The overall objectives of the proposed TA is to address poverty, improve food security at the household level and enhance environmental security through the development, promotion and adoption of strategies that enhance the productivity of existing irrigated farming systems in Central Asia. The immediate objective of the proposed project is the development and adoption of innovative technologies that enhance productivity and income generation opportunities for disadvantaged rural farmers through the effective management of problematic saline soils and water and to effect changes in current resource and agricultural management policies. Towards this end, the project has the following specific objectives:

• Identify and promote the expansion of community based innovations termed ‘Bright’ spots that prevent further land and water degradation and enhance the livelihoods of agrarian communities in the target countries.
• Evaluate plant species and management systems that have the potential to increased productivity and income generation on saline soils through farmer participatory trials in the three target countries.
• Enhance the capacity of national research and extension services to develop and promote innovative strategies that address land water resource degradation.

Figure 1. Structure of Project

The following outputs are expected from the project at the end:

• Output 1. Identification, promotion and adoption of innovative practices that prevent further land and water degradation in the Aral Sea Basin will be established in the three target countries;
• Output 2. Plant species with the potential for increased productivity and income generation on salt affected soils will be identified and improved management systems promoted; and
• Output 3. Enhanced capacity of national research and extension services and steps to institutionalize changes in policy in addressing land and water degradation will be promoted.

Donors and Partners of the project are follows: the donor funded project is Asian Development Bank, the international agricultural centers, participating in this project are: IWMI, ICARDA and ICBA. The project will be implemented in the territory of 3 Central Asian countries and national partners are: Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and its Water Resources Management Institute, Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan and its Land Management and Resources Departament, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan and its National Agricultural Research Center.