Continuity and change: land and water use reforms in rural Uzbekistan. Socio-economic and legal analyses for the region Khorezm

Decades of Soviet rule have left a heritage of environmental and social problems in Central Asia. The demise of an entire ecosystem at unprecedented pace, the 'Aral Sea Syndrome', is the most prominent of the undesired outcomes of the focus on agricultural production that has dominated land and resource use and continues till today. The international outcry over this ecological crisis has delegated other - and maybe more urgent - problems to a second pane. Rural livelihoods are rapidly deteriorating, unemployment is high, and rural poverty widespread. Ecological aspects, although strongly affecting everyday life in rural areas - such as water and soil salinity and environmental pollution - are not the fore most concern to the local population, as the economic survival is the more pressing need. Nevertheless, it is exactly in this situation where the larger part of the population exploits the natural resources further rather than preserving the ecological basis as a natural means of the local land’s productivity. Table of contents: Preface and acknowledgements; Peter Wehrheim, Anja Schoeller-Schletter, Christopher Martius. Chapter 1: Farmers, cotton, water, and models - Introduction and overview; Peter Wehrheim, Christopher Martius. Chapter 2: Organizing agricultural production - Law and legal forms in transition; Anja Schoeller-Schletter. Chapter 3: A model-based analysis of land and water use reforms in Khorezm: Effects on different types of agricultural producers; Nodir Djanibekov. Chapter 4: Optimal crop allocation and consequent ecological benefits in large scale (shirkat) farms in Uzbekistan's transition process; Ihtiyor Bobojonov, Inna Rudenko, John P. A. Lamers. Chapter 5: Where has all the water gone? Marc Müller. Chapter 6: Analysis of water use and allocation for the Khorezm region in Uzbekistan using an integrated economic-hydrologic model; Tina Schieder, Ximing Cai. Chapter 7: Problems and perspectives of water user associations in Uzbekistan; Darya Hirsch (Zavgorodnyaya). Chapter 8: Barriers to technological change and agrarian reform in Khorezm, Uzbekistan; Caleb Wall. Chapter 9: Analysis of agricultural markets in Khorezm, Uzbekistan; Ihtiyor Bobojonov, John P. A. Lamers. Chapter 10: Cotton, agriculture, and the Uzbek government; Marc Müller --

Continuity and change: land and water use reforms in rural Uzbekistan. Socio-economic and legal analyses for the region Khorezm

Decades of Soviet rule have left a heritage of environmental and social problems in Central Asia. The demise of an entire ecosystem at unprecedented pace, the 'Aral Sea Syndrome', is the most prominent of the undesired outcomes of the focus on agricultural production that has dominated land and resource use and continues till today. The international outcry over this ecological crisis has delegated other - and maybe more urgent - problems to a second pane. Rural livelihoods are rapidly deteriorating, unemployment is high, and rural poverty widespread. Ecological aspects, although strongly affecting everyday life in rural areas - such as water and soil salinity and environmental pollution - are not the fore most concern to the local population, as the economic survival is the more pressing need. Nevertheless, it is exactly in this situation where the larger part of the population exploits the natural resources further rather than preserving the ecological basis as a natural means of the local land’s productivity. Table of contents: Preface and acknowledgements; Peter Wehrheim, Anja Schoeller-Schletter, Christopher Martius. Chapter 1: Farmers, cotton, water, and models - Introduction and overview; Peter Wehrheim, Christopher Martius. Chapter 2: Organizing agricultural production - Law and legal forms in transition; Anja Schoeller-Schletter. Chapter 3: A model-based analysis of land and water use reforms in Khorezm: Effects on different types of agricultural producers; Nodir Djanibekov. Chapter 4: Optimal crop allocation and consequent ecological benefits in large scale (shirkat) farms in Uzbekistan's transition process; Ihtiyor Bobojonov, Inna Rudenko, John P. A. Lamers. Chapter 5: Where has all the water gone? Marc Müller. Chapter 6: Analysis of water use and allocation for the Khorezm region in Uzbekistan using an integrated economic-hydrologic model; Tina Schieder, Ximing Cai. Chapter 7: Problems and perspectives of water user associations in Uzbekistan; Darya Hirsch (Zavgorodnyaya). Chapter 8: Barriers to technological change and agrarian reform in Khorezm, Uzbekistan; Caleb Wall. Chapter 9: Analysis of agricultural markets in Khorezm, Uzbekistan; Ihtiyor Bobojonov, John P. A. Lamers. Chapter 10: Cotton, agriculture, and the Uzbek government; Marc Mülle

Monitoring deforestation and forest degradation in the context of REDD+ Lessons from Tanzania

