*2.2.1 Kick-off or launching workshop of KRB*

The workshop, entitled CPWF program start-up workshop, was held on June 8–10, 2004 at the SPII<sup>1</sup> campus of Agricultural-Research-Education-Extension Organization (AREEO) with the participation of officials and all stakeholders. The workshop described the CPWF program and how the KRB was nominated and selected as one of the benchmark basins of the program.

In this workshop, various sessions and discussions were held in the form of brainstorming dialogs among the participants (experts and stakeholders). The two main areas of discussion were: a) Improving WP, food security, and livelihood of farmers in the aquatic ecosystem (irrigated agriculture) of KRB and mainly related to Theme1 of CPWF, and b) Issues of basin upstream, related to the Theme 2 of CPWF program, that is explained below.

### *2.2.1.1 Results of the CPWF theme one - workshop discussions*

Regarding the first question of the workshop, i.e., high-priority research issues in the KRB, the summary of the Theme1 (improving water productivity at plant and farm scales) group as follows:

soil and water salinity, soil nutrition and fertility, irrigation efficiency, crop cultivars and plant species, thermal stress on crops, land drainage, cropping systems, land preparation, irrigation management, irrigation systems, drought stress, socioeconomic, institutional, and environmental issues.

The above issues were divided into the following five groups:


Comments on the second question, i.e., "What are the best and most promising research methods that can cover at least three priorities and meet its research, are summarized as follows:

<sup>1</sup> Seed and Plant Improvement Research Institute (SPII) (in Karaj city near to Tehran, Iran capital)

*Approaches to Improve Water Productivity and Livelihood Resilience in the Karkheh River… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108720*


**Table 3** summarizes comments regarding the key indicators questions in the priority areas.

For creating a credible basis lining, it was suggested that benchmark analysis of socio-economic and biophysical status of the basin at the beginning of the CPWF program and at the end of the program to be reviewed.

Also, a special working group for rainfed agriculture, mainly in the upstream areas of the basin, was formed. The specific results for this type of agriculture and in the form of Theme1 of CPWF program in KRB were as follows:



**Table 3.**

*Key indicators questions of the priority areas for the different horizons.*

3.Key indicators in priority areas include cultivar adaptation, production technology adaptation rate, cropping system, soil erosion rate, soil quality, vegetation cover, and farmers' income.

### *2.2.1.2 Results of the CPWF-theme two workshop discussions*

Summary for Theme two of CPWF program in KRB, i.e., the issues of the upstream catchments were as follows:

The problem of water availability for rainfed lands (especially for supplementary irrigation), the small size of agricultural lands, improper use of forest lands for the production of medicinal and industrial products and coal production, destruction of forests and their improper control, uncontrolled grazing in pastures, lack of integrated plan or management for watersheds, erosion of cultivated lands and destroyed pastures, and surface flows pollution due to mining activities, etc.

Also, the summary of three important and priority issues of the basin upstream was: 1) Agricultural issues, including reduction of productivity due to soil erosion, drought (especially in dryland areas), and land ownership issues; 2) Livestock issues, including the destruction of forests and pastures and productivity of livestock production; 3) Side effects including pollution in the downstream of the basin, floods and sediment, issues of water allocation for upstream and its impacts on downstream of the basin and the Karkheh dam in downstream.

Promising research methods were: 1) Integrated Natural Resources Management (INRM) method; 2) Integrated catchment management method focusing on interactions and communication between water consumption and landowners; 3) Participatory research and stakeholder participation; 4) Diversification in the sources of income of the inhabitants of the basin; 5) On-farm research including production of drought-tolerant crops, rainwater harvesting, and supplementary irrigation of crops in rainfed lands; 6- The effects of land ownership and issues of land use policies and regulations on land degradation; 7) Socio-economic issues including specifying livelihood issues, etc.; 8) Livestock issues and rangeland rehabilitation; 9) Cultural issues and information communications; 10) Water quality monitoring; and 11) Establishing a link between research on the scale of catchment and rain-fed agriculture.

Following the workshop, discussions on planning for future research and implementation activities in the KRB were as follows:

At first, a conceptual discussion entitled "Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM)" was introduced. Based on its model, the KRB area was divided into two parts of upstream of Karkheh Dam (Downstream) and downstream of the dam (Downstream) and its issues were investigated as follows:

1. In the upstream areas of Karkheh Dam the following studies were potentially proposed:

a. Watershed studies, effects of natural and human processes on river hydrology as well as Karkheh Dam, runoff, flood and sediment, pollution, water allocation issues, surface and groundwater interactions, and identification and evaluation of water users (farmers) and their efficiency and productivity studies;

*Approaches to Improve Water Productivity and Livelihood Resilience in the Karkheh River… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108720*

2. In the downstream areas of Karkheh Dam, potential studies proposed as follows:


The workshop also provided supportive scientific lectures on integrated natural resource management (INRM) in arid areas and definitions and issues of participatory research in the basin.

In presenting integrated natural resource management in arid areas, the challenge of natural resource management and the concepts and principles of the integrated natural resource management framework was defined and explained, and several important tools were introduced. Accordingly, the IMRM framework is a method that: integrates research into different types of natural resources using stakeholder participation processes, and adaptive management and innovation.

