Water Institutional Reforms in Kyrgyzstan - The Politics of Water Institutional Reform in Neopatrimonial States - page 114

zhoev 2004: 7). 165 The performance of WUAs is generally low and they cannot guarantee
equitable water distribution. Professional qualifications of WUA staff, especially of the director
and the chairperson, are crucial as they must deal with conflicts and implement tough deci
sions. A precondition and main incentive to acquire qualified and engaged personnel and avoid
abuse of the position should be an attractive salary and adequate training of WUA staff, espe
cially directors. The monthly salaries of the staff of both WUAs in the case study were 600
som for the mirabs, 1200 som for the accountant and the engineer, and 1500 som for the di
rector (equivalent to 12, 24 and 30 euro respectively), which is a low salary even for rural Kyr
gyzstan. In addition, the salary often cannot be paid. This low and unreliable payment leads to
difficulties in finding qualified staff. In the WUA BChK Sovkhoznij, the director left at the time
of the author's field research due to his low salary. The WUA had great difficulties in finding
someone new. This problem is reinforced as the job is connected with a great deal of responsi
bilities and difficulties. During the field research in Sokuluk raion , two new directors to WUAs
who were already appointed later refused to accept the position. In both cases, the low salary
and anxiety about the director's responsibilities as reasons for withdrawing one's application.
Representatives of Frunze aiyl okmotu said that people are afraid of it: “Nobody wants to take
the responsibility and scold people all the time.” 166 And this even in Sokuluk a region with

relatively few water conflicts.
Hardly any WUA is self financing, and many are even deep in debt (see chapter 6.3.4
above). An evaluation in 2001 showed that of 223 WUAs, approximately 50 existed only on
paper (Kozhoev 2004: 7; Alymbaeva 2004: 11). In Chuy Oblast, according to a staff member
of the oblast WUA support center, about 22 to 25 WUAs do not function, i.e. they are highly
indebted or completely inactive, which is about one fourth of all WUAs in the oblast . 167
In the following, the findings of the case study will first be presented, followed by a gen
eral assessment of the implementation and outcome of the transfer of irrigation management.
As already noted, we will deal here not with the issues of fee collection and establishment
along hydrographic boundaries, which were already discussed above, but rather concentrate on
the questions of independence from state structures and user participation.
Case study: Sokuluk Raion 168
The area of irrigated land in the raion is 56,604 ha. WUAs manage about half of the irrigated
land in the raion ; in May 2005 the area was 28,513 ha. There are 16 WUAs, of which 14 are
legally registered. All but one are organized according to territorial principles with one or two
WUAs in one aiyl okmotu , covering the area of the FSK. In areas without WUA, the aiyl okmotu
165 To be able to apply for loans from the World Bank or ADB, a WUA must meet seven criteria: (1) Founding and
legal registration of the WUA, opening of a bank account; (2) Drawing up of a financial plan and of a work program;
(3) A plan drawn up by the WUA's council and administration with regard to the use and maintenance of the irrigation
system; included in this an annual plan concerning the collection of fees from the members - these fees should
increase annually, until cost recovery is reached; (4) The WUA members pay for all costs the WUA encounters with
regard to the operation and the maintenance of its systems, as well as the taxes for the RaiVodKhoz ; (5) In the first year,
all taxes for the RaiVodKhoz should be paid, as well as at least 30% of the operating costs; (6) Together with the Oblast
and Raion water administration, the WUA administration works out different technically, economically, and
ecologically sensible variants of renovation and calculates their costs. The WUA members choose one variant; (7) The
members give their vote concerning the loan application and the WUA council approaches the Project
Implementation Unit with the project proposal. ( Proekt “Vnutrikhozjajstvennoe oroshenie“ 2002: 1). 75% of the costs for
rehabilitation projects are provided as a grant by World Bank or ADB, while 25% must be covered by the WUA. Some
WUAs receive an initial loan for equipment such as a computer, an office, or a car.
166 Director of the agricultural cooperative, Frunze, 05/13/2005.
167 Author's interview with two senior officials of WUA support departments, Bishkek, 09/23/2004.
168 For general information, see chapter 5.