WORLD BANK WATER POLICY
In the beginning of 2003 World Bank Board approved “Water Sector Policy
of World Bank Activity”, where direction of global water economy for
orienting WB bodies and units.
Main provisions of this policy:
- Water resources management and development is core factor of sustainable
growth and poverty eradication as WB main mission.
- Majority of developing countries needs in intensification of water infrastructure
management and development.
- World Bank is intended to help countries in development and maintenance
of well sustainable water infrastructure as well as in mobilization of
public and private financing to meet environmental and social requirements.
- World Bank won’t be involved in highly risked and expensive infrastructure
using more effective “business” models.
- Bank proposes to achieve big comparative advantages in water sector
by improving service and strictly according to its procedures.
WB assistance in water sector will be designed in accordance with development
features of the countries and in strict linkage with “Assistance Strategies” and “Poverty
Eradication Strategy”
REGIONAL ROUND TABLE «INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA»
Regional meeting at the round table “Integrated water resources management
in Central Asia”, where demonstration projects implemented by Ministry
of Agriculture and Water Resources (MAWR) of Uzbekistan, BWO “Syrdarya”,
and international organizations in Ferghana Valley, was held on May 22-23,
2003 in Andijan. United States Agency of International Development (USAID)
funded this meeting under promotion of Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency
(SDC).
Ferghana Valley is one of the most populated regions in former Soviet Union
with intensive agricultural production, which totally depends on irrigation.
While agricultural sector of Central-Asian countries experiences transition
from centralized planning system to market economy and private farms, irrigation
infrastructure needs in significant reformation and restructuring to maintain
its vitality. Taking into consideration importance of sustainable social and
economic Ferghana Valley development USAID and other international organizations
in cooperation with MAWR are implementing demonstration projects, which in
future would be reproduced by government or other donor organizations. Under
this project equipment supply and measures on public awareness enhancement
are being fulfilled, recommendations on management reforms are being developed,
and educational programs are being realized.
More than 70 participants of round table presented water organizations of
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; ICWC; BWO “Amudarya” and “Syrdarya”,
and such international organizations as Asian Development Bank (ADB), SDC,
International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Japanese International Cooperation
Agency (JICA), and USAID.
Meeting started with visit of demonstration projects in-situ, were delegation
members learned about cost-effective and easily produced approaches to management,
control, and distribution of water resources as well as advantages of new methods
and technologies of agricultural crop production. Second day was devoted to
presentations, discussion, and generalization of results of on-going initiatives
on strengthening cooperation and opportunity to reproduce positive achievements
all over region.
Finally participants prepared resolution with appeal to international and
donor organizations to support national programs on further improvement of
integrated water resources management in region. Round table in Andizhan was
one more positive step in process of economy restructuring, and also prevention
of potential conflicts in Central Asia.
ABOUT PROJECT «IWRM-FERGHANA» IMPLEMENTATION
Working meeting was held on May 15, 2003 in Ferghana. Following issues were
considered there:
- fulfillment of work plan for 2003;
- pilot canals’ automation;
- IWRM project expansion;
- competition arrangement;
- involvement in NGO activity;
- information for mass media.
Meeting participants noted that activity on organizing WUA goes well. WUA “Akbarabad” made
a good impression. In Tajikistan WUA “Zarafshon” was created, in
Kyrgyzstan WUA “Kerme-Too-Akbura” was formed in excess of the plan.
Presently donors are deciding issue of expediency of pilot canals’ automation.
There is principal agreement, but certain financial problems exist. Financing
conditions of canal automation project – single system of canal regulation
as well as availability of full database on canal. Automation ideology has
been developed, careful issue study is assumed. Peculiar feature of Ferghana
Valley irrigation systems is that there are many water inlets in them. This
complicates water management activity.
Inspection trip over SFC was carried out, further visit of foreign experts
to canals AABC and Gulyakandoz will be.
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) prepared key proposal about
fulfillment of works on complex surface and ground water use on boundary between
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan under this project. On this plot there are problems
of downstream lands water logging. In this case the project would win, since
planned work corresponds to IWRM concept.
Taking into account importance of effective water allocation methods for pilot
irrigation systems competition for the best organizational and technical water
allocation approaches covering all levels: canal (system), WUA, farm – will
be announced. Its conditions are being developed. The best proposals over each
oblast will be awarded by bonus.
There are certain blames that NGO are involved in project activity insufficiently.
