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No. 9 (20) April 2003



ICWC TRAINING CENTER WORKSHOP «PRINCIPLES AND APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING»

In period 24-28 of March 2003 workshop under program “Principles and approaches to international business accounting” took place in ICWC Training Center.

Students were representatives of financial administration at Central-Asian organizations. They considered prepared reports and actively discussed international business accounting background described.

Workshop participants had opportunity to repeat studied material by means of practical exercises on international accounting.

Students noted wide program thematic scope of accounting issues based on international standards.

They also noted that currently there are so many differences between national and international norms of accounting and gave following recommendations:

1. It is necessary to create virtual version of training program on international business accounting.

2. Organize workshop on taxation and economic assessment of organizations.

STATUTORY MEETING OF WATER USERS ASSOCIATION

Statutory meeting on Water Users Association (WUA) establishment under “IWRM-Ferghana” Project was held on April 11 in Jabbar-Rasulev rayon.

WUA was organized according to system principle and formed around secondary canals “Ak-kalya” and “Bystrotok” with inflow from Gulyakandoz Canal. These canals irrigate 12 dekhkan farms of former collective farm “Bobo Khamdamov” and one dekhkan farm (brigade) in “Leningrad” farm. Above mentioned farms were representatives of this WUA.

Other WUA co-founder became J. Rasulev rayvodkhoz transferring inter-farm irrigation canals “Ak-kalya” and “Bystrotok” to WUA balance and taking responsibility for their operation and maintenance financing for next 5 years.

On WUA statutory meeting water users were represented by 13 delegates with casting vote and 52 delegates with consultative vote from all farms.

Beside delegate-waster users and representatives from J. Rasulev rayvodkhoz, from rayon administration Chief of Organizational Unit at Khukumat Sabirov M., Head of rayon agriculture division Samiyev M., Head of Sogd oblvodkhoz Mukhidinov Kh.I., Deputy Head of oblvodkhoz Khojiyev Kh.R., executors of “IWRM-Ferghana” project from SIC ICWC and IWMI were presented on the meeting.

Specialists of “IWRM-Ferghana” Project made reports for participants.

On this meeting elections of members for WUA Council, Audit and Arbitrage Commission, WUA Council Chairman, and WUA Executive Director. It was decided to call pilot WUA in J. Rasulev rayon, Sogd oblast – WUA “Obi Zarafshon”.
Institutionally WUA “Obi Zarafshon” structure consists of general meeting of WUA members (supreme WUA body), WUA Council, Audit and Arbitrage Commission that work on voluntary basis. WUA Council subordinates executive body headed by WUA Director. Executive body staff is as follows: Chief Irrigator, Chief Hydrometrist, economist-accountant-staff expert (in one person), Chief Mechanic, guard, and charwoman, production-linear service with hydrosites ?1, ?2, each of them has one hydrometrist, hydro engineer, and two monitors. Repair-construction group may be created within executive body staff. Its staff number depends on amount and costs of planned works.

Total WUA irrigated area is 1050 ha, on hydrosite #1 – 453 ha (“Ak-kalya” Canal), hydrosite #2 – 597 ha (“Bystrotok” Canal).

Total cost estimate of works over WUA “Obi Zarafshon” for a year is 27867 somoni, from which water users take responsibility for carrying out by own forces activities related maintenance and cleaning up of irrigation network in total amount 9668 somoni. Moreover Rayvodkhoz compensates operation and maintenance costs of “Ak-Kalya” and “Bystrotok” canals transferred to WUA in amount 6447 somoni. Regarding to corrections WUA takes from water users for services 11752 somoni, that is annual costs per 1 ha of irrigated land, taken from WUA members, are 11.2 somoni/ha.
Obtained indicator was approved by general meeting.

So, this is second WUA created within framework of “IWRM-Ferghana” Project.

CONFERENCE ON THE ARAL SEA BASIN PROBLEMS

From 4 to 8 of April International scientific-practical conference organized by Embassy of France in Uzbekistan together with Scientific and Technology Center at Cabinet of Ministers and Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, under technical assistance of SIC ICWC was held in Bukhara. National Research Centers of two countries – France (CNRG) and Germany (DFG) – gave financial support.

