License to drill: Typology of groundwater use regulations in agriculture of Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT

Global warming, deteriorating water infrastructure and transboundary factors are threatening Uzbekistan’s long-term surface water supply. Groundwater is a potential alternative for irrigation purposes. Little research is available about how farmers in Uzbekistan use groundwater for irrigation, and how formal regulations are implemented on the ground. Based on semi-structured, qualitative interviews with farmers and experts in Uzbekistan, we provide a typology of groundwater regulation, exploring the use of licences, quotas and prices that offers a structured overview of agricultural groundwater use. We further highlight how electricity is used as a proxy resource to implement groundwater regulation on the ground.

KEYWORDS:

• Groundwater-use regulations
• irrigated agriculture
• electricity
• extraction licence
• Uzbekistan
• qualitative methods

Acknowledgments

The authors thanks the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME) and its staff for their support during the field research period in Uzbekistan and their hospitality, as well as our colleagues from the SUSADICA programme for their continuous assistance and comments during the development of this study. The authors further thank Akmal Karimov (TIIAME), Rashid Kulmatov (National University of Uzbekistan) and Nurbek Pulatov (State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources) for their insights and support; Abdusame Tadjiev and Davron Niyazmetov for their assistance and hospitality during field research; Atabek Umirbekov for his support in the preparation of geographical maps; Utkur Yakhshibaev for his patience and attention to detail as an interpreter; and, of course, our respondents who shared their knowledge with us. Last, but not least, we thank the anonymous reviewer who provided invaluable feedback which improved earlier versions of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

This study is part of the structured doctoral programme on Sustainable Agricultural Development in Central Asia (SUSADICA), which is financed by the Volkswagen Foundation.