No. 22 (65) May 2004

CENTRAL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC-APPLIED CONFERENCE
“WATER PARTNERSHIP IN CENTRAL ASIA”

Owing to the USSR’s collapse since 1991 the changes have been occurring in political-economic situation in Central Asia. Five newly independent states started to transit to the market economy that requires to review approaches to water resources management and use issues in the context of unstable ecological situation in separate parts of the region. Each state in the region defines its national interests in socio-economic development, changing the attitude toward the environmental problems, and recognizing the necessity of orientation to international water right principles. In the transition period, when the states only develop their priorities taking into account common regional restraints (one of them is ecological situation around the Aral Sea), it is necessary to keep stability in water resources management.

To this end, in October 1991 the heads of water authorities of five Central Asian countries adopted a statement, which laid the basis for signing in February 1992 an “Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Republic of Uzbekistan on water resources use in the Amudarya and Syrdarya basins”. In accordance with this Agreement, Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) was founded. The main objectives of ICWC are to coordinate the management, rational use and protection of transboundary river water resources in the region, and develop a long-term strategy of water resources management taking into account the changes in socio-economic situation in the countries.

During the past period, 38 meetings of ICWC were held, at which decisions were made on everyday and future water management and use problems in the Aral Sea basin. On 26-27 May 2004, the 39th ordinary ICWC meeting is held in “Kargalinskiy” hotel-sanatorium in Almaty city.

For raising public awareness of water problems, in 2002 ICWC initiated holding an annual regional water conference in Almaty. Third Central Asian scientific-applied conference “Water Partnership in Central Asia” is confined to the 39th ICWC meeting. The aim of the conference is to present the results of a number of water projects being implemented in the countries of the region, and to exchange opinions on more acute aspects of water resources management.

39th Ordinary ICWC Meeting

The 39^th ordinary ICWC meeting was held on 26-27 May 2004 and presided by A.D. Ryabtsev, Chairman of the Water Resources Committee at the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan.

At the meeting the following issues were discussed:

1. Refining water intake limits and operation mode of reservoirs cascade in the Amudarya and Syrdarya river basins for the vegetation period of 2004.

2. Progress of the preparation of Interstate Agreements in the light of implementing the commissions of the Heads of states under the ASBP-2.

3. Agenda and venue of the 40th ordinary ICWC meeting.

ICWC members took information of BVO “Amudarya” and BVO “Syrdarya” on implementing water intake limits and providing the adopted reservoir cascade operation mode of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers for the non-vegetation period of 2003-2004 into consideration.

The meeting participants confirmed the refined limits of water intake from the Amudarya and Syrdarya river channels for the vegetation period of 2004. The predicted operation mode of reservoir cascades of the Amudarya river was approved. BVO “Amudarya” was charged with amending this mode taking into account actual water availability.

The predicted operation mode of reservoir cascades of the Syrdarya river was approved. This mode was recommended to the Intergovernmental Working Group for water and power issues in the Syrdarya river basin for consideration to prepare appropriate annual agreement.

The meeting participants took into account information on the progress of preparing Interstate Agreements in the light of implementing the commissions of the Heads of states under the ASBP-2. In agreement with the national governments, ICWC members will determine the priority of developing legal documents, included in ASBP-2 plan, and appoint responsible members of all the country working groups for preparing these documents.

The decision of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on performing the regional project titled “Improvement of transboundary water resources management in Central Asia”, including the component aimed at improving the 1998 Inter-governmental Agreement “On rational use of Naryn-Syrdarya reservoir cascade water and power resources”, was approved.

BVO “Syrdarya” and SIC ICWC were commissioned with preparing its membership of working groups, and submit work plan of these groups to the next ICWC meeting. ICWC members decided to apply to the ADB for quickening beginning the implementation of this project.

The 40th ordinary ICWC meeting will be held in the Kyrgyz Republic in August 2004.

Inauguration ceremony of the Country Water Partnership of Kazakhstan

One of the significant events within the framework of the conference was the inauguration of the Country Water Partnership of Kazakhstan created on the initiative of the Global Water Partnership, an international network supporting IWRM ideas, on 26 May. During the ceremony two new short-length films “Water Resources of Kazakhstan - River Basin Management” and “Water Resources of Kazakhstan – Municipal Management”, made by Eco Forum of Kazakhstan with the financial support of GWP, were presented. The participants unanimously approved “Framework Agreement on the partnership in water sector of Kazakhstan”, and elected Technical-Consultative Committee of the Country Water Partnership of Kazakhstan of seven members. SIC ICWC Kazakh Office Director Prof. N.K. Kipshakbayev was elected a coordinator of the committee, and CAK “Atasu” Executive Director E.S. Tyrtyshny an executive secretary.

