The Ukrainian Agri Council and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development continue to promote the implementation of land reclamation reform and the establishment of water user organizations within the framework of the international technical assistance project “Ukraine: Support to the Development of Water User Organizations”.

The goal of the project is to support the Ministry of Agrarian Policy in implementing the Irrigation and Drainage Strategy in Ukraine, assessing opportunities for investment in reclamation infrastructure, and finding opportunities to establish and support water user organizations.

As part of the project, the UAC and the EBRD supported the establishment of the Hradyzka Water Users Organization in Poltava region and the Dmytrivska Water Users Organization in Cherkasy region, in particular in terms of financing the work on the inventory of the reclamation network, as well as other legal clarifications necessary for the establishment and effective functioning of the WUO.

In the process of analyzing the operational capacity of the WUOs, it was determined that the lack of ownership of the reclamation network is the main obstacle to the implementation of urgent investments in the reconstruction of the network.

That is why we would like to emphasize the need for further implementation of the reform, as well as strict compliance with the requirements of Law 2079-IX “On Water Users' Organizations and Stimulation of Land Reclamation” and transfer of state reclamation property to the established water users' organizations.

The transfer of reclamation systems to the management of water user organizations will facilitate the introduction of energy-saving technologies, increase the irrigation/drainage area and reduce the cost of irrigation and drainage, and ensure timely water supply during the growing season. This, in turn, will lead to an increase in crop yields and agricultural efficiency on reclaimed land.