It also aims to improve livelihoods, agro-systemic resilience, improve agricultural productivity and environmental services. Its solutions and effects of which operate at different scales and levels of local, ecological and global communities. Therefore, the principles of INRM are: integrating research and development, creating a system for adaptation and learning, creating a balance between hard and software sciences, focusing on choosing the right type of science and knowledge and applying it at the appropriate level, and changing the scientific and organizational culture.. INRM tools generally include three types of tools: process tools, cognitive tools, and problem-solving tools and investment on opportunities.

### *2.2.2 Development of criteria for selection of pilot research sites in the basin*

### *2.2.2.1 Criteria for site selection in the upstream areas of the KRB*

In the upstream areas of the basin, the main purpose of selecting the research site was mainly to implement the LR project. The main goal of the LR project upstream of the KRB was to improve livelihood resilience in arid watersheds through diversification and integrated natural resource management. According to the relevant conceptual model, resource degradation is not a reason for the change but a sign of changes in the socio-economic environment. Based on the results of field studies and considering diversity upstream of KRB, four research sites were initially selected based on the

criteria and methods mentioned in the Mid-annual meeting [11] and Kick-off Workshop [12], as follows:

### *2.2.2.2 Criteria for site selection in downstream of the KRB*

The criteria presented in the selection of research sites in downstream (south of KRB) were mainly derived from the results of field visits to the area by a group entitled "Agro-ecological plants and areas" in the early stages of the CPWF projects performed, which its results are presented in the followings.

The mentioned group categorized and presented their results of field visits to the entire basin in three categories: a) required data and information, b) quantitative determination of WP, and c) agricultural products in the basin [13, 14], which are presented only for case "a" in below2 .

### *2.2.2.2.1 Required data and information*

A-1-Hydrology includes inflows and outflows (including seasonal and nonseasonal streams and rivers, water withdrawals for irrigation and runoff) (if possible daily data), rainfall and its time distribution and location of rain gauge stations, groundwater aquifer and its characteristics, and water quality.

A-2- Climates include: temperature, humidity and wind (ideally hourly, daily desirable but at least monthly), the amount of radiation (if data is available), evaporation data from the pan or reference evapotranspiration (ET).

A- 3- Water, soil, and land include soil texture and type, soil depth and root limiting layer depth (if any), soil water holding capacity, drainage characteristics, groundwater depth, general soil fertility level, soil salinity and sodium content, land slope, and gravel and coarse rocks level (if the area is pasture).

A-4- Crops and other agronomic issues include: type of plant species (under cultivation including trees), rangeland and forest, cultivation calendar (planting and harvesting time, etc.), crop yield (including the number of crop residues obtained if used as fodder), plowing and tillage operations, if the land is pasture, type of rehabilitation activities performed, estimation of vegetation cover and weed cover to crop cover ratio and date (time) of data collection, inputs include fertilizers and pest and disease control (insects, diseases, and weeds), plant coefficient (if locally determined or approved).

A-5- Irrigation operations include: the amount of applied water, its frequency and duration, irrigation water application system (and application efficiencies, storage and transfer, if available), leveling of farms with surface irrigation system, source (sources) of irrigation water, a ratio of water used for leaching salts (leaching fraction), reuse of drainage and farm effluent, quality of irrigation water,

A- 6- Livestock status includes: livestock species, time of production or purchase of livestock, or sale (live or killed), livestock density and their mobility, livestock grazing operations, and production products, including meat, milk, wool, eggs, poultry, or livestock labor, type of feed, quantity, source and seasonal amount.

<sup>2</sup> The category "a: is more related to the objectives of this chapter. The elaborations on categories of "b" and

<sup>&</sup>quot;c" have already been presented in their specialized reports and it may be refer to the relevant references.

*Approaches to Improve Water Productivity and Livelihood Resilience in the Karkheh River… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108720*

A-7- Fishery and aquaculture include: species, water needs, products (including type and amount), its effects on water quality, the possibility of potential for artificial aquaculture and its expansion.

A- 8- Use of environmental water include: type, amount (in the presence of sound).

A-9- Economic-social and organizational-institutional issues including the level of land ownership and its type, and other information related to the upstream of the basin.

As discussed above, summarizing the criteria for selecting research sites downstream of the basin were [13, 14]: 1) Representation of soils in the region, 2) Appropriateness of water quality, 3) Having problematic soils, 4) Importance of agriculture in the region, 5) Low water and land productivity, 6) Access and existence of infrastructure, 7) Proximity to meteorological stations, existence of old and modern irrigation systems, 8) Existence of poverty in local communities, 9) Existence of diversity in agricultural systems, 10) Existence of associations and institutions (such as water users associations), 11) Existence of data and secondary information, 12) Cultivation of strategic irrigated agricultural products, 13) Existence of mechanized agriculture, 14) Location of the region within the borders of a province, 15) Access to water resources, 16) Existence of agricultural plots of different sizes (small, medium, large), 17) Existence of famous local communities, and 18- Proximity to a research center or station.



**Table 4** summarizes CPWF-KRB main projects (WP and LR).



### **Table 4.**

*A summary information on KRB main projects in the CPWF program.*