On 27 May, the Country Water Partnership of Kazakhstan jointly with the UNDP and GWP held a special meeting dedicated to new project “National Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Efficiency Plan for Kazakhstan”. This project is launched with the assistance of the UNDP and GWP owing to the funds, allocated by the Norwegian Government. Chairman of the Water Resources Committee of Kazakhstan A.D. Ryabtsev, UNDP Deputy Representative G. Johnson, GWP Executive Secretary E. Gabrielli, Chairman of TAC GWP CACENA V.I. Sokolov welcomed the launch of the project. Manager of UNDP Environment Division in Kazakhstan Z. Takenov and Project Manager E. Istileulov made project presentation. The main objectives of the project are to help in developing National IWRM Plan for Kazakhstan, intensify water partnership in the republic, help in integrating water issues into common national development policy.

“Integrated Water Resources Management” (joint session of GWP CACENA, SDC, SIC ICWC, IWMI, USAID, UNDP)

On 27 May, a section session on integrated water resources management was held, at which more than 60 people took part. 8 presentations were made. The presentation of V.I. Sokolov (SIC ICWC/GWP CACENA), in which it was showed that the main purpose of integrated water resources management (IWRM) is to create conditions for stable and equitable water supply for the needs of population and environment, was central. Also, the problems of realizing the fundamental IWRM principles (how to organize management in hydrographic boundaries?), problems of coordinating water use and all participating organs horizontally between the sectors and vertically between water management hierarchy levels (how to provide public participation not only in management, but also in financing, supporting, planning and developing the water sector?), and technical aspects of IWRM were presented. The presentations of T.I. Palvanov (IC ICWC) and M. Ul Hassan (IWMI) informed the conference participants about the results of the pilot project for the realization of IWRM principles in Ferghana Valley. O. Kirakosyan, Deputy Head of Agency of Water Resources of Armenia, presented a paper on establishing a legal base for IWRM in Armenia. U.B. Saparov from Institute “Turkmensuvdesgatalma” made presentation on the perfection of water sector in Turkmenistan. Two presentations in the section were dedicated to the development of information collection “Tool Box for IWRM” of GWP. In the first one, D. Talmeinerova from Slovakia presented a brief meaning of “Tool box” of GWP and proposed a joint work program for the development of this collection with the participation of specialist from GWP CACENA. In the second one, Prof. V.A. Dukhovny presented the view of Central Asian specialists on practical tools, used in daily water management practice.

The main outcome of the section was that the representatives of eight countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus confirmed their adherence to IWRM principles and readiness (in a varying degree) for the realization of them.

“Information service for water partnership development and strengthening” (joint session of SDC, SIC ICWC, UNECE, GRID-Arendal, USAID, World Bank)

Information service is needed in water sector for operative data provision to water authorities, dissemination of accumulated knowledge about water management and use process, public awareness of existing problems. Openness and accessibility of information on water resources and use of them are powerful means for strengthening water partnership in the region. During the conference organizational, legal, and technical aspects of regional information service development were discussed.

At this session the following resolution was adopted:

Sustainable water use is the main problem of Central Asia region. This concerns the past unsolved ecological problems as well as the consequences of the Aral crisis and current problems such as regional water resources allocation and management including inter-departmental and inter-state problems.

The realities now existing in the developed countries call for applying modern information technologies. Knowledge gathering and processing in the form of knowledge bases and expert systems becomes a key element of new information technology. Intensive development of the Internet and communication facilities raises puts gathering and dissemination problems at new level.

On 28 May 2004, joint session of SDC, SIC ICWC, UNECE, GRID-Arendal “Information service for water partnership development and strengthening” was held, in which representatives of water, scientific and non-governmental organizations and departments of the Aral Sea basin states, SDC, SIC ICWC, US Embassy in Uzbekistan and others participated.

1. Providing information transparency and free access to information on water and land resources and Aral Sea basin environment is one of the most important aspects of the region’s sustainable development.
2. The aim of implementing the “Central Asia Regional Water Information Base” Project is to establish more intimate contacts and strengthen the partnership between ecological and water organizations in the region.
3. It is planned to develop the regional information system in the course of the project according to the «Agreement between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan on the creation and operation of national, basin and regional databases on water resources sharing and conservation in the Aral Sea basin”, signed by ICWC members.
4. The capacity of Central Asian countries will be strengthened by establishing a permanent network of regional correspondents.
5. The project outcomes will be used in decision-making, by the mass media, and for raising public awareness.
6. It is necessary to intensify involving lower levels of water mamagement (oblast, system levels) and water use (WUAs) in the information network.

[to be continued in No. 23 (66)]