National Branches of SIC ICWC in CAR

Kazakh Branch

Kazakh Branch (KB) was founded at the end of 1996 by the Agreement with the State Committee for Water Resources of Kazakhstan.

Professor N.K. Kipshakbayev, ICWC Honorary Member, one of its initiators, Honored Hydraulic Engineer of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has been working in the capacity of SIC ICWC Kazakh Branch Director since its foundation.

The staff of the Kazakh Branch makes its contribution to strengthening interstate cooperation in transboundary water sources management as well as to developing strategies and programs for improving the situation in regard to water resources allocation, multiple use and protection; participates in developing and implementing measures for socio-economic and environmental situation improvement in the Aral Sea basin, developing and steadily supporting databases and information networks; helps to involve all the concerned persons and organizations in solving water problems; disseminates foremost national and world experience; carries out analyses and coordination of water projects being implemented in the republic.

The activities of the Kazakh Branch office were implemented in the following directions:

At national level:

• Executing the ‘Priority problems of river basins in the Republic of Kazakhstan’ project, funded by the World Bank with the participation of Austrian company “Porsche and partners”;
• Participating in developing and adopting Water Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan of 2003;
• Developing a national report on human development for 2003 - “Water as a main factor of human development in Kazakhstan” under the UNDP
• Analyzing and developing recommendations for the World Bank ‘Regulation of the Syrdarya channel and North Aral Sea’ Project
• Actively participating in preparation and edition of Water economy of Kazakhstan, first scientific magazine in Kazakhstan;
• Participating at consultative level in activities of the Committee for Water Resources;
• Creating and updating databases on water and land resources of the republic;
• Participating in formation and activities of Kazak Water Partnership;
• Developing sample programs for water specialists training;
• Participating in parliamentary and governmental discussions of the issues, related to further development of water sector;
• Providing consultation services to water organizations on improving water resources use and the sector’s organizational framework.

At regional and international levels:

• Participating in developing a “Program of specific actions for improving environmental and socio-economic situation in the Aral Sea basin for the period 2003-2010” (ASBP-2);
• Participating and presenting a report at the Dushanbe International Forum “Fresh Water”;
• Preparing and confirming provision on Kazakh-Chinese Joint Commission for Transboundary Rivers Use and protection (Irtysh, Ili and others);
• Participating in activities of the Kazakh-Russian Commission for Joint Transboundary Water Objects Use and Protection in regard to Volga, Ural, Tobol, Ishim and Irtysh river basins;
• Participating in activities of International Global Water Partnership Stakeholders Conference for South Caucasus and Central Asia in Tbilisi;
• Participating in INTAS – 1059 ‘Assessment of Socio-Economic and Environmental Situation in North Priaralie’ Project;
• Participating in formation and activities of Training Center of Central Asian countries in Tashkent;
• Organizing and participating in activities of annual international exhibitions and scientific-practical conferences in Almaty (since 2000);
• Organizing and holding meetings of GWP RTC in Almaty;
• Participating in the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan;
• Cooperation in transboundary water objects in the CIS – national vision, conference in Moscow;
• Participating in the Kiev Pan-European Conference “Environment for Europe”.

The personnel of SIC ICWC KB regularly raise their professional skill level, participating in seminars and trainings, in particular on GIS-technologies and remote sensing, World Bank procurement procedures (2003), carry out continual observations over situation in the downstream reaches of the Syrdarya river and Aral Sea with on-site review, organize meeting with foreign specialists, who come to Kazakhstan because of water problems, accompanying and accommodating them, maintain continuous contact and information exchange with all the concerned persons and organizations, including non-governmental ones.

The office is equipped with computer and office equipment, GIS-equipment, modern software, necessary reference literature. However, there is a variety of factors, restraining the efficiency of the office activities, in particular, lack of direct financing, uncertain legal status, weak resource base, lack of permanent office accommodations, transport.

Solving these issues will allow to sharply increase scientific and technological potential of the branch (owing to attracting skilled workers and updating the software and hardware) and liven up the work in all activity lines.

Tajik Branch

Tajik Branch was set up in 1996 in Dushanbe.

The purpose of creating the branch office is to coordinate national programs and strategies for water resources management with regional strategy and programs, and organize information exchange between Central Asian states.

Tajik Branch is responsible for:

• preparing draft solutions for further development of water sector and improvement of water management and use as well as improvement of environmental situation in the Republic of Tajikistan;
• participating in the development of cooperative relations in regard to introducing water-saving technologies, advanced irrigation, water accounting and measurement techniques and other measures, ensuring irrigation systems and water use improvement;
• preparing editions and providing water organizations of the republic with information on scientific and technological advances and foremost experience of Central Asian states and the world.

Its staff consists of 6 employees: director, deputy director, chief engineers, and chief accountant. The personnel include Doctor of Engineering Science, Ph.D. of geographic sciences, Ph.D. of physical and mathematical sciences, and also leading engineers with considerable length of service at water organizations oriented to construction and operation.

The Tajik Branch is financed by the national budget.

The employees of the branch were coordinators and executives in the following international and national projects:

• 'Strategy of water resources management in Central Asia', phase 1, with the support of the World Bank;
• Nature Conservation Policy and Technology Project with the financial support of USAID;
• WARMAP Project's subprojects:
  • а) WUFMAS ‘Water Management on Main Canals and Agricultural Production Monitoring;
  • b) WARMIS ‘Creation of Regional Database on Water Resources Management in Central Asia;
• ‘Irrigation and Drainage Network rehabilitation on the farms in Shakhrinav, Kolkhozabad and Yavan rayons’ Project, Center for agricultural support at the Tajik Government with financing by the World Bank;
• ‘Pure water and sanitation of Tajikistan’ Project with the financial support of the Tajik branch of EC IFAS;
• SPECA ‘Regional Strategy for Water Resources Management in Central Asia’ Project.