No. 15 (26) May 2003

VISIT OF GWP CHAIRMAN TO UZBEKISTAN

GWP Chairman Margaret Catley-Carlson visited Tashkent on May 17-21, 2003.

She visited SIC ICWC and ICWC Training Center on May 18, 2003, where she met with SIC ICWC Director Prof. V. Dukhovny, GWP-CACENA Chairman V. Sokolov, and ICWC Training Center P. Umarov.

Mrs. M. Catley-Carlson highly estimated general ICWC measures and results of regional information system on water-land resources management in the Aral Sea basin, ICWC publications, activity of both Training Center and GWP-CACENA. Basic topics of discussions were following:

• Water partnership basis in region (with emphasis on water saving, IWRM implementation, ecosystems’ protection, public participation in water management).
• Actions oriented on IWRM implementation.
• GWP role in region.

Special attention was paid to following issues: region has great potential of excellent knowledge, experience, tools, publications, training system, however in general public is not involved actively still. All measures are carried out within water community/sector, not in community in general. How it can be improved? The first task is to create appropriate conditions to implement IWRM. It is necessary to know what concrete problems exist, and how they can be solved. There is need in mechanisms/tools to influence on community and via community on persons developing policy. Basic goal is liquidation of command (descending) water management system and IWRM principles support in region.

Stages of actions:

1. Main GWP goal in region – creation of conditions for multilateral partnership between:

• community and nature
• states/nations
• economic sectors
• upstream/downstream
• science and practice
• public and private sectors

Each aspect should have own target group to develop dialogues between above-mentioned parts. They are following groups:

• intelligentsia (science, literature, art, mass media, etc.
• non-governmental organizations
• religious leaders
• local lobbying groups
• new forms of associations (WUA).

2. Tools of development, including:

• Publications (booklets, posters, etc.)
• Network of NGO
• ToolBox – that is important for region, and what region can cooperate.

3. Search of common issues/points of concern in all region countries. On this base definition of thematic for dialogues, round-table meetings.

4. Promotion of IWRM pilot projects’ development. Assistance in proposals’ preparation and negotiations with potential donors.

5. Training system development as basis of reaching consensus.

Region needs in GWP support at intergovernmental level to promote works of GWP-CACENA.

In conclusion Mrs. Catley-Carlson accepted invitation to take part in UN Water Forum in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, which will be held from August 28 to September 1, 2003. On this forum GWP-CACENA will conduct special session “Water as incentive for multilateral partnership for the sake of community and nature”.

PROBLEM OF NURA RIVER TREATMENT FROM MERCURY – VISIBLE SOLUTION PROSPECTS

Central Kazakhstan is widely known with reach natural resources. Just here basic industrial capacity of the country is based, and just here political focal point of the state has been shifted. Therefore all that is related to region development prospects generates real interest not only on part of state management bodies, but also citizens of the republic.

Meanwhile, at the background of increasing political-economic pressure nature vulnerability and fragileness of region ecological balance is becoming more and more obvious.

In the first turn, this concerns Nura River and its basin presenting environmental objects of not only great economical, but also maybe rather historical and cultural significance. It is enough to say that this river feeds with its waters unique Korgalzhi lake system.

During many years Nura River has being polluted by sediments forming in result of Karaganda plant activity on synthetic rubber production. Rubber production technique assumed mercury sulfate salt use. However on the plant treatment structures on wastewater treatment from mercury have not built that finally led to its substantial releases in main plant collector, which was drawn into Nura River downstream Samarkand reservoir.

First stages of wastewater treatment were started in 1950 and 1954 years. During treatment wastewater was directed in treatment tanks, where wit was chlorinated and silted by means of biofilters. Tank silt accumulated in tanks deposited on sludge bed. Further expansion of treatment structures was completed in 1966. Until 1969 silt of bad quality was released in Zhaur Swamp sink, which hasn’t been drained. In 1969 on area of “Karbid” company sludge filtration beds were built. Silt with content of mercury was deposited also on old ash disposal areas KarGRES-1 located along Nura banks.

