No. 12 (23) May 2003

36th ICWC MEETING

Regular 36th meeting of Interstate Coordination Water Commission was held on May 6-7, 2003 in Almaty, Kazakhstan under presidency of A.D. Ryabtsev – Chairman of Committee for Water Resources of Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Meeting agenda supposed following issues consideration:

1. Specification of both reservoir cascades operation regimes and water intake limits in the Amudarya and Syrdarya river basin for growing period 2003.
2. About BWO «Syrdarya» activity and its improvement measures.
3. About fulfillment of Head of the States of Central Asia decision of 06.10.02 (Dushanbe) «About «Basic aspects of Program of concrete actions on improvement of environmental and social-economic situation in the Aral Sea basin for period 2003-2010» (ASBP-2)» in water management.
4. About results of ICWC members and representatives of water organizations of Central Asia participation in 3rd World Water Forum.
5. About continuation of implementing GEF Project Sub-Component A1 «Water and salt management at regional and national level».
6. Water use principles under conditions of reforms on agricultural enterprises restructuring in each state
7. About next 37th ICWC meeting agenda and place.

ICWC members approved specified water intake limits and reservoir cascades operation regimes for growing period 2003 with correction of reservoir cascades operation regime on Syrdarya River according to provisions of bi- and trilateral intergovernmental agreements.

Meeting participants noted that BWO “Syrdarya” is carrying out satisfactory work on keeping recommended regimes of Naryn-Syrdarya reservoir cascade operation regimes and approved water intake limits over Naryn-Syrdarya trunk as well as introducing water intake structures'’ automated control system and improving water account.

BWO "Syrdarya" was charged to:

• strengthen activity on uniform water supply on canal systems and water intakes according to approved limits;
• complete works on automation of main hydraulic intake structures in 3-year period;
• provide information for water management bodies of the states about all deviations from planned and coordinated regime of water diversions and releases.

To fulfill these tasks ICWC members A.D. Ryabtsev, A.A. Jalalov, and A.A. Nazyrov will promote BWO “Syrdarya” activity on:

• financing of required volumes of repair-operational works;
• specified conditions of crossing state boundaries by organizations’ workers.

ICWC members took into account draft report of Working Group-1 about preparation of ASBP-2 water management proposals.

Enclosed list of projects on established priorities, with account for comments and proposals was approved in general. It was decided to complete report on water management by the end of May to prepare consolidated report on ASBP-2 for forthcoming technical meeting of donors on June 20-22, 2003.

Meeting participants asked EC IFAS to search appropriate means to involve highly qualified experts in preparation of project description (certificate) as well as generalization of fulfilled water works under ASBP-2.

Participants took into consideration information about results of ICWC members and Central-Asian water organizations’ representatives participation in 3 World Water Forum (WWF) and underlined big attention of the world community to the Aral Sea basin session.

Statement of the Aral Sea basin states’ delegations prepared under active participation of state representatives was approved.

Meeting participants asked EC IFAS Chairman S.M. Aslov to submit this statement to Kiev Meeting of Ministers of Environment in May 2003 as ICWC official position.

ICWC members adopted protocol decision to consider phase VI of GEF Project Sub-component A1 “Water and Salt Management at Regional and National Level” completed only after GEF Agency takes into account all comments noted in protocols and EC IFAS adopts the report.

To make final decision on this issue, it is planned to conduct in the nearest future additional meeting with participation of EC IFAS Chairman and GEF Agency Director.

It was noted that on-going reforms in agriculture demand revision of not only institutional management structure, but also water use guidelines. SIC ICWC was entrusted to study experience and obtained results of pilot projects implemented in region and develop proposals on their expansion. More detailed information and analysis of present situation should be submitted at the next ICWC meeting.

ICWC members made decision to conduct 37th ICWC meeting in Turkmenistan in period within August-September 2003 and approved its agenda.

CENTRAL-ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC-PRACTICAL CONFERENCE «ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ADVANCED APPROACHES TO WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE ARAL SEA BASIN»

More than 150 scientists and water experts from more than 10 countries took part in the conference work, which was held on May 6-8, 2003.

