Cotton, Water, Salts and Soums – Research and Capacity Building for Decision-Making in Khorezm, Uzbekistan

Abstract

Khorezm, a district of Uzbekistan, is a textbook example of irrigated agriculture in the Aral Sea Basin causing the “Aral Sea Syndrome”. It offers an opportunity to study the complex human-environment relations in the context of strong government control in transformation economies. Agricultural production and rural livelihood in Khorezm rely entirely on irrigation water supply based on a dense network of irrigation channels and drainage collectors. Inefficient use of land and water resources, inadequate institutions and policies, and underdeveloped agro- processing and service sectors are among the key issues threatening the economic and ecological sustainability of the region. An interdisciplinary research project was initiated by the Center for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn, Germany, together with the University of Urgench to develop science-based concepts and tools for the restructuring of land use and agricultural production in order to make more efficient use of natural resources. Simultaneously, the project aimed to develop recommendations for policies and institutions to enable economic development and environmental sustainability. As Khorezm is representative for many irrigated lowlands in the Aral Sea Basin, innovative concepts and technologies developed in the project are expected to provide useful information to similar environments in Central Asia and elsewhere. This chapter provides the problem setting in the Aral Sea basin and Khorezm. The “Khorezm Project’s” purpose and structure are briefly described. An overview of the chapters in this book is then given. Conclusions are drawn and an outlook is presented. Technological, economic and institutional innovations have to go hand-in-hand if long-lasting sustainable development is aimed for with increased environmental and economic security of the region’s people.