No. 4 September 2002

COLLABORATION IN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES USE IN CENTRAL ASIA: EXPERIENCE OF THE PAST AND FUTURE PROBLEMS

Regional advisory seminar organized by Asian Development Bank (ADB) together with ICWC was held under such theme on 26-28 of September 2002 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Having addressed and discussed agenda issues, seminar participants noted necessity of:

• improving interaction and collaboration between stakeholders and donors as well as between donors working in this region;
• promoting higher contribution of the countries in donor programs;
• availability of more transparent program and involved monitoring and donor programs assessment system.

Seminar participants approved plan of Aral region states’ participation in the 3rd World Water Forum and developed recommendations.

Representatives of all CAR and NGO defined three prior subjects:

I. Potential strengthening for water resources management in the Aral Sea basin, especially for Amudarya River basin

A. Measures on developing and disseminating integrated water resources management:

Following measures are proposed for improving regional water management in the Aral Sea basin:

• Develop and disseminate integrated approach to problems solution in water resources management and environment within basin, basically, at national level, giving priority to pilot projects in Amudarya and Syrdarya downstream;
• To reinforce legal base of water relations’ regulation among Central-Asian states including development of long-term agreements on issues of water-power resources use, which cover Amudarya and Ayrdarya basins;
• Develop and disseminate transparent information systems of management, assessment, forecasting, use and conservation of water resources along with development of communication systems at all levels of water hierarchy (BWO, water organizations, and water users) to improve decision-making process;
• Taking into account that riparian states recognize Aral Sea and its coastal zone as independent water user, to outline set of measures within basin in coordination with national and regional water strategies, providing water supply to the Aral Sea and its coastal zone in agreed volumes;
• Reconsider and expand authorities of regional and national water organizations to strengthen their role in implementation of integrated approach to basin management; introduce activity on giving international status to regional organizations (BWO, SIC ICWC, UDC);
• To strengthen financial, technical, and personnel provision of BWO “Amudarya” BWO «Syrdarya», and UDC “Energiya” to make their participation in water management more effective;
• Provide access to drinking water of high quality;
• Elaborate and introduce project «Regional water partnership in Central Asia» with account for social, economical, and environmental significance of water and involvement of representatives of all stakeholders including NGO.

B. Realization of proper specific measures on improvement of Amudarya basin management

Recent years Amudarya basin riparian states suffered from water scarcity impact in result of draught and poor water flow regulation. In order to mitigate negative impact of these problems it is required to undertake following measures:

• Organize monitoring system of water quality and quantity;
• Improve network of hydrometeorological services to forecast flow and other basin parameters;
• Develop and introduce automated flow regulation and control system SCADA within basin;
• Implement mutual acceptable measures on return flow regulation in middle and lower basin reaches.

II. Strengthening of water resources management in flow formation zones within Aral Sea basin

Development of cooperation among Central-Asian countries should be directed on solution of water and land resources management problems emerging in the countries located within flow formation zones:

1. Consider problems related to willingness to expand irrigated agriculture as measures on preventing economical decrease and increasing food security level in flow formation zone countries;
2. Develop and introduce measures in basin scale related to land and water resources management problems in flow formation zones (soil erosion, deforestation, hillside pastures degradation, and mudflow/landslide);
3. Within Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers flow formation zones compensations of the costs for such services as operation, maintenance, and reconstruction of water-power objects of interstate importance, measures associated with water resources monitoring, prevention from their exhaustion, and elimination of harmful effects should be decided through long-term interstate agreements.
4. Organize joint monitoring of natural objects (lakes, landslides), which can lead to transboundary natural disasters.

III. Introduction of policy, methods, and tools intended for increasing water use efficiency in the Aral Sea basin into practice

Aral Sea basin water resources are limited and, therefore water conservation is decisive factor for satisfying long-term demand for water. Water availability improvement by reducing technical losses would require long-term and large-scale investments, however simultaneously it should be directed on minimizing organizational losses during process of water supply and water allocation as well as broad implementation of water conservation measures. Prior reforms in sphere of policy and practice should assume necessity of implementing the following:

• Development and dissemination of economical and juridical instruments promoting effective water use;
• Creation of consulting services and demonstration plots, which are basic instrument of water users associations, water organizations, and water users facilitating water saving and implementation of water conservation measures;
• Introduction of water use monitoring and account under broad public participation;
• Support of introducing new available technologies directed on reduction of water use objects and water contamination;
• Carrying out of campaign on strengthening of public privity intended for educating population and increasing proper water use culture;
• IWRM introduction support under participation of all stakeholders including governmental and non-governmental organizations with paying special attention to integration policy and organizational reforms in agricultural and water sectors.

SEMINAR «AQUAINTANCE WITH PROJECT OF THE ARAL SEA BASIN MANAGEMENT MODELS COMPLEX»

Water organizations’ experts, representatives of power and planning ministries and departments of Central-Asian republics took part in seminar, which was held on September 23-24, 2002 in Tashkent.

During seminar general structure, opportunities, objectives, and function of Aral Sea basin management models complex (ASB-MM) consisting of hydrological model, social-economical model, planning zone model, and Aral Sea model were presented to the participants. Each model abilities and order of carrying out inter-model relations were highlighted in details. Results of models use for optimistic scenario and scenarios based on national visions/strategies of perspective development of each Aral Sea basin state. Besides, database structure and content used for calculations on given models were presented.

During seminar recommendations on improving set of models were developed:

• Set of Aral Sea basin management models can and must serve as decision support tool in issues of defining potential perspective economical and social development with account for use of available water resources and meeting environmental requirements of Aral Sea and its coastal zone as separate states so Central-Asian region in whole.
• Designers should take into account range of comments on opportunities of ASB-MM application on different computer systems and accuracy of input data used under calculations.
• Participants expressed wish to take part in standardization and verification of information on database and in further be involved in using models regarding climate changes.