Agroforestry Systems – Impulses for Discussion Niels Thevs ICRAF Central Asia Office, Bishkek Central Asia Workshop Kunming, Jan , 2015

Central Asia: Region between Caspi, Mongolia, Himalaya, and Sibiria

Central Asia: Region with the world‘s most endorheic river basins Tarim Basin Ili-Balkhash Basin Aral Sea Basin Chu Basin

IPCC AR5, Asia Chapter, 2014 Central Asia: Snowy and rainy mountains – arid lowlands Caspi Russia China

River basins: headwaters in the mountains – losing streams downstream

Major landscape and land use issues in Central Asia (example Tarim Basin) Patrick Keilholz, TU Munich,

Major landscape and land use issues in Central Asia Patrick Keilholz, TU Munich, Mountains: Over-grazing Logging for timber and fuel wood -> soil erosion -> reduced water holding capacityof the landscape -> imbalanced age structure of forests (few young trees) -> loss of biodiversity -> forgone income opportunities

Major landscape and land use issues in Central Asia Patrick Keilholz, TU Munich, Intensive agriculture Depends completely on irrigation Increasing area High amount of water abstraction and water consumption Area under cotton, Tarim Basin (blue line) [million ha] Production of cotton (blue) and wheat (purple) in Turkmenistan [1000 t]]

Major landscape and land use issues in Central Asia Patrick Keilholz, TU Munich, Water shortage further downstream: Classical upstream – downstream conflict Competition for water

Major landscape and land use issues in Central Asia Patrick Keilholz, TU Munich, Water shortage further downstream: Classical upstream – downstream conflict Competition for water

Major landscape and land use issues in Central Asia Patrick Keilholz, TU Munich, Degradation of natural ecosystems

Major landscape and land use issues in Central Asia Patrick Keilholz, TU Munich, Soil degradation – Soil salinization

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Woodlands for non-timber products Silvopasture Tree rows/belts as windbreaks Fruit tree based agroforestry Alley cropping Riparian forestsr as buffers Kitchen gardens On-farm / community small woodlands Djanibekov, U; Dzhakypbekova, K; Weyerhaeuser, H; Zomer, R; Villamor, G.; Xu, J Agroforestry for landscape restoration and livelihood development in Central Asia. ICRAF Working Paper 186. Kunming, China. World Agroforestry Centre East and Central Asia. 41 pp.

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Woodlands for non-timber products Silvopasture Tree rows/belts as windbreaks Fruit tree based agroforestry Alley cropping Riparian forestsr as buffers Kitchen gardens On-farm / community small woodlands Traditional and current land use system of Uyghur and Uzbek in river oases: Fruit trees with wheat and vegetables. Hongzao has been propagated in some oases in the Tarim Basin -> great economic success Improves local climate: cooling, dust prevention Reduces risk of soil salinization (perennial vegetation cover)

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Woodlands for non-timber products Silvopasture Tree rows/belts as windbreaks Fruit tree based agroforestry Alley cropping Riparian forestsr as buffers Kitchen gardens On-farm / community small woodlands Use of Walnut, Pistacio, Fruit trees/forests in the mountains Prevents soil erosion. Regulates water runoff. These forests are used (e.g. Walnut forests in S- KGZ, Pistacio in UZB and TDZ). Ongoing project in KGZ with FAO.

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Woodlands for non-timber products Silvopasture Tree rows/belts as windbreaks Fruit tree based agroforestry Alley cropping Riparian forestsr as buffers Kitchen gardens On-farm / community small woodlands Shelterbelts exist all over Central Asia Example: Kökyar Project near Aksu, Xinjiang Demand in UZB Improves local climate: cooling, dust prevention Reduces risk of soil salinization (perennial vegetation cover), may reduce water consumption

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Woodlands for non-timber products Silvopasture Tree rows/belts as windbreaks Fruit tree based agroforestry Alley cropping Riparian forestsr as buffers Kitchen gardens On-farm / community small woodlands Silvopasture: All over mountains in Central Asia Picea schrenkiana forests Walnut forests Pistacio forests Tugai forests Saxaul woodlands

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Woodlands for non-timber products Silvopasture Tree rows/belts as windbreaks Fruit tree based agroforestry Alley cropping Riparian forestsr as buffers Kitchen gardens On-farm / community small woodlands Kitchen gardens: Widely distributed in Central Asia Serve as income basis for households Improve nutrition basis for people Households can decide flexibly on their gardens in all countries.

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Silvopasture – mountains Frequent over grazing: -> soil erosion -> reduced water holding capacityof the landscape -> imbalanced age structure of forests (few young trees) -> loss of biodiversity -> forgone income opportunities

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Silvopasture – Tugai Frequent over grazing: -> imbalanced age structure of forests (few young trees) -> loss of biodiversity -> forgone income opportunities

Agroforestry practises in use in Central Asia Silvopasture – Saxaul Frequent over grazing: -> soil erosion (wind erosion) -> over-aged woodlands -> loss of biodiversity -> forgone income opportunities from Saxaul

Rehabilitate and use saline land

Thevs N, Zerbe S, Peper J, Succow M (2008): Vegetation and vegetation dynamics in the Tarim River floodplain of continental-arid Xinjiang, NW China. Phytocoenologia 38:

Rehabilitate and use saline land Trees ---> Trees and perennial plants Alhagi sparsifolia: Fodder Medicinal applications Glycyrrhiza spec.: Fodder Medicinal applications Apocynum spec.: Fodder Medicinal applications Textileplant Research gaps: Cultivation techniques Productprocessing Potential economic performance Water consumption

Tugai forest, Iminqäk Thank you for your attention