Conduction of this conference could be impossible without financial support of Swiss Agency for International Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Conference work was organized as plenary session and 3-sections sessions:

• Water management arrangement;
• Technical and economical improvement of water management;
• Environmental aspects of water use and management.

On plenary session ICWC members, ICWC executive bodies’ heads, representatives of SDC and CIDA presented their reports.

On sectional sessions issues of river flow use present situation and prospects, environmental stabilization in South and North Priaralie, environmental aspects of water resources use in the Amudarya and Syrdarya basins and their quality, integrated water issues and water saving, river flow regulation impact on lowlands’ ecosystem sustainability, drinking water quality assessment and its impact on population diseases rate, fish supplies use prospects in the Aral Basin, water-power management problems, etc.

ICWC members and working bodies, representatives of EC IFAS, scientific and production water and environmental community, with involvement of international organizations and GWP RTNK members, having discussed basic trends of further cooperation development between Central-Asian countries in water resources field, agreed:

Adopt as a base of further water activity improvement statement of ASB state delegations on session “Regional cooperation in integrated water management in Central Asia” announced on 3rd WWF in Japan.

Experience of Switzerland, the Netherlands, and other European Union countries, Canada, Japan, orient Central-Asian countries in water problem solution on some principal aspects:

• prevention of further aggravation, protection and improvement of aquatic ecosystems;
• integrated water resources management creating transparent, equal and equitable water use conditions;
• basic attention to involvement of public and all water users in management, planning, and development of water management works and water resources;
• water conservation;
• introduction of economic levers in water use and development;
• bringing up future generations in spirit of high respect to cultural heritage in water field.

ABOUT «IWRM-FERGHANA» PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Activity «Water Use Efficiency at Farm Level»

Spring of the current year, beginning from March, can be characterized by plentiful rainfalls – (87.8 mm in April) and low air temperatures (from ­7° in March to 0° in April on Karasu station and from ­3,7° in March to +1,7° in April on Fedchenko station). This negatively influenced on pre-sowing works and cotton sowing date. For Ferghana Valley optimal cotton sowing date is April 10-15. Farms “Samatova”, “Sayod”, “Nozima”, “Tolibzhon”, and “Sandyk” carried out cotton sowing till April 15. In result portion of this cotton crop (up to 50%) hasn’t sprouted. Farms “Samatova”, “Nozima”, “Tolibzhon”, and “Sandyk” carried out re-sowing in second line. Farm “Sayod” re-sowed all field. Rest farms carried out sowing on April 28-29. They had no any losses.

High air temperature and lack of rainfalls in May, following after April, dried top soil and prevented cotton sprouting without recharge irrigation. All farms were recommended to carry out recharge irrigation with not high irrigation depth 500-700 m3/ha. On May 20 all farms have 100% of sprouts.

In connection with demonstration plot change in farms “Tolibzhon” and “Toloykon” regional group fulfilled additional works on plot measurement, topographical field survey, lay out of phenological sites and their linkage to control points, water account devises installation;

Regional group carried out adaptation of calculation models for defining irrigation data and norms.

To determine irrigation regime on demonstration plots 3 calculation models were adopted in Excel program with using:
1 – average daily values of air temperature and humidity
2 – data of evepotranspiration measurement by means of atmometer ETgage
3 – actual soil humidity values

Calculation models were tested for each demonstration plot of Sogd, Andizhan, Ferghana, and Osh oblasts taking into account for water-physical properties, hydrogeological features, and soil types. Under calculation model testing for each demonstration field parameters reflecting features of agricultural crops and each field were selected.

For private farms “Toloykon” and “Nursultan-Aly” (agricultural crop - wheat) calculation of irrigation date and norms will be carried out according to actual humidity values.

Educational training “Model testing on calculation of water balance and irrigation schedule on demonstration plots” was held in Khojent (April 23-24) and Osh (April 25-26). Practical lessons on calculation of irrigation norms and date with using of calculation models were conducted with oblast executors and programmers, with technicians and demonstration plot monitors – on operation of devices and equipment (desiccators, electric scales, Etgage device, etc.) required for field studies on irrigation water use efficiency assessment. After lessons ended, students were attested on skill of independent working with models on calculation of water balance and irrigation regime as well as equipment.