This social assessment (SA) wasconducted under the Fergana Valley Water ResourcesManagement Project (FVWRMP), which is providing assistanceto the Government of Tajikistan to address irrigation anddrainage deficiencies in Eastern Sughd. The main SAobjectives were to understand how prevailing structures ofwater provision, land reforms, and gender relations impactrural livelihoods; to analyze experiences in establishinginclusive Water Users Associations (WUAs); and to providerecommendations to FVWRMP with the aim of enhancing itsprograms. The SA targeted nine jamoats divided equally amongBobojon Ghafurov, Konibodom, and Yovon districts. The twonorthern districts were covered by FVWRMP and the FarmPrivatization Support Program (FPSP) operated in thesouthern district (Yovon). Yovon's jamoats wereselected specifically to analyze their WUAs formed inconjunction with farm privatization carried out under FPSP.Due to the limited number of community-based watermanagement initiatives in the above-mentioned target areas,other WUAs were included in this study. A surveyquestionnaire was administered to 1275 households. Fifteenfocus groups (mostly-female) and 38 in-depth interviews werealso conducted. The SA results raise stakeholder awarenessof the main water-related issues faced in the target areasas well as the major factors influencing WUA operations.While some of the study's recommendations are beyondthe scope of FVWRMP and must be dealt with through otherinitiatives, as a response to the SA findings, the projectis now aiming to continue its work on the rehabilitation ofirrigation networks, drainage systems, and reservoir dykesand to emphasize institutional development throughestablishing water users associations and issuing land use certificates.
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