The draft law "On Water Users Association" (WUA), the work on which lasted for almost two years and UAC was actively involved in its development, was presented at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy. This bill was prepared by a working group of the Ministry of Economy chaired by Taras Vysotskyi, with the participation of Deputy Minister of Ecology Mykhailo Khorev, Deputy Head of the State Water Agency Oleksiy Kuzmenkov, with the support of the “USAID Agricultural and Rural Development Program – AGRO”.

The bill provides for the creation of WUA for the maintenance and modernization of existing reclamation infrastructure and water supply to water users. To perform these tasks, it is envisaged to transfer network facilities that are in state or communal ownership or are ownerless to WUA. In particular, facilities such as control and storage basins, pipelines, etc. are transferred to WUA. Pumping stations are transferred to WUA for concession - temporary operation.

At the same time, WUA may not alienate, lease, manage, pledge property received free of charge, change the purpose of such property (except when obsolete or damaged objects or their individual components have been replaced with new ones). Such property may not be fined by a court decision, seized.

In the event of the liquidation of a WUA, her property is transferred to another WUA with her consent. In the absence of the consent of another WUA to receive the property, the property of the WUA, which is being liquidated, transferred to state ownership.

Adoption of the draft law on WUA is an opportunity to restore Ukraine's irrigation system. After all, of the approximately 2.1 million hectares of irrigated land that the state had at the beginning of independence, less than 500,000 hectares are currently irrigated. At the same time, the resumption of irrigation will significantly increase Ukraine's GDP, as it will increase yields by two or even three times.

Over the next week, committee members should review the text of the document and provide comments. After that, a decision will be made on the introduction and registration of the bill in parliament.

The problem of irrigation is especially acute today in the southern regions of Ukraine. We remind that because of unprecedented drought farmers of the southern areas of Odessa region lost from 70% to 90% of winter crops this year. UAC has repeatedly stressed the need for a national irrigation program.