ADB HELPS TO RESTORE IRRIGATION SYSTEM
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) supports repair works for preventing the destruction of outdated irrigation system in Uzbekistan, serving about 400,000 people, by way of a $73.2 million loan.
This project will help to reconstruct a 30-year-old Amu Zang irrigation system, which services five rayons in Surkhandarya oblast, in the southernmost point of the country, where level of poverty is 30% higher than the average for the country.
As the ADB Agency in Uzbekistan reported, besides repair works, the project is aimed at supporting the improvement of management system and development of private farms in rayons.
Amu Zang irrigation system includes cascade of pumping stations on the Amudarya River, which service nearly 96,8 ha. Rehabilitation is expected to entirely change the situation and increase the production of cotton on average from 2.8 to 3.4 ton/ha, and wheat from 3.1 to 3.9 ton/ha. Repair works will be directed to the restoration of pumps, engines and other equipment on three main pumping stations, improvement of operational structures, and reconstruction of separate parts of the main irrigation and drainage network.
The project will also provide operational activities training for water management agencies, introduce water resources management system and support the creation of water user associations. At present, water users do not participate in management of irrigation and drainage systems actually.
Improved irrigation and drainage will be demonstrated on separate farms in five rayons, being pilot areas.
The project will also contribute to the current strategy and institutional reforms by means of additional technical assistance grant to the amount of $500,000. Grant will come from the ADB Special Japanese Fund, financed by the Japanese Government.
ADB loan will come from capital resources and cover $73.2 million or 65% of total project cost ($112.6 million). The rest of the sum will be provided by the Uzbek Government ($37 million) and beneficiaries ($2.4 million).
The loan is designed for 25 years, including five-year grace period. Percentage rate will be defined in compliance with ADB LIBOR rate.
O. Belova, Biznes-Vestnik Vostoka
ADB APPROVES LOAN FOR PUBLIC STRUCTURE
Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a 5 million US dollars emergency loan for Kyrgyzstan to rehabilitate public infrastructure badly damaged by floods and landslides earlier this year. The project will repair roads, bridges, and power lines - and rebuild four schools in locations less prone to natural disasters - to restore economic and social activity as soon as possible in the provinces of Chui, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, and Osh. It will also build municipal infrastructure for two permanent resettlement centers being established by the Government for disaster-affected people in Osh. Kyrgyzstan suffered unusually high amounts of rainfall in the spring and summer of 2003. The rainfall in Jalal-Abad and Osh from March to June 2003 was 50% more than average. The resulting landslides and floods were the worst seen since 1994. About 1,000 landslides occurred during the first eight months of this year, compared to the 15 to 20 landslides during the same period in a normal year. Forty-three people were killed, 1,088 families lost their homes, 6,000 hectares of agricultural land were damaged, and more than 300,000 people were affected. The project will help more than 128,000 people in 78 villages, most of whom live below the poverty line.
The Government will contribute 1.3 million US dollars equivalent to meet the total project cost of 6.3 million US dollars equivalent. The project is due for completion in March 2007.
Bishkek Observer, 16 December 2003
WORKING CONFERENCE UNDER PROGRAM “DIALOGUE ON WATER AND CLIMATE”
Working Conference under Program “Dialogue on Water and Climate (DWC)” was held on December 15-17, 2003 in Wageningen, the Netherlands, at which the possibilities and ways of program development and partnership strengthening were discussed.
About 60 people took part in the meeting. G.V. Stulina (SANIIRI) represented Central Asia. The conference was held in the form of dialogue.
The meeting was opened by World Water Council President and DWC/CPWC Commission Chairman W.J. Cosgrove.
Manager of Program “Dialogue on Water and Climate” H. van Schaik noted that further development of the program should be directed to the transfer from monitoring to intensive actions. Business plans and proposals should be drawn up on this key.
The main issues of the conference were:
- How can partnership are organized in regard to the connection of the Institute of Climate (specialists in climate) with water sector, water resources management integration in the context of climate change for preventing disasters and lowering risk with the efforts of water users and all society?