In this case study, we compared the Global Forest Maps produced by the University of Maryland and Google with data from the JRC and with the published FAO FRA country statistics derived from the Tanzania Forest Service. We compared both the forest baseline area for the year 2000 and the forest-cover change between 2000 and 2010 for Tanzania.JRC.H.3-Forest Resources and Climat

Tree biomass equations from terrestrial LiDAR : a case study in Guyana

Large uncertainties in tree and forest carbon estimates weaken national efforts to accurately estimate aboveground biomass (AGB) for their national monitoring, measurement, reporting and verification system. Allometric equations to estimate biomass have improved, but remain limited. They rely on destructive sampling; large trees are under-represented in the data used to create them; and they cannot always be applied to different regions. These factors lead to uncertainties and systematic errors in biomass estimations. We developed allometric models to estimate tree AGB in Guyana. These models were based on tree attributes (diameter, height, crown diameter) obtained from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point clouds from 72 tropical trees and wood density. We validated our methods and models with data from 26 additional destructively harvested trees. We found that our best TLS-derived allometric models included crown diameter, provided more accurate AGB estimates (R-2 = 0.92-0.93) than traditional pantropical models (R-2 = 0.85-0.89), and were especially accurate for large trees (diameter > 70 cm). The assessed pantropical models underestimated AGB by 4 to 13%. Nevertheless, one pantropical model (Chave et al. 2005 without height) consistently performed best among the pantropical models tested (R-2 = 0.89) and predicted AGB accurately across all size classes-which but for this could not be known without destructive or TLS-derived validation data. Our methods also demonstrate that tree height is difficult to measure in situ, and the inclusion of height in allometric models consistently worsened AGB estimates. We determined that TLS-derived AGB estimates were unbiased. Our approach advances methods to be able to develop, test, and choose allometric models without the need to harvest trees

How does replacing natural forests with rubber and oil palm plantations affect soil respiration and methane fluxes?

This research was conducted under the REDD-ALERT project (Grant Agreement # 226310) with financial support from the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013]. It was also generously funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) (Grant Agreement # 46167) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) (Grant Agreement #QZA-10/0468). This work is part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) programs on Trees, Forests and Agroforestry (FTA) and Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Authors extend their gratitude to staff from Brawijaya University in Malang, the Indonesian Soil Research Institute (ISRI) in Bogor, and Balai Lingkungan Pertanian in Jakenan for laboratory support. We also thank Robbin Matthews and John Hillier, whose insights, feedbacks and recommendations contributed to improve the quality of the manuscript and to the modeling team of the School of Biological and Environmental Science from the University of Aberdeen for constructive discussions. Furthermore, we are very thankful to all assistants and to the REDD-ALERT Indonesia team who supported field work in Jambi. Finally, we are very grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which contributed to improve this manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Scope and constraints for tree planting in the irrigated landscapes of the Aral Sea Basin: case studies in Khorezm Region, Uzbekistan

A wealth of research papers, reports, and newsprint demonstrate the wide international interest in the ecological deterioration in the Aral Sea Basin in Central Asia (CA). The demise of the Aral Sea is a symptom that results from intensive agricultural activities aiming at maximizing agricultural production while neglecting environmental sustainability, as exemplified by the land use patterns also prevalent in the Republic of Uzbekistan, one of the five newly established states in CA. The environmental degradation is acute and continues, since various factors conducive to it have not been eradicated. This discussion paper deals with the potential role of forestry-based production systems and in their contribution to counterbalancing the ecological landscape demise in the region. This discussion paper starts with a brief overview of environmental conditions in CA, followed by a discussion of forestry and agroforestry in CA's irrigated semi-arid and arid landscapes. The paper focuses on Uzbekistan, and more specifically the province (viloyat) of Khorezm, which is located at the southern rim of the Aral Sea Basin and serves as an example for the Middle Asia lowlands. The results of surveys on farmers' perception of forest and tree products, as well as the outcomes of field measurements of the productivity of tree stands and agroforestry systems, regional forestry governance, and the market situation for timber products are discussed. Following data mining of secondary sources, field, market and household surveys, combined with in-depth analyses using remote sensing techniques, the paper re-assesses the tree resources of Uzbekistan and concludes that the present use and management of trees and forests is inadequate. Well-designed multi-species windbreaks are absent (single-tree rows of mulberry comprise about 50% of the present tree strips), only 70% of the tree windbreaks were oriented in the North-South and North/West-South/East directions, from which the highest wind speeds (>3 m s-1) are generally measured, and the majority of the investigated tree strips did not satisfy the minimal height of 5 m. More than half (55%) of the strips did not stretch over the entire length of the related field. However, other structural criteria such as stand porosity and width had acceptable values. In the hedgerow systems monitored tree planting schemes varied considerably but on average were much lower compared to the recommended planting schemes by forestry administrations as the perennial crops were of more importance to the farmers. The farmers planted mostly fruit trees to increase income and improve their food basket, but none of the ca. 100 interviewed was ecologically motivated. However, the total land area of the various surveyed agroforestry systems on both private and rented land was the largest where tree age did not exceed 12 years, thus indicating the interest of tree planting. The surveys results are followed by a review of forestry policies in Uzbekistan. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations concerning managerial and research needs for forest and agroforestry systems in irrigated drylands of CA, and outlines the opportunities and need for external support at both the country and sub-regional level. Despite the role trees could potentially play, the lack of training of the farming population, reduced capacities of the forestry administration and their staff as well as shortcomings in the forest legislation have resulted in many underperforming "goodwill" efforts. Due to the complexity of the social, economical and physical components and their interdependencies, this paper calls for integrated knowledge generation, concerted action and for administrative and research support. The crisis in the Aral Sea Basin has a strong global dimension, which calls for targeted support at both country and international donor community levels

