Grandiose construction project in the heart of great Garagum desert of the artificial water reservoir – “Altyn asyr” Lake should play special role in ecological strategy, being realized by the Turkmen state and aimed at prevention of desertification processes, provision of environmental safety. Foreign scientists called this hydrotechnical project a sample of the state concern about health of population, about environment and wonderful example of rational use of water resources.
After completion of the first stage of Turkmen Lake “Altyn asyr” and its main branches, running through Garagum desert, it was started a new stage – involvement of the lake into our country’s single system of water flows of collector and drain waters (CDW). Staff of the Turkmen State Scientific Production and Planning Economic Institute (“Turkmensuwylymtaslama”) of the Ministry of Water Economy of Turkmenistan worked out a program of research events intended for five years. From beginning of 2014, the specialists of six laboratories and research department of the Institute fulfilled a complex activity in nine directions. The issues of further increase of efficiency of exploitation of this unique hydrotechnical facility with systematic increase of flow of collector and drain waters in main collectors in the course of next stages of its construction became priority in the investigation.
The scientists consider particularly prospective the researches related to the potential of the lake for development of pasture management, fish breeding with desalinated water, cattle-breeding, halophytic plant growing (sectors, engaging in study and cultivation of plants, growing in conditions of high salinity), recreational sphere of services, tourism.
Deputy director of “Turkmensuwylymtaslama” Institute of the Ministry of Water Economy of Turkmenistan Georgie Kurtovezov tells about research works:
- In conditions of arid climate on the background of global warming and limitedness of water sources, rational management of such resources is the priority task of the state policy, being pursued by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. In these conditions, the scientists considered various possibilities of repeated use of collector and drain waters. For holding of scientific experiments, it was created the experimental grounds, including on elaboration of washing technologies of saline lands with use of low-mineralized CDW for cultivation of salt-tolerant plants – halophytes.
The researches on testing of small desalination plant concerning the sphere of low drinking water supply, cattle-breeding, as well as for combined drip irrigation with desalinated and collector and drain waters both of decorative wood species as well as agricultural and forage crops were of scientific-practical value.
The fact that collectors supply with water the pasturable territories of Garagum owing to which it is improved the biological diversity and ecological situation of the desert is worth of attention. Moreover, the availability of lands suitable for development in the zone of Main collectors supposes the search of new scientific decisions on rational use of water resources, i.e. it is considered the issue of consumption of collector waters alongside with water-saving innovative irrigation technologies such as drip irrigation and overhead irrigation.
Personnel of one of laboratories were engaged in issues of determination of water quality in different sections of the Turkmen lake and its main collectors with a view of making the recommendations for their ecologically safe consumption. The result of work will become the recommendations on irrigation routine of salt-tolerant agricultural crops that will be a help for agrarians while development of virgin lands in zone of the lake’s collectors.
Development of new lands where no sources of fresh water and energy communications is quite complicated task, because the geologists and power engineering specialists, road builders and oil industry workers, who in turn live and work far from settlements, need in pure fresh water. Water is also essential for irrigation of the first landscaping lands won from the desert. Therefore, one of important issues of the scientific researches of the Institute is the possibility of purification and desalination of water on the basis of small portable electrodialysis and reverse-osmosis desalination plants, which can be used in such conditions. Water distillers can be linked up both to centralized power supply and to mobile generators, as well as to installations of solar batteries. It was implemented the laboratory tests of such water distillers. Presently, it is carried out the activity on preparation for their testing in field conditions as well as making the recommendations on their application in the conditions of remote oases.
Great and important tasks set before the Institute in the context of realization of “Program of works on rational consumption of water resources in Turkmenistan and increase the discharge capacity of Garagum River within 2015-2020” approved by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. This program envisages the reconstruction of available and construction of new hydrotechnical facilities on 1100-kilometer site – from main water intake of Garagum River until Bereket of Balkan province, concrete measures with a view of cleaning the channels of Garagum River, as well as design and survey works on water regulating and navigation passes, and hydrotechnical structures. Moreover, the specialists of the Institute will take part in planned events on creation of single managerial center with automated electronic data gathering from water-metering posts in Garagum River.
