left: Spiral water wheel on a river in

Spiral water pumps GBAO providing water to fields further

Tajikistan uphill (Photo: MSDSP Khorog)
right: Spiral water wheel being
Spiral water pumps can carry water from the river to fields transported to the site (Photo: MSDSP
that are up to 30 metres higher than the river without the Khorog)
input of electricity or fuel.
Location: GBAO
A Spiral tube water pump is a method of pumping water by using an undershot water Region: Roshtkalah, Ishkashim, Vanj,
wheel which has a scoop connected to a spiral tube. As the wheel turns, the scoop will Rushnan
alternatively introduce either water or air into the spiral tube. The pressure from the Technology area: 100 km2 - 1,000
hydrostatic head generated from the column of water introduced by the scoop, is added km2
to the pressure from previous scoops, and so as the wheel turns it will increase the Conservation measure: structural
water pressure with every turn of the spiral. The main characteristic of the spiral water
Stage of intervention: prevention of
pump is that it can pump water without the input of electricity or fuel. It works with the
power of the water flow. Once built, the spiral water pump is able to push water up to
land degradation
30 metres high (horizontal push) and up to 70 metres away (vertical push). The water Origin: Developed externally /
push (how far water will be pushed horizontally and vertically) depends on how big the introduced through project, recent
wheel of the Spiral Water Pump is built, and how much tube is put around the wheel. (<10 years ago)
The spiral tube water pumps were installed with the aim to provide irrigation water Land use type:
from rivers to higher level crop fields. Land users in GBAO are dependent on irrigation Cropland: Annual cropping
water to grow their crops and without the use of water pumps they can not access the Climate: arid, temperate
water from rivers that are at a lower level than the fields. WOCAT database reference:
The type, size and thus material costs of a spiral water pump will depend on 2 T_TAJ394en
parameters: first, the irrigation needs (how far the water needs to go and how much is
Related approach:
used per day) and second, the available water flow (the velocity and depth of the water
source). There is only an initial investment in material for the water wheel, after that
Compiled by: Mizrob Amirbekov, Aga
the pump should work without any further costs incurred. Khan Foundation
The spiral water pumps were installed in 4 different districts of the semi-arid to arid Date: 2011-05-13
GBAO region where the availability of irrigation water is crucial to crop production. So Contact person: Artur Khudonazarov,
far, 4 spiral water pumps have been installed for test runs but it is very likely that they Manager of the "Centre for Sustainable
will be adopted by other farmers as they observe the benefits created by the ones that and Innovative Technology", a project
are already in place. of MSDSP, e-mail:
artur.khudonazarov@yahoo.com,
mobile: +992 93 582 72 27

Classification
Land use problems:
- There has been less snow cover during winter time, and less precipitation in the spring, resulting in a lack of irrigation water,
and a decline of soil fertility. (expert's point of view)

Land use Climate Degradation Conservation measure

Annual cropping arid Soil erosion by water: loss of topsoil / surface Structural: Others ()
full irrigation erosion, Soil erosion by wind: loss of topsoil,
Chemical soil deterioration: fertility decline and
reduced organic matter content
Stage of intervention Origin Level of technical knowledge

Prevention Land users initiative Agricultural advisor

Mitigation / Reduction Experiments / Research Land user
Rehabilitation Externally introduced: recent (<10 years ago)

Main causes of land degradation:

Direct causes - Natural: change of seasonal rainfall, droughts
Main technical functions: Secondary technical functions:
- water harvesting / increase water supply
- water spreading

Environment
Natural Environment
Average annual rainfall Altitude (m a.s.l.) Landform Slope (%)
(mm)

> 4000 mm > 4000 plateau / plains flat

3000-4000 mm 3000-4000 ridges gentle
2000-3000 mm 2500-3000 mountain slopes moderate
1500-2000 mm 2000-2500 hill slopes rolling
1000-1500 mm 1500-2000 footslopes hilly
750-1000 mm 1000-1500 valley floors steep
500-750 mm 500-1000 very steep
250-500 mm 100-500
< 250 mm <100

Soil depth (cm) Growing season(s): 170 days Soil water storage capacity: medium
Soil texture: coarse / light (sandy) Ground water table: < 5 m
0-20 Soil fertility: low Availability of surface water: poor / none
20-50 Topsoil organic matter: low (<1%) Water quality: poor drinking water
50-80 Soil drainage/infiltration: medium Biodiversity: low
80-120
>120
Tolerant of climatic extremes: temperature increase, seasonal rainfall increase, heavy rainfall events (intensities and
amount), wind storms / dust storms, droughts / dry spells, decreasing length of growing period
Sensitive to climatic extremes: seasonal rainfall decrease, floods
If sensitive, what modifications were made / are possible: Of course the technology only works if there is a water flow
available, therefore a decrease in seasonal rainfall could negatively impact the performance of the spiral water pumps.

