REGIONAL WORKSHOP FOR REPRESENTATIVES FROM JIZAK, KASHKADARYA, SAMARKAND, SURKHANDARYA, SYRDARYA, TASHKENT PROVINCE DEPARTMENTS OF POPULAR SCHOOLING UNDER THE PROJECT ‘TRAINING COURSE IN WATER RESOURCES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UZBEKISTAN’
A regional workshop under the project ‘Training Course in Water Resources for Secondary Schools in Uzbekistan’ took place in Ferghana city, 10-11 December 2004.
The aim of the workshop was to familiarize the methodologists and teachers selected in provinces with prepared materials on water resources state, problems, use, as well as with the tasks of integrating these issues into state standards of educational programs for secondary schools.
First Deputy Head of Province Department of Popular Schooling N.K. Khakimov delivered a welcoming speech at the workshop.
The following presentations were during the workshop:
- “Water and future”, Prof. V.A. Dukhovny
- “State standard of secondary education and need for improving curriculums for a number of school subjects, by integrating water issues into them”, Prof. R.K. Jurayev
- “Comprehensive familiarization of secondary school pupils with the current state of fresh water resources - a demand of the time”, Dr. R.K. Ikramov.
- “Prospects of Socio-Economic Development in the Aral Sea Basin States”, V. Prikhodko, SIC ICWC senior researcher.
- “Ways to integrate water issues into curriculums for school subjects – geography, chemistry, history, basics of economics and laws”, A.A. Kadyrov, honored irrigator of Uzbekistan.
- “Preparation and holding of a training seminar on water resources use for teachers”, Prof. E.O.Turdykulov.
The participants of the workshop made the following general proposals:
- carry out pedagogical work with parents;
- organize cooperation between school, family and settlement;
- train kindergarten educators;
- use national and historical heritage on solving water problems while preparing educational program;
- activate ecological centers;
- hold contest shows
- develop an educational program for water resources use;
- use mass media;
- stimulate pupils to water saving;
- develop a plan of teaching and educational measures;
- include water issues in subjects;
- develop methodologies for education on water issues;
- create demonstration plots for rational water resources use at schools;
- assign voluntary patrolmen for water saving among pupils;
- assign mirabs (watermasters) among pupils;
- prepare exhibitions and posters;
- include water issues in the program “Odobnoma”;
- increase practical lessons on water issues at schools;
- prepare a methodical guidance for pupils;
- organize a system of teacher training;
- develop a system for using the Internet to receive information on advanced pedagogical methods for training in water issues;
- organize communication via the Internet with colleagues on training in water issues at schools
- organize cooperation between the Ministry of Public Education and Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan;
- develop a guidance for teachers;
- develop an educational program on water issues.
The participants of the workshop noted urgency of the questions raised, and expressed wish to cooperate in further project development.
ACTION PROGRAM OF THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION (MPE) AND MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES (MAWR) OF UZBEKISTAN FOR INTEGRATING WATER ISSUES INTO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UZBEKISTAN
- Preparing materials on water resources and use (MAWR of Uzbekistan).
- Drawing up an educational program for secondary comprehensive schools, a program including: materials on water resources and use; distributing concrete materials on water issues among school subjects and grades; allocated time while training during year (MPE and MAWR of Uzbekistan).
- Evaluating an educational program in educational practice with including water issues in secondary schools in Uzbekistan (selected comprehensive schools of MPE).
- Preparing a methodical guidance for teachers on training in water issues (MPE and MAWR of Uzbekistan - 6 months).
- Preparing a methodical guidance for training pupils of 5th to 9th grades, including a methodology for training in all subjects as well as in each subject separately (MPE and MAWR of Uzbekistan - 6 months).
- Evaluating methodical guidance for both teachers and pupils in educational practice (MPE).
- Organizing a course on teaching water issues within the framework of advanced training courses for teachers with giving a special certificate (systematically during a year, MPE).
- Synthesizing experience in integrating water issues into educational programs for comprehensive schools, and specifying: materials on water resources and use; educational programs including water issues; methodical guidance and methodologies for teachers and pupils.
WORKSHOP “ROLE OF ECOSYSTEMS AS WATER SUPPLIERS” AND
1st INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE MEETING
The Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscapes in association with the Secretariat of the Water Convention of the UN Economic Commission for Europe held a workshop “Role of Ecosystems as Water Suppliers” in Geneva, 13-14 December 2004. Decision-makers, lawyers, economists, managers, technicians, representatives from the private sector and NGOs, working on problems of water resources management, forests, landscapes and the environment took part in the meeting.
The main purpose of the workshop was to attract attention to the role of forests and wetlands in water cycle and advantages, related to protection, sustainable development and restoration of them with a view to providing sustainable water-management activity and supplying good-quality water. During the workshop, the participants shared experience in best practices and concrete measures for integrating forests and wetlands into sustainable water resources management.
Among the main questions discussed, there were problems of ecosystem management as a part of IWRM; need for further deepening the understanding of an ecosystem approach at different levels, accent on advantages of protection, sustainable use and restoration of ecosystems; importance of developing new technologies for monitoring, assessment and sharing of experience; multi-disciplinary cooperation; need for reviewing all issues at basin level taking into account groundwater, transboundary aspects and coastal environment. The participants seconded the fact that the importance of decisions based on knowledge, inter alia, defines the necessity of free information exchange between different levels and sectors. In discussion of legal and administrative aspects of the problem, a special attention was focused on the lack of adequate legislation and mechanisms for implementing the present regulatory legal acts. Significant fragmentation between state institutes for ecosystem protection and rational use was also called as one of challenges to be settled. Training and capacity building at all levels, more active public participation especially at local level taking into account tender aspects without fail, application of economic tools such as payment for ecological services, solidarity of upstream and downstream areas, and involvement of the private sector were called key tools for implementing proposed innovations.
The 1st IWRM Task Force Meeting took place on 15 December 2004. The participants were informed about the results of IWRM activity for the last year, in particular the results of the workshop on flood control and prevention (Berlin, 21-22 June 2004); workshop on the role of ecosystems as water suppliers (Geneva, 13-14 December 2004); implementation of the Water Directive; meeting of experts in water and industrial accidents (Budapest, 26 October 2004); third meeting under the project “Potential for cooperation on water resources in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia” (Kiev, 22-24 November 2004); state of the Water partnership for sustainable development and assistance, related to health issues; and activities of the UN bodies in adjacent areas (Commission on Sustainable Development, UN-Water, Initiative on the Environment and Security, International IWRM Conference in Tokyo).
|