10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF KAZAKHSTAN-RUSSIAN COMMISSION ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATER
OBJECTS SHARING AND CONSERVATION
Kazakhstan-Russian Commission on transboundary water objects sharing and conservation
conducted the 11th session headed by Chairman of Committee on Water Resources
of Kazakhstan A.D. Ryabtsev and First Deputy minister of natural resources of
Russia N.M. Tarasov on 3-4 of October in Petropavlovsk (Kazakhstan). Given session
summarized Commission 10-year anniversary.
Effective activity of this Commission during 10 years proved strategic correctness
of the step made in 1992. For work period of the Commission and its working
groups on the meetings transboundary rivers management policy has been developed
– Ural, Ishim, Tobol, Irtysh, Bolshoy and Maliy Uzen’, set of important
environmental issues has been considered.
Commission successful work allowed to strengthen and develop interstate relations
in the field of water management as well to create new in quality juridical
and economical basis for bilateral relationship in transboundary water objects
sharing use.
Our congratulations to jubilees and wishes of prosperity and future successes
in their hard work.
ABOUT VISIT OF COPERNICUS PROGRAM DIRECTOR
European Union Copernicus program Director Mr. M. Genovese visited Tashkent
on 7-12 of October. One of visit goals – introduction with work fulfillment
on project “Crop irrigation management to fight with desertification induced
irrigation in the Aral Sea basin (CIRMAN-ARAL)”, executed jointly with
experts from SIC ICWC and Lisbon Technical University. Mr. M. Genovese has heard
reports of executors on working project packages: No 1 - «Base of knowledge»;
No 2 - «Information System/GIS»; No 3 - «Crop water requirements
and irrigation schedule development»; No 4 - «Irrigation systems
and technique»; No 5 - «Drainage and salinity control»; No
6 - «Decision Support System (DSS)».
Mr. Genovese also visited ICWC Training Center, where gave presentation of EU
new «The Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006)», which will be initiated
in November 2002 (details on web-site www.cordis.lu), and carefully and comprehensively
highlighted all aspects of Central-Asian scientists’ participation in
this program.
FAO/ICWC/UZBALYK JOINT MISSION
FAO Expert Consultation meeting on irrigation systems se for sustainable fish
keeping was held on 25-29 of September 2002 in Almaty. Here SIC ICWC was recommended
as coordinator of activity on fishery management at irrigation reservoirs. ICWC
Training center was assigned coordinator of such regional projects’ implementation
as project of irrigation reservoir use for fish keeping in Central Asia.
To implement expert consultation recommendations FAO/ICWC/Uzbaluk joint mission
visited irrigation systems of Samarkand, Syrdarya, and Tashkent oblasts of Uzbekistan
on October 10-15, 2002 in purpose of increasing water organizations’ knowledge
about benefits and requirements to fish keeping on irrigation systems. Mission
staff: P. Umarov (SIC ICWC), B. Kamilov (Uzbalyk), G. Marmulla (FAO).
Mission concluded that fish keeping on irrigation systems can be increased.
Following is recommended:
By the end of 2003 special FAO/ICWC workshop on increasing fish keeping on irrigation
systems of Central Asia will be held in ICWC Training Center in Tashkent. It
is expected that 20 experts from water and fish keeping organizations of five
countries will take part in this workshop.
Joint FAO/ICWC mission will visit all Central-Asian countries to inform about
fish keeping importance on irrigation systems and select experts for participation
in workshop.
SIC ICWC will direct request to FAO Technical Assistance Program for Training
center equipping with demonstration module on aquaculture.
Uzbekistan will receive from this program recommendations for water sector how
to increase fish keeping on irrigation systems by growing small aquaculture
and fish as well as modern equipment and fishing technology.
Under this project two small-scale demonstration pilot projects on fish keeping
– in warm ponds and cold ponds – will be organized. Both farms will
be equipped properly for young fish keeping to fill ponds and canals with fish.
Within this project framework demonstration fish subdivisions should be created
on different ponds of irrigation system.
Assessment of private fish farms’ economical aspects will be carried out
in Uzbekistan.
SECOND MEETING OF REGIONAL TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF CENTRAL ASIA AND
CAUCASUS COUNTRIES
The Second meeting of regional technical advisory committee of Central Asia
and Caucasus countries was held on 17-18 of October in ICWC Training Center.
After greetings report of Prof. V.A. Dukhovny about project of regional water
partnership concept. In result of discussion it was decided to revise submitted
draft document and present it for discussion of RTAC members in November of
current year in Almaty.
Attending RTAC members approved information about projects and programs in water
resources sphere, which provides definition of framework and activity kinds
of partnership. United inventory will be completed with materials of Dushanbe
meeting of Head of Central-Asian states on Aral Sea basin problems as well as
materials on Caucasian sub-region and will be presented on Almaty RTAC meeting
in November.
As for RTAC work plan report of V. Sokolovand proposals of REC CA (B.Esekin)
have been heard. In discussion result it was decided that draft work plan coincides
with partnership ideology not completely, therefore the document should be revised.
RTAC members agreed that work plan should include following activity aspects:
infromation exchange, training and capacity strengthening, participation, promotion.
Revised draft plan will be presented on Almaty RTAC meeting in November.
Meeting participants reached consensus about that RTAC authority and all adopted
decisions should have power for so called “temporary period” –
to next regional conference of all concerned water partnership parties (2003),
which should have approved or reconsidered accepted decisions as well as affirm
RTAC and its Secretariat status.
Henric Larsen presented preliminary agenda of measures on 15-19 of November
in Almaty. They will be: two-day closed meeting of GWP Technical Committee (November
16-17), joint meeting of TC and managers of all regional GWP RTAC (November
15), joint meeting of TC and RTAC f Central Asia and Caucasus (November 18),
and special meeting on European Initiative (November 19). Also half a day on
November 19 will be given to RTAC CA and C meeting.
Having considered draft provision about RTAC, its members concluded that document
requires radical revision. Draft provision, which should include following sections:
- Main provisions
- Partnership objectives and tasks
- RTAC activity object
- Mandate and terms for members of RTAC, Chairman, and Secretariat
- Formation and rotation procedures
- Quorum, decision-making procedures
- Financing and reporting order
- Organizational structure and interaction with GWP bodies
- Conflicts resolution
RTAC members took decision about that RTAC Secretariat should have in staff
three workers – program manager, administrator/book-keeper, and manager
on relations. RTAC members agreed that recipient Secretariat organization for
“temporary period” will be regional IWMI office in Tashkent.
RTAC members elected by voting V. Sokolov as RTAC Chairman for “temporary
period”. Ms. Nato Kirvalidze was elected Co-chairman in absentia.
RTAC members agreed about necessity by November RTAC meeting in Almaty to
present proposals about content and format of report on behalf of regional water
partnership on WWF-3 in Japan.
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