In all CAR republics there are NGOs, which cooperation would be useful. Especially
they are in big number in Kyrgyzstan. Close business contacts with them should
be established. They should be our partners.
All managers of project components and their colleagues should regularly prepare
information notes for mass media. This is important for IWRM concepts’ dissemination.
PROJECT "REGULATION OF SYRDARYA RIVER AND NORTH ARAL SEA"
In April implementation of project “Regulation of Syrdarya River and
North Aral Sea”, which costs 85.79 mln USD, including Small Aral Sea
construction, hydraulic structures reconstruction on Syrdarya, and so on will
start.
In the end of last year tenders were conducted on WB conditions. On projects
of constructing dam on North Aral Sea and Aklak Waterworks competition winner
was Russian company “Zarubezhvodstroy”. Chinese Geographic-Engineering
Corporation will reconstruct Aytek Waterworks on Syrdarya. It has already started.
Concrete station and other equipment have already been delivered to watch settlement.
In April dam construction will be started. This dam will separate north part
of Aral Sea from the rest, it will be erected on the place of Kokaral dam washed
out by storm.This project assumes spillway structure, through which water excess
will be released to Aral that will allow to avoid dam destroy.
The dam should raise water level in Amall Aral Sea by 42 m. At that sea surface
area will increase by 600 km2. Water will cover dried seabed, from where hundreds
of thousands tons of toxic salt dust are being removed today.
Climate will soften, pastures will be rehabilitated. Small Aral Sea creation
will allow to restore fish supplies of the region and those industrial fish
species, which always existed in Ara Sea, and now they disappeared. They are
sturgeons, Aral barbel, shemaya, etc. Hereditary Aral fishers will put out
the sea again. Small Sea will breath new life into broken fishing villages.
Population of oblast center has own trouble – Aytek Water works with
flow capacity little more than 350 m3/sec.
Aytek Waterworks is located in 20 km downstream Kyzylorda, and its low capacity
threatens with flooding in spring, period of floods. Moreover, on experts’ opinion,
Aytek Waterworks is main reason of ground water rising in oblast center that
destroy engineering communications and buildings, bring damage to orchards.
In some rayons of Kyzylorda ground waters come out even upon surface and stay
till middle of May. Reconstruction of this Waterworks will increase water release
in Syrdarya lower reaches up to 700 m3/sec, reduce ground water-table and give
water to the sea. Now because of low Syrdarya flow capacity and, mainly, hydraulic
structures, excessive flood waters are being released in Aranasay sink in Uzbekistan.
Otherwise, water is simply lost. But if this won’t be done, downstream
settlements would be flooded.
Following reconstruction objects will be Kyzylorda and Kazalinsk Waterworks.
Kyzylorda Waterworks reconstruction can be started only after putting into
operation new bridge across Syrdarya, which construction will be completed
in autumn of current year. The fact is that Waterworks simultaneously serves
as a bridge, which is crossed by international autobahn Shymkent-Samara. And
just after bridge commission Waterworks can be closed for reconstruction.
OF BLESSED COMRADE’S MEMORY
Collective of ICWC Scientific-Information Center deeply grieves about
decease of ex-director of State Specialized Design Bureau on irrigation,
ex-first Deputy Director General of SPA SANIIRI, Honored Engineer, veteran
of Great World War.
VESMANOV Viktor Moiseyevich
and presents condolences to relatives of the late.
Viktor Moiseyevich Vesmanov was born in 1926. After graduation of mechanical
faculty at Tashkent Railway Transport Engineering Institute in 1957 he
entered SSDB on irrigation in 1958, where he passed the way from ordinary
engineer-designer to Bureau Head.
Having headed collective of designers in 1964, he worked on this position
above 30 years. V.M. Vesmanov directed labor collective on creation of
many necessary for water management irrigation and drainage machines,
which production was established on 17 plants in former USSR with annual
output more than 50 th. units.
V.M. Vesmanov – author and co-author of more than 100 inventions.
Many times his labor activity was marked by governmental awards – he
was twice awarded by Labor Red Banner Order, 10 medals. He was conferred
on honorary title “Honored Engineer of USSR”, as well as
title of USSR Council of Ministers prizewinner.
Serious illness cut short his life.
Blessed memory about good, responsive person, excellent specialist,
and organizer of works, will keep in his friends’ and colleagues’ memory
forever.
|