Conference theme is implementation of program “The Aral Sea Basin”, which is carried out by one of European Union initiative – INTAS. This initiative includes 19 projects on four basic aspects: climate, agriculture, water, and health. In Aral Sea region 112 INTAS research groups including 24 from Uzbekistan carry out works.

SIC ICWC presented 2 INTAS projects (#1059 and #0511) and Copernicus Project. Professor V.A. Dukhovny presented introductory report “7 years of cooperation with European Union”.

Under INTAS Project PhD I.B. Ruziyev and V.G. Prikhod’ko presented results of comparing ecological and social-economic changes in South and North Priaralie zones under impact of Aral Sea level decline.

Under INTAS Project –0511 PhD A.I. Tuchin made a report and underlined set of measures on improving situation in South Priaralie.

Next days of conference presentations on 19 INTAS projects and 3 Copernicus projects were made by hydrogeologists, doctors, biologists, zoologists, archeologists that is experts from many fields of knowledge that is underlined by complex analysis of situation in the Aral Sea basin. Everybody has only one concern – environmental situation in Aral zone aggravated so much that goes beyond Central-Asian region and became global problem. Its negative impact today is reflected on population health and genetic fund of future generations as well as in climate change and biological balance change.

Reports presented in field of public health submitted results of studies of harmful substances impact, which are in atmosphere, water sources, on population living in Priaralie zone. Here trends are following: number of cases of lungs, blood, gastrointestinal diseases sharply increased that is related to, first of all, bed quality of drinking water. In period of virus epidemics their concentration in water sharply increased. Cases of hepatitis A was less noted in rayons, which were more distant from water sources. High pesticide concentration in soil, water leads to fatal result of pregnancy in 15% of studied cases and decline of infant weight. Studied level of children intellectual development (IQ) appeared to be lower average compared with peers in more distant areas of region.

Conclusion can be made that investing in water quality the state would save in public health.

Unfortunately, all works related to water quality (desalinating plants, electric dialysis) still have laboratorial, at the best, experimental-production nature. There is need in financing and concern of local bodies to bring them into practice.
In reports related to study of artesian deposits’ expert-hydrologists express misgivings that ground water salinization in artesian waters formation zones can result in degradation of their deposits. There is irrational treatment of artesian wells use, when daily flow of qualitative drinking water and its release to collector-drainage network, and then use for irrigation occur.

Projects oriented on biological aspects are connected with growing of transgenic plants in Aral region, with plant response for stresses (specifically – for salt). It was identified that the most salt-resistant crop is barley, then tomatoes and cotton, and the least salt-resistant – rice and wheat.

On project–1039 Prof. Late presented report related to development of set of models. This system consists of hydrological block, which includes management by Amudarya water resources downstream Darganata, including lateral inflow capacity with low discharge; environmental block (tugay woods study) and in future it is planned to introduce social-economic block. All set of models was presented as tool for decision-making support, but, unfortunately, it has no and doesn’t plan linkage between water management and energetic use of Amudarya flow, and regulating abilities of Nurek long-term storage located upstream are ignored.

In the last day of conference practical German-Uzbek Project GTZ implementing wide-scale forest reclamative works on dried bed of the Aral Sea south part was presented. During 2.5 year they deforested about 15 th.ha, and this is real contribution in solution of social and environmental issues of Karakalpakstan residents.

In conclusion at round tables organized in accordance with 4 basic trends prior issues were defined for further studies. INTAS Executive Secretary Zh. Sinnav considered such issues as issues related to, first of all, water quality and integrated water use, etc. He also expressed wish to generalize materials and data for forming single information database as many programs, in particular, connected with modeling, were based on out-of-date data (1980-1990).

Director of the program “Aral Sea basin” PhD A. Sempere promised that all presentations and conference resolution will be placed on INTAS Web-site.

During conference excursions over architectural monuments of Bukhara, cotton processing factory, and visit of ecological farm were organized.