After completion of the first stage of Turkmen Lake “Altyn asyr” and its main branches, running through Garagum desert, it was started a new stage – involvement of the lake into our country’s single system of water flows of collector and drain waters (CDW). Staff of the Turkmen State Scientific Production and Planning Economic Institute (“Turkmensuwylymtaslama”) of the Ministry of Water Economy of Turkmenistan worked out a program of research events intended for five years. From beginning of 2014, the specialists of six laboratories and research department of the Institute fulfilled a complex activity in nine directions. The issues of further increase of efficiency of exploitation of this unique hydrotechnical facility with systematic increase of flow of collector and drain waters in main collectors in the course of next stages of its construction became priority in the investigation.
The scientists consider particularly prospective the researches related to the potential of the lake for development of pasture management, fish breeding with desalinated water, cattle-breeding, halophytic plant growing (sectors, engaging in study and cultivation of plants, growing in conditions of high salinity), recreational sphere of services, tourism.
Deputy director of “Turkmensuwylymtaslama” Institute of the Ministry of Water Economy of Turkmenistan Georgie Kurtovezov tells about research works:
- In conditions of arid climate on the background of global warming and limitedness of water sources, rational management of such resources is the priority task of the state policy, being pursued by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. In these conditions, the scientists considered various possibilities of repeated use of collector and drain waters. For holding of scientific experiments, it was created the experimental grounds, including on elaboration of washing technologies of saline lands with use of low-mineralized CDW for cultivation of salt-tolerant plants – halophytes.
The researches on testing of small desalination plant concerning the sphere of low drinking water supply, cattle-breeding, as well as for combined drip irrigation with desalinated and collector and drain waters both of decorative wood species as well as agricultural and forage crops were of scientific-practical value.
The fact that collectors supply with water the pasturable territories of Garagum owing to which it is improved the biological diversity and ecological situation of the desert is worth of attention. Moreover, the availability of lands suitable for development in the zone of Main collectors supposes the search of new scientific decisions on rational use of water resources, i.e. it is considered the issue of consumption of collector waters alongside with water-saving innovative irrigation technologies such as drip irrigation and overhead irrigation.
Personnel of one of laboratories were engaged in issues of determination of water quality in different sections of the Turkmen lake and its main collectors with a view of making the recommendations for their ecologically safe consumption. The result of work will become the recommendations on irrigation routine of salt-tolerant agricultural crops that will be a help for agrarians while development of virgin lands in zone of the lake’s collectors.
Development of new lands where no sources of fresh water and energy communications is quite complicated task, because the geologists and power engineering specialists, road builders and oil industry workers, who in turn live and work far from settlements, need in pure fresh water. Water is also essential for irrigation of the first landscaping lands won from the desert. Therefore, one of important issues of the scientific researches of the Institute is the possibility of purification and desalination of water on the basis of small portable electrodialysis and reverse-osmosis desalination plants, which can be used in such conditions. Water distillers can be linked up both to centralized power supply and to mobile generators, as well as to installations of solar batteries. It was implemented the laboratory tests of such water distillers. Presently, it is carried out the activity on preparation for their testing in field conditions as well as making the recommendations on their application in the conditions of remote oases.
Great and important tasks set before the Institute in the context of realization of “Program of works on rational consumption of water resources in Turkmenistan and increase the discharge capacity of Garagum River within 2015-2020” approved by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. This program envisages the reconstruction of available and construction of new hydrotechnical facilities on 1100-kilometer site – from main water intake of Garagum River until Bereket of Balkan province, concrete measures with a view of cleaning the channels of Garagum River, as well as design and survey works on water regulating and navigation passes, and hydrotechnical structures. Moreover, the specialists of the Institute will take part in planned events on creation of single managerial center with automated electronic data gathering from water-metering posts in Garagum River.