After production had been closed, releases were stopped. However research shoed that big mercury amounts remained in river channel and floodplain. Moreover, because of lack of financial means, enterprise-bankrupt “Karbid” couldn’t carry out set of measures on harmful wastes’ burial. In result of enterprise area because of building emergency situation, lack of proper control and means for conducting purposeful preventive measures became potential center of secondary environment pollution of cities Temirtau, Karaganda, and adjacent rayons.

Thus, problem of Nura River treatment from mercury transformed to highly prioritized, threatening population health and ecology of large region of the country.

To solve problem Government of the country attracted Asian Development Bank grant. Agreement on Granting assumed preparation of project “Rehabilitation and management of Nura-Ishim river basin environment”. Project implementation was entrusted to Committee for Water Resources at Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan.

During grant activity Feasibility Study on Nura River treatment will be prepared (including floodplain, channel, Intumak reservoir, “Karbid” company site and adjacent contaminated areas) from mercury contamination. Feasibility Study aim – providing conditions of safe water consumption by treating Nura from mercury, conducting effective measures on providing water quality and optimizing use of available water resources. Under preparing FS current and future social, environmental, technical, and economical conditions of region development will be take into account as well as results of all researches conducted before including INCO-Copernicus data on mercury concentrations and supplies in floodplain soil, water, and bed load as well as data of hydrometric, geological, and sanitary services of Kazakhstan. To amplify available data in period of spring flooding 2002 samplings of water from Nura and Intumak reservoir, samplings of soil on “Karbid” company industrial site and neighboring contaminated areas were carried out additionally. Results of analyses will be used under FS development.

The project supposes development of computer model of management by water resources of lakes, ponds, and ground water of river basins Nura and Ishim with account for characteristics of current and prospective water balances. Model will serve as a basis for preparing forecast scenarios of water resources development, their use, and conservation to work out actual and adjusted decisions with defining prior directions of investments as well as environmental measures.

Solution of Nura River treatment problem will be carried out with account for global experience. In particular, experience of similar environmental problems’ solution may be found in Japan, when in 60-ties in Minamata city one industrial entity, analogous to «Karbid» company in Temirtau, started to contaminate Minamata Bay bringing damage to people health living in surrounding fishing settlements. Chemical factory discharged wastes had contaminated with mercury into bay from 1932 to 1968. Beside contamination of water and bed load, methylated mercury accumulated in fish and mollusks. In result toxic disease of central nervous center of people, who has eaten fish for long time. In 1973 Japanese Environment Agency developed preliminary standards of bed load contamination with mercury, on which necessity of excavating about 1 500.000 m3 was determined. Excavation process was completed in 1987. Control studies of samples, carried out in 1988, proved that project goals to remove contaminated sediments have been reached. Current monitoring results demonstrate that further increase of mercury concentration in water or fish tissues was not found. Total project cost was about 40-42 mln USD.

Presently Minamata Bay is environmentally appropriate. In purpose of further research of mercury contamination issues as well as perfection of treatment technologies Japanese Government created National Minamata Institute recognized as leading institute in the world.

Government of Kazakhstan is planning to attract technical assistance of Japanese Government to support measures on developing and implementing long-term program of mercury contamination monitoring, within framework of which experts from “Minamata” institute will be involved in studies. Their participation will be guarantee of that fact that in Temirtau the best international practice on mercury load treatment will be used.

In result of projects’ implementation safe Nura water use, development of recommendations on several alternative scenarios of river water use for drinking and agricultural needs, regulation of water inflow in Koragalzhi lakes will be possible. In region one of the best in the world laboratories on monitoring of mercury and other pollutants will be established. Contaminated soil and other materials will be removed to specially designed structures for burial, created with account for advanced technological decisions. State bodies, which are responsible for conservation, monitoring, and management by natural resources, will be equipped by modern computer systems providing operative supervision and regulation of nature use.