No. 5 October 2002

MEETING OF HEAD OF CENTRAL-ASIAN STATES ON THE ARAL SEA BASIN

Head of Central-Asian states met on October 6, 2002 in Dushanbe to discuss Aral Sea basin problems.
Meeting agenda included following issues:

1. About main trends of the Program of concrete actions on improvement of environmental and socio-economical situation within the Aral Sea basin for period 2003-2004.
2. About provision of EC IFAS organizational activity.
3. About terms of IFAS President authorities.
4. Adoption of Dushanbe Declaration.

Presidents of Central-Asian states approved «Main trends of the Program of concrete actions on improvement of environmental and socio-economical situation within the Aral Sea basin for period 2003-2010».

EC IFAS jointly with ICWC and ICID in coordination with governments of the state-founders was charged by March 1, 2003 to develop and submit for approval of IFAS Board «Program of concrete actions …(ASBP-2) and find potential donors for financing this program. Governments of the state-founders, EC IFAS, ICWC, and ICID are also charged to promote completion of initiated works under GEF Project “Water resources and Environment Management”.

Central-Asian Head of the states count necessary to provide further EC IFAS activity by centralizing portion of the fees of state-founders. Governments of state-IFAS founders were entrusted to coordinate and adopt decision about providing organizational-financial EC IFAS activity.

As parties have agreed, new term of IFAS President’s authorities – 3 years.
CAR Head of the states set range of important questions on the meeting on October 6, 2002.
President of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev proposed following:

• proceed work under GEF project “Water Resources and Environment Management in the Aral Sea Basin”
• supplement priorities for IFAS activity trends by following aspects:

- development of regional and national programs of water conservation and reduction of water discharge in economical sectors;
- development of international program of sanitary-ecological rehabilitation of Priaralie settlements and natural ecosystems;
- development of international program of rehabilitating environmental sustainability and biological productivity of valuable natural ecosystems within the Aral basin included in list of international protection projects.

• create specific UN Commission on the Aral Sea basin, which would be responsible for Aral problem solutions and involvement of means from developed countries and major financial organizations;
• create international administration on Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers;
• approve intergovernmental agreements “About strengthening of organizational framework of management, conservation, and development of transboundary water resources within the Aral Sea basin” and “About formulation and functioning of national, basin, and regional databases for transboundary water resources complex use and conservation within the Aral Sea basin”;
• centralize portion of means minimally required for regional structures maintenance (in spite of availability or absence of rotation) as well as carrying out of common regional measures, which are traditionally of low cost.
• work out final issue decision about permanent EC IFAS dislocation, as periodical transfer of it’s office requires significant means;
• develop fundamental document on implementation of integrated international policy of rehabilitation and sustainable development of Aral water resources – International Convention on sustainable development of the Aral Sea basin

Proposals of President of Kyrgyzstan A.A. Akayev are as follows:

• maintain Small Sea and regulate water release in Big Sea, also maintain reservoir in west part of Big Sea at elevation 31-32 m; restore reservoirs in some former bays in the Sea south and also in the Amudarya delta;
• use water effectively – within limits of rational sufficiency;
• take into account that in relation with peaceful life renewal in Afghanistan water demand will increase;
• states should take rational decision and correct structural policy of developing economical sectors, in the first turn, agricultural sectors, to stabilize ecological crisis in the Aral Sea basin;
• establish protection of flow formation zones for rivers or glaciers, which sizes reduce because of sand transportation and global climate warming;

President of Uzbekistan I.A. Karimov addressed to following problems:

• water scarcity in region is caused not only by limited water resources, but also by wasting water and absence of specific water saving measures;
• it is necessary to take decision about providing all sates with hydrometorological information and data exchange system of monitoring in all regions through national hydrometeorological services to ensure qualitative and reliable forecast of seasonal changes occurring in water formation sources in mountain conditions. This would allow prevention of potential effects of such natural disasters as floods, mudflow, landslides etc.;
• ICWC should be granted special status with prior authorities on water resources;
• IFAS transformation to UN structure should be initiated;

President of Tajikistan E.Sh. Rakhmonov addressed following issues:

• development of new program of actions planned up to 2010;
• development of dam security program;
• organization of joint environment monitoring;
• creation of strong legal base for providing effective water use;
• change of EC IFAS financing scheme.

In conclusion E.Sh. Rachmonov proposed “to conduct international forum on fresh water in Dushanbe next year, in September.

It has to demonstrate our determination to achieve improvement of environmental situation in region”.

DUSHANBE DECLARATION

Central-Asian states together with international organizations pay serious attention and make certain efforts to overcome ecological and socio-economical crisis in the Aral Sea basin and improve situation in region.

Central-Asian state presidents – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – expressing concern about ecological crisis increase in the Aral basin,

intending for fulfillment of adopted decisions on joint realization of Program of concrete actions on the Aral Sea basin and development of concept on sustainable development of the Aral basin countries,

confirming decisions, made before, on complex use and conservation of Aral Sea water resources with regarding interests of all region countries as well as observance of good neighborhood and mutual respect principles,

noting that regional institutional bodies have substantial capacity for initiating solution of international problems on protection and effective use of natural resources and, finally, mitigating Aral crisis,

taking into account Resolution of UN Assembly General ?55/196 about proclaiming 2003rd year as International Year of Fresh Water and stating that this year corresponds to 10-anniversary of International Fund for Aral Sea Saving formation,
expressing steady aspiration together and by joint forces to overcome crisis impact and provide ecological stability in region;

given that recent years natural disasters frequented,

based on responsibility for future generations, counting that for cardinal change of global crisis situation, additional measures are required for improving ecological situation in the Aral Sea basin and solution of problems accompanying this crisis,

state that:

define as main direction in solution of problems related Aral Sea crisis rehabilitation of socio-ecological situation in region to create normal living conditions for population of the basin;

consider as prior measures on improving socio-ecological conditions provision of Aral basin population with clean potable water;

conduct International forum on problems of clean water and effective water use in Dushanbe in September 2003 with direct involvement of region countries in it’s preparation;

reinforce EC IFAS role of coordinating donor activity and attracting means to implementation of projects and programs within the Aral Sea basin as well as Interstate Coordination Water Commission on management and regulation of transboundary water resources;

consider critical UNDP comments regarding EC IFAS activity as fair and deserving careful account in its practical activity;

consider issue of founding permanent EC IFAS location in one of the cities of state-IFAS founders and bring coordinated decision in next meeting of Head of the state-IFAS founders;

organize implementation of set of measures devoted to 10-anniversary of IFAS formation with involvement of all region countries and international organizations with demonstration of plans, programs, and scientific and technical achievements on effective natural resources use as well as improvement of region population social life;

speed up development of practical measures on increasing volumes of collector-drainage water;

support countries suffering from natural disasters’ effects;

create necessary conditions for international organizations and institutes in their activity on involving means for implementation of projects and programs within the Aral Sea basin;

underline necessity of creating special UN Commission, responsible for activity coordination of international organizations and country-donors on Aral Sea problems solution;

improve monitoring system and information exchange among countries on state of water and other natural resources to make proper and timely decision on their rational use apply results obtained during process of developing water-power management projects to cooperate effectively and for mutual benefit.

Dushanbe, October 6, 2002