Ashgabat, May 26, 2021: The State Committee for Water Resources of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Development Programme in Turkmenistan, within the framework of the joint UNDP / GEF project "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for Sustainable Water Management in Turkmenistan", held an online scientific and practical seminar for specialists of water and agricultural sectors, land users-producers of agricultural products and students of agricultural universities of the country on the issues of increasing the efficiency of water resources use in irrigation systems.

It should be noted that one of the important factors for improving the efficiency of water resources use is the prevention of water losses from the irrigation network channels laid in the earth bed. Depending on the soil composition that make up the channel’s bed (bottom and slopes) and its length, up to 30-40% of the volume of transported water is lost in the channel along its entire length due to infiltration.

Participants of the online seminar had the opportunity to get acquainted with global best practices and contemporary technologies for reducing water losses in canals due to infiltration, as well as with the production and use of modern polymer materials for the installation of anti-seepage linings on reservoirs and canals of irrigation systems. In addition, the technology of installing anti-seepage linings made from local raw materials for lining on-farm irrigation canals was demonstrated. This technology was successfully tested on the part of earth canal at the 145-ha research site of the "Turkmensuwylymtaslama" institute situated at the Geokdepe etrap as a part of joint efforts by "Turkmensuwylymtaslama" Water-design Institute specialists, international and national experts as well as UNDP / GEF project specialists.

In this context, Mr. B. Kurbanov, Head of the Department of the Turkmen Agricultural Institute (Dashoguz), made a presentation on the efficiency of the use of various construction materials in reduction of infiltration losses from irrigation canals with reference to global best practices. Furthermore, the young teacher of the Turkmen Agricultural University, Mr. A. Bekiev familiarised the seminar participants with the modern technologies for carrying out works on the application of polymer-made anti-seepage coatings on irrigation canals and reservoirs.

Also, participants were presented with the current technology for polymer coatings using polyethylene and polypropylene raw materials production used at local factories. At present, this topic is of high relevance for the country's water sector. Finally, an online seminar briefly introduced the production process and characteristics of polyethylene film on the example of UNDP supplied and installed extrusion line at the Production Plant of "Ahalsuvhojalyk" PA in Bezmein.