No. 5 (48) February 2004

WATER WEEK OF THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

“Water Week of the Asian Development Bank” (ADB Water Week), joined with the regional meeting of the 3rd World Water Forum in Asia, was held on 26-30 January 2004 in Manila (Philippines). The meeting brought together about 350 participants from Asia and the Pacific. For Central Asia, D. Ziganshina (SIC ICWC) took part in the forum activity with the report “Experience of the past and IWRM in the Aral Sea basin”.

The regional meeting, held on 26 January by the 3rd World Water Forum Secretariat for Asia and the Pacific, selected two problem areas – “Integrated water resources management” and “Water and Climate” – among 18 ones, presented at the Forum in Kyoto in March 2003, for more detailed review in Asian region.

WWF3 Secretary General Mr. Hideaki Oda, WWC President Dr. William J. Cosgrove and А. Hall on behalf of the Global Water Partnership spoke at the plenary meeting. At the same time, the sessions were held.

One of the main tasks of the WWF3 meeting in Asia was to define the topics most important for the region, which should be presented at the global level. In the center of attention there were mainly issues, related to transboundary water resources, public participation in decision-making, role of NGOs, ethical aspects of water management, establishment of partnerships and financing of the programs being implemented.

ADB Water Weeks

The first “ADB Water Week” was held in December 2002 on “Water for All – putting the ADB’s water policy into effect”. The subject of the 2nd ADB Water Week was “Water for the Poor — establishing the regulations and searching for funds”.

The Water Weeks put in the forefront the importance of water governance and how it could be converted into the rules and procedures, which would work for the welfare of the poor. The second important aspect was the need for thoroughly reviewing how water resources management and water supply systems were financed. All the efforts were considered in the context of achieving the Millenium Development Goals, in particular, to halve the number of people without drinking water and sanitation by 2025. The peculiar motto kept by almost all the lecturers was “poverty eradication should become a driver for all future actions”.

In general, the outcome of the second day of “Water Week” can be generalized as follows:

• it is necessary to focus on the relation poverty-water-gender
• to maximize the role of water while achieving development goals
• “Business as usual” does not remain in force longer
• to focus on large financial means, but there is a need for target programs and combining them with reforms
• the poor can and are ready to pay
• subsidies for the poor
• rights to water will help to reduce the level of poverty, but one should think of what rights exactly
• rights, investments, institutes, management and services are basic to eradicate poverty while managing water resources
• it is obvious that water management is not enough, but what else is needed?
• Partnership will play a key role in initiating and supporting the changes

The need for developing the cooperation and partnerships with international financial institutions, international organizations, private sector, non-government organizations and other main stakeholders, playing a leading role in water management, was emphasized. Moreover, all the participants agreed on that it was of great importance to provide priority to poverty eradication in the development programs.

It was recognized that the outcomes of the third day were:

• To effectively aim at that the efforts in the field of development would have a positive influence on the eradication of poverty;
• To find a proper balance between action on long-term changes and satisfaction of primary needs;
• To improve access of the poor to financing not only by foreign sources, but also by local ones;
• To maximize the use of the available knowledge and information networks;
• To stimulate gender leadership.

In his closing speech, ADB Vice President L. Jin called to leadership and partnership. “More improved management is needed while establishing an effective policy, self-governing and providing water supply, intensifying the mechanisms for regulation in the field of water resources, and mobilizing civil society to implement the reforms. The partnership in water sector should be set up based on complementary actions of all the stakeholders to achieve appropriate results during the implementation of the projects,” — noted Mr. Jin.

MEETING ON “INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION IN THE SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAM OF THE EUROPEAN UNION”

Meeting with presentation of the objectives and tasks of the European Union Sixth Framework Program (FP6) as regards international cooperation with Central Asian countries was held on February 6, 2004 in the ICWC Training Center. The representatives of scientific teams that can become potential participants of the FP6 in Uzbekistan – the University of Agriculture, Vodproyekt, Glavgidromet, SANIIRI, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation, Land Reclamation and Agriculture, Institute of Zoology and Institute of Mechanics at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan – attended it.

Director of ICWC Training Centre P. Umarov addressed his welcoming speech to the participants of the meeting and told about international activities of SIC, aimed at strengthening the cooperation of Central Asian scientists with European scientific circles within the current international projects, as well as about plans for the future international projects.

Then B. Turdybayev (SIC ICWC) made presentation on the “International Scientific Cooperation in the European Union Sixth Framework Program”, in which he told about the European Union foreign policy, directed to assisting Central Asian scientists to participate in the EU scientific and technical programs to improve effectiveness of the EU RTD activities and involve European R&D potential in the development of these countries.

The participants were informed in detail about new call announced on December 17, 2003 by the European Commission for the scientists from the CIS “Specific measures in support of international cooperation” through three thematic priorities for the CIS: environment and health protection, regulation of the industrial production system and communications.

Then the discussion of many FP6 aspects was held, which showed a great interest of scientific teams in close contacts with the Sixth Framework Program. The discussion and numerous questions of the audience on all nuances of the preparation and submission of applications to the FP6 calls discovered urgent need of the scientists for information and consultation services that can be offered to them by the INCO “Creation of an Information and Consultation Center for the FP6 in Central Asia” Project, about which the final part of the presentation informed in detail. Within this project it is planned to create in Central Asia a regional information network for cooperation of European science with R&D potential of the region for joint expansion of mutually beneficial international cooperation.

Finally, the implementation of the INFO FP6 EU-CA Project will ensure wide involvement of Central Asian scientific organizations in European Research Area through the FP6.

Information brochure “International scientific cooperation in the European Union Sixth Framework Program” prepared by SIC ICWC was distributed to the meeting participants.

THE REGULATIONS OF SUBSIDIZING THE COSTS OF WATER SUPPLY SERVICES TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

Decree No.99 of the Kazakh Government dated January 29, 2004 confirmed the new regulations of subsidizing the costs of water supply services to agricultural producers.

The regulations define the order and terms of governmental financing the costs of water supply services to agricultural producers at the expense and within the limits, stipulated by the law on the republican budget for the respective year.

The subsidies are designed for partial refund (reduction) of the costs of irrigation water supply services to the providers of them.

The subsidies shall be paid for water supply services actually provided to water user inlet points at the reduced cost within the water use limits fixed for them and taking into account the amount of the means, stipulated in the republican budget for subsidizing the costs of water supply services to agricultural producers.

The amount of the subsidies assigned per one cubic meter of supplied water is defined by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan differentially in view of regional conditions in percentage to water supply service tariffs, confirmed by the authorized state organ, controlling and regulating the activities in the field of natural monopoly.

Water supply by subsidized tariffs (reduced at the expense of subsidies) is carried out on the basis of contract between water supplier and water user.