No. 10 December 2002

DONORS’ MEETING ON ARAL SEA BASIN PROBLEMS

Donors’ meeting on Aral Sea basin problems was held on December 3-4, 2002 in Dushanbe.

In the meeting representatives of international, interstate and non-governmental organizations as well as organizations from EC IFAS, country-IFAS founders, and from regional projects participated.

Objective of the donors’ meeting was:

(a) give analysis of general state of Aral Sea Basin Program (ASBP) implementation since its formal initiation (June 1994);

(b) carry out assessment of new regional and national priorities in the Aral Sea basin;

(c) reconsider opportunity of ASBP revision for recent several years.

Meeting details were published in «IFAS Bulletin» No. 16 (68), December 2002.

WORKSHOP UNDER PROJECT «DIALOGUE ON WATER AND CLIMATE: ARAL SEA BASIN CASE STUDY»

In the regional workshop, held within the framework of the project on December 4-6, 2002 in the ICWC Training Center, the specialists of water organizations, the representatives of power, hydrometeorological and planning ministries and agencies of Central Asian states participated.

In the part of the workshop, dedicated to the impact of climatic changes in the Aral Sea basin, the participants presented the reports, demonstrating:

1. The results of the analysis of climate change impact on available water resources in Aral Sea basin (Uzhydrometeoservice).
2. The means of reducing the requirements for water and improving water productivity on the example of several regional projects results (SANIIRI).
3. The means of reducing common requirements for water resources and providing sustainable development of the region on the basis of collaboration in water management, cooperation in food production and so on in terms of climate change impact (SIC ICWC).

The workshop participants welcomed the presentations and reports, which included the assessment of potential climatic changes and a set of measures to be taken because of possible climatic changes.

It was noted that water saving possibility much more exceeds those changes, which can happen in the coming 20 years as a result of climate change impact on water availability and water use. It was especially remarked that the expected climate change can mainly favor agroclimatic conditions improvement, if the appropriate technologies are put into action and favorable conditions are provided for the activity of farmers.

The workshop participants consider the below measures expedient in view of ensuring further survival in the context of increasing deficit:

• Intensifying the cooperation of the region’s countries in pursuing single water saving and nature conservation policy;
• Creating an appropriate juridical and financial mechanism of strict and effective water use and allocation;
• Developing public opinion and education in the field of struggle against “hydroegoism”;
• Working out and implementing a series of activities on integrated water resources management;
• Increasing the precision of long-term climatic and hydrological indicators forecasts.

In the second part of the workshop, the participants actively discussed the made reports and were shown the project of the Aral Sea Basin Management Model (ASB-MM) complex.

At the workshop the participants were presented general structure, capabilities, objectives and designation of models complex, consisting of Hydrological Model, Socio-Economic Model, Planing Zone Model and the Aral Sea Basin Model.

The capabilities of each model and the order of implementing inter-model relations were elucidated in detail. The results of using the models for the optimistic scenario and the scenarios, based on national visions/strategies of prospective development of each state in the Aral Sea basin were demonstrated.

At the same time the workshop participants were given the opportunity to independently practice ASB-MM and its components - Socio-Economic, Hydrological and Planning Zone Models.

All the participants noted that the last version of ASB-MM, disseminated on CD, was easy to understand and to assimilate, and allowed planning bodies to properly direct Decision-Makers.

For more information about project please visit our web site: www.dialogue.icwc-aral.uz

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP «DIALOGUE ON WATER AND CLIMATE»

International Workshop aimed to preparation of general report “Dialogue on water and climate” on base of discussions conducted on specific “Dialogues…” in different countries for 3rd World Water Forum was held on 17-18 of December 2002 in Dakka, Bangladesh. Workshop organizer became Bangladesh Institute of Administration and Management.

On December 17 after official opening and acquaintance with workshop program and objectives participants were divided into 5 thematic groups:

1. Asia (this group includes Aral Sea basin, which was presented by M.T. Ruziyev (SIC ICWC));
2. Africa;
3. America;
4. Europe, Oceania and small islands;
5. Global issues.

On the workshop discussion on all national “Dialogues…” were conducted and results of fulfulled researches were generalized.

MEETING DEVOTED TO 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF RAKHMATULLA ALIMOVICH ALIMOV

Pompous meeting devoted to 100-year anniversary of well-earned figure in science and techniques, irrigator of Uzbekistan, laureate of State Bonus named by Abu Rajkhon Beruni, academician of AS Ruz Rakhmatulla Alimovich Alimov, was held on December 13, 2002 in SANIIRI named by V.D. Zhurin.

R.A. Alimov had left enormous heritage in water management, science, was the first Uzbek certified engineer-hydrotechnician, who had gave his knowledge and talent in favor of his people prosperity.

ICWC TRAINING CENTER SEMINAR «INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT» ON EXAMPLE OF PROJECT «IWRM-FERGANA»

Seminar on program “Integrated water resources management” was held on 24-26 of December in ICWC Training Center.

Training participants were representatives from oblast administrations, heads, their deputies, and chief experts of oblast and basin water management divisions of Central-Asian countries.

Participants noted wide program thematic scope of water management issues, effective water use in different economic sectors, in particular in irrigated agriculture. Historical and geographical generality of Central-Asian countries connected by rivers Amudarya and Syrdarya of the Aral Sea basin as well as necessity of further development of regional cooperation were underlined, measures on cooperation of regional organizations, undertaken in region, were estimated positively.

Seminar participants supported issue of necessity of strict division of management functions, objectives and authorities of bodies at all water management levels – from farms and local bodies to regional organizations. Necessity of wide public involvement in management process was noted with redistribution and transfer of some functions and authorities. In this connection, positive tendency of organizing new democratic forms of management as water users associations was noted. In some countries agricultural reform was conducted without touching water management system, and WUA formation was emergency step of response to agrarian reform. Regarding this objective necessity of conducting reforms in complex should be part of national program and followed by proper state support in economic and social aspect.

In the report of V.A. Dukhovny it was underlined that efficiency of developed recommendations on perfecting water use will be sufficiently higher, if they will be worked out with direct involvement of farmers and workers of local water management bodies.

Seminar participants also noted that presently regional organizations have insufficient rights for successful work. Also water organizations’ rights should be foreseen at national level as well as rights of water users.

To introduce IWRM it is necessary to improve legal basis of water use and management.