- How can partnership be organized?
- How can all society comprehension be involved in the program?
DWC Program Research Manager P. Kabat presented Program “Dialogue on Water and Climate”, designed for 2004-2009 in 3 directions:
- 1. Climate change.
- 2. Impact of land resources and energy use.
- 3. Adaptation.
The following aspects should be depicted in DWC Program:
- 1. Identifying relation of natural and anthropogenic factors of climate change.
- 2. Impact of climate change on flow hydrology and their interaction.
- 3. How do both factors impact on water resources use, their quality, management requirement. The last is particularly important in multi-year flow regulation and climate variability.
- 4. Impact of climate change on land and water productivity and water demand.
- 5. What can be proposed as measures for adapting to climate change.
À. Nishat told about the implementation of the program in Bangladesh, where there is a good coordination of ministries, related to agriculture, meteorology, environment, in regard to climate change problem in the form of Interaction Council, designed to implement the communication between various sectors and give recommendations concerning climate change and after-effects. Plan for implementing the program consists of monitoring and linkage of “impact” and “sensitivity thresholds”.
Ì. Niassse presented an example of partnership in transboundary water management at basin level between 5 states of West Africa. Discussion of climate change and problems, arisen as a result of this in the aspect of basin, allows countries to exclude conflict between states in the future.
One of examples, complying with requirements, is a program from Mozambique. In December 1999 and in early 2000 Mozambique suffered from disastrous floods, due to which 544,000 people lost their homes and 700 people died. Economic losses amounted to $600 million. Thereupon, program of restoration and precautionary measures in amount of $450 million, aimed at education, health protection, public assistance, creation of check dams, system of water supply and use, was developed. Preventive measures draw special attention to early warning – meteorological and hydrographic improvement of infrastructure (construction of two new dams). Special Coordination Council for preventing disasters, consisting of ministries of foreign affairs, public administration, defense, industry, communications and tourism, local affairs, public works, public health and transport, was created. Council responsibilities area includes: determining policy and strategy of preventing disasters and lowering their effect; confirming plan of preventive measures; assistance to victims and restoration program; mobilization of national forces in the context of irreversible situation; participation in International Convention on floods and desertification.
Besides plenary meeting, activities by sections in 4 directions were carried out:
- Assessment of contribution and success of strategies.
- Partnership.
- Infrastructure.
- Climate variability index.
Section 1. The participants reviewed relation of climate change not only with water sector, but also with other sectors, including with economy and development of tender program. Main proposals: clean water in lakes (Sweden), proportion of clean water to saline water (Lena river basin), groundwater resources and their change due to climate change (Western Africa), transboundary water management (Central Africa), climate change and water resources management at planning zones level (Central Asia), tender program in water resources management (Dominican Republic).
Section 2 activity was carried out as training on partnership formation in projects. Need for creating platform in the form of organizations, knowledge, scientists, practice, position, training was noted.
Section 3 considered proposals on possible transformation of infrastructure during climate change. These are additional investments in water sector because of risk, for example, in dams strengthening, groundwater use, construction of additional reservoirs and so on.
Section 4 discussed application of “Climate variability index”. The main methodological principles of index assessment and proposals for sustainable development of water resources were presented.
Components of index: water resources, quantity and quality; water resources availability; water resources use effectiveness; water resources use in oblasts; environmental aspect of use; geographical peculiarities in connection with region location.
During discussion of approach to models at the meeting it was noted that all models had to be approved by national governments. Data, used in models, should be reliable enough. Training on models may be carried out under the aegis of UNESCO.
As for the issue of transboundary waters, it was proposed to create special commission for transboundary waters.
At the conference much attention was drawn to the development of subprogram “People – Climate and Water”, future significance of this program was emphasized. The objective of this program is to teach people to adapt to climatic changes. It is planned to develop a package for education at three levels: scientific environment; domestic environment; training.
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