Human Environment
Cropland per Land user: groups / community, Small scale Importance of off-farm income: less than
household (ha) land users, common / average land users, 10% of all income:
mainly men Access to service and infrastructure: low:
<0.5 Population density: 10-50 persons/km2 employment (eg off-farm), roads & transport,
0.5-1 Annual population growth: 1% - 2% financial services; moderate: health, education,
1-2 Land ownership: state, individual, titled market, energy, drinking water and sanitation;
Land use rights: communal (organised) high: technical assistance
2-5
Market orientation: mixed (subsistence and
5-15 commercial)
15-50 Mechanization: animal traction
50-100 Livestock grazing on cropland:
100-500
500-1,000
1,000-10,000
>10,000
 Technical drawing

Spiral water pump: When the wheel rotates

with the power of the water, a gulp will add
water and air into the tube at every rotation.
The combination of water and air in the tube
will create an increasing pressure at every
rotation of the wheel. This build-up of pressure
will allow the water to be pushed to a definite
height. (MSDSP Khorog)

Implementation activities, inputs and costs

Establishment activities Establishment inputs and costs per unit
- Putting in polyethylene tube Inputs Costs (US$) % met by land
- Painting wheels white user
- Building a steel frame to fix two empty water tanks
that keep the water pump floating (if the water source Labour 45.00 100%
is a river, not a canal) Construction material
- Setting up the outer steel frame connected with axel,
outriggers, pedals - all materials together 651.00 100%
TOTAL 696.00 100.00%

Maintenance/recurrent activities Maintenance/recurrent inputs and costs per unit per year
- maintenance of pump Inputs Costs (US$) % met by land
user
Labour 10.00 100%
TOTAL 10.00 %

Remarks:
The material needed to build such a spiral waterpump is the most important factor determining the costs.
The costs apply to the construction of 1 spiral pump.

Assessment
Impacts of the Technology
Production and socio-economic benefits Production and socio-economic disadvantages

increased water availability / quality

increased irrigation water availability quality
Socio-cultural benefits Socio-cultural disadvantages

Ecological benefits Ecological disadvantages

improved harvesting / collection of water

Off-site benefits Off-site disadvantages

Contribution to human well-being / livelihoods

This has improved the amount of area that can be utilised for cultivation of several varieties of crops.
Benefits /costs according to land user

Benefits compared with costs short-term: long-term:

Establishment positive not specified
Maintenance / recurrent positive not specified

the spiral pumps were only installed in 2011, therefore long-term returns can not be assessed yet

Acceptance / adoption:
100% of land user families (4 families; 100% of area) have implemented the technology with external material support. It was
the Social Unit Development Village Organisations (SUDVO) who received the spiral water pumps from MSDSP
There is no trend towards (growing) spontaneous adoption of the technology. not yet determined, as the technology has been
installed only recently

Concluding statements
Strengths and how to sustain/improve Weaknesses and how to overcome
Spiral water pumps can provide water up to 30 m higher than Relatively high initial investment A micro-loan might help to
the river due to the system of compressed air in the spiral cover the initial investment
tubes
It may be expensive to replace some of the parts if they wear
Increase of irrigation water quantity out in a few years time. Buy replacement parts in advance.

The impact on crop production and thus increased farm income

can not yet be assessed as the pumps were only been installed
in 2011

The pumps provide water without the need for fuel or

electricity which is very useful for poor rural communities
Spreading this technology among rural areas in GBAO

Once established the pumps do not require any further

investments

The water pumps are easy to build using the manual provided
Provide an user friendly manual, listing the detailed steps of
construction including materials and prices

The land was not productive and now I have a good yield of
fruit Training on fruit tree cultivation.

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