

Traditional structures require ongoing maintenance

Canals not lined with concrete usually require constant maintenance

Kerez shafts often fill up with sediment or can be intentionally plugged

Smaller catchments catch more runoff and are more effective at controlling erosion than one large catchment.

Use of gabions to control bank erosion

Challenges

• Lack of concern for watershed management by donors

• Short-term thinking and lack of scaling up of interventions results in piecemeal approach

• Land tenure issues and feuding between communities

• Lack of trained extension staff

• Poor oversight of projects

Recommendations

• Better use of CFW to address watershed management and irrigation issues

• Train up a large cadre (hundreds) of watershed managers

• Increased use of gabions

• Reforestation, afforestation and agroforestry

• Use traditional water management as starting point