Adapting land restoration to a changing climate: Embracing the knowns and unknowns

CIFOR Infobrief 249, Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, doi:10.17528/cifor/007261Land restoration will happen under climate change and different knowledge systems are needed to navigate uncertainties and plan adaptation. • The emergence of novel ecosystems presents a challenge for land restoration; they harbor unknown unknowns. • This brief presents key research linking land restoration and societal adaptation and an example of a practical framework for transformative adaptation. • It also proposes questions that can guide stakeholders in exploring different change narratives for adaptation and restoration planning

Scope and constraints for tree planting in the irrigated landscapes of the Aral Sea Basin : case studies in Khorezm Region, Uzbekistan

A wealth of research papers, reports, and newsprint demonstrate the wide international interest in the ecological deterioration in the Aral Sea Basin in Central Asia (CA). The demise of the Aral Sea is a symptom that results from intensive agricultural activities aiming at maximizing agricultural production while neglecting environmental sustainability, as exemplified by the land use patterns also prevalent in the Republic of Uzbekistan, one of the five newly established states in CA. The environmental degradation is acute and continues, since various factors conducive to it have not been eradicated. This discussion paper deals with the potential role of forestry-based production systems and in their contribution to counterbalancing the ecological landscape demise in the region. This discussion paper starts with a brief overview of environmental conditions in CA, followed by a discussion of forestry and agroforestry in CA’s irrigated semi-arid and arid landscapes. The paper focuses on Uzbekistan, and more specifically the province (viloyat) of Khorezm, which is located at the southern rim of the Aral Sea Basin and serves as an example for the Middle Asia lowlands. The results of surveys on farmers’ perception of forest and tree products, as well as the outcomes of field measurements of the productivity of tree stands and agroforestry systems, regional forestry governance, and the market situation for timber products are discussed. Following data mining of secondary sources, field, market and household surveys, combined with in-depth analyses using remote sensing techniques, the paper re-assesses the tree resources of Uzbekistan and concludes that the present use and management of trees and forests is inadequate. Well-designed multi-species windbreaks are absent (single-tree rows of mulberry comprise about 50% of the present tree strips), only 70% of the tree windbreaks were oriented in the North-South and North/West-South/East directions, from which the highest wind speeds (>3 m s -1) are generally measured, and the majority of the investigated tree strips did not satisfy the minimal height of 5 m. More than half (55%) of the strips did not stretch over the entire length of the related field. However, other structural criteria such as stand porosity and width had acceptable values. In the hedgerow systems monitored tree planting schemes varied considerably but on average were much lower compared to the recommended planting schemes by forestry administrations as the perennial crops were of more importance to the farmers. The farmers planted mostly fruit trees to increase income and improve their food basket, but none of the ca. 100 interviewed was ecologically motivated. However, the total land area of the various surveyed agroforestry systems on both private and rented land was the largest where tree age did not exceed 12 years, thus indicating the interest of tree planting. The surveys results are followed by a review of forestry policies in Uzbekistan. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations concerning managerial and research needs for forest and agroforestry systems in irrigated drylands of CA, and outlines the opportunities and need for external support at both the country and sub-regional level. Despite the role trees could potentially play, the lack of training of the farming population, reduced capacities of the forestry administration and their staff as well as shortcomings in the forest legislation have resulted in many underperforming “goodwill” efforts. Due to the complexity of the social, economical and physical components and their interdependencies, this paper calls for integrated knowledge generation, concerted action and for administrative and research support. The crisis in the Aral Sea Basin has a strong global dimension, which calls for targeted support at both country and international donor community levels