41st ORDINARY MEETING OF THE INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR WATER COORDINATION
The 41st ordinary meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) was held on 17-18 March 2005 in Tashkent under the chairmanship of S.R. Khamrayev, deputy minister and head of the Water Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan. The following matters were entered on the meeting agenda:
- About the results of vegetation 2004 and draft reservoir cascade operation modes and limits on water intake from the Amudarya and Syrdarya river channels for hydrological period 2004-2005.
- Report on financial and economic activities of ICWC executive bodies – BWO “Amudarya”, BWO “Syrdarya” and SIC ICWC - in 2004 covering the following matters: structure; staff size; amount of financing; share holding; participation in projects funded by donors.
- Program for maintaining financial and economic activities of ICWC and its executive bodies in 2005:
- plan for financing operational costs;
- plan of project activities;
- SIC ICWC’s plan of research activities;
- CMC ICWC’s plan of operation;
- plan of the ICWC Training Center and its subsidiaries.
- About the preparation of a draft agreement on the Syrdarya river basin.
- About the agenda and venue of the 42nd ICWC meeting.
Additional matters:
- About the 4th Annual Central Asian International Scientific-Practical Conference in Almaty.
- About water situation in the Syrdarya mid- and downstream reaches.
Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan S.U. Ismailov addressed a welcoming speech to the participants of the meeting.
The ICWC members took notice of information from BWO “Amudarya” and BWO “Syrdarya” on implementing water intake limits and providing the adopted actual operation mode of reservoir cascades on the Syrdarya and Amudarya rivers over the past vegetation period 2004.
The corrected operation modes of reservoir cascades on and water intakes from the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers for the remaining part of non-vegetation period 2004-2005 were confirmed. The participants of the meeting approved tentative limits on water intakes from the Amudarya and Syrdarya river channels and operation modes of reservoir cascades on these rivers.
BWO “Syrdarya” was charged to submit proposed operation modes of the Naryn-Syrdarya reservoir cascade to the approval of power agencies in the Syrdarya river basin.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan and Water Resources Committee at the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan were commissioned to consider the matter in regard to allocating funds to maintain and operate the Golodnostepskiy collector transferred to the balance of BWO “Syrdarya”.
The ICWC members confirmed the reports on financial and economic activities of ICWC executive bodies - BWO “Amudarya”, BWO “Syrdarya”, SIC ICWC and its subsidiaries - in 2004.
BWO “Syrdarya” in association with water organizations of the basin states were commissioned to analyze fund requirements for each object and submit the results at the next ICWC meeting.
The participants approved the cost estimates to finance operational needs of BWO “Amudarya”, BWO “Syrdarya”, CMC ICWC, SIC ICWC and its subsidiaries in 2005. The plan of operation of the ICWC Training Center for January-July 2005 was approved as well.
SIC ICWC was charged to prepare, by the next ICWC ordinary meeting, suggestions for improving the structure and performance of SIC and its subsidiaries by allocating its maintenance costs among the ICWC member states in 2005, and make amendments, taking it into account, in agreement with the ICWC members.
The participants of the meeting took notice of information from BWO “Syrdarya” on the progress of drafting an agreement on the Syrdarya river basin. ICWC member for Uzbekistan S.R. Khamrayev was commissioned to make a suggestion to the Government on participation of the republic in drafting an agreement.
BWO “Syrdarya” was charged before adopting the agreement to inform the ICWC members about the operation mode of the river and transboundary canals every month.
The participants approved the suggestion of the Water Resources Committee at the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan on holding the next Annual Central Asian International Scientific-Practical Conference in Almaty on 27-29 April 2005. This conference is to be dedicated to the 4th World Water Forum. The conference is titled “ICWC towards the 4th World Water Forum: local actions to prevent water crisis”. The Organizational Committee of the conference was commanded to invite representatives from the international organizations.
The ICWC members took information of Chairman of the Water Resources Committee at the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan A.D. Ryabtsev and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan S.R. Khamrayev into consideration. BWO “Syrdarya” was charged to carry out permanent monitoring and take concerted actions with power agencies of the Syrdarya river basin states in the period of spring tide in 2005.
To reduce water inflow to the Shardara reservoir, possible measures for water intake from canals in the midstream reaches are to be taken. In case of critical water inflow to the Shardara reservoir, the heads of water authorities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will gather for consideration.
All water organizations in Central Asia were recommended to take part in the international conference on 30 May - 1 June 2005 in Dushanbe.
It was decided to hold the 42nd ordinary meeting of ICWC on 27-29 April 2005 in Almaty.
“INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN FERGANA VALLEY”
PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
A conference to summarize the three-year activities of the project “Integrated Water Resources Management in Fergana Valley” (IWRM-Fergana) and a meeting of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) took place on 9-11 March 2005 in Fergana city.
The PSC meeting brought together: heads of water authorities from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and a range of international organizations such as Zh. Bekbolotov, K.Omurzakov, N. Kipshakbayev, G. Negmatov, N. Rakhmatov, A. Rakhmatilloyev, K. Saidmuradov, A.Rajabov, V. Dukhovny, P. Umarov, K. Mantritilake, V. Sokolov, Ě. Ul Hassan, U. Herren.
At the meeting, the following questions were discussed:
- Results of the project activities over the period 2002-2005.
- Coordination of activities before the completion of project phase II in April 2005.
- Initial version of the project document and a budget of project phase III aimed at implementing IWRM principles.
The PSC member confirmed principal results of the IWRM-Fergana Project over the period 2002-2005 and principal line and contents of the first version of the project document for project phase III.
Based on the project document, a 2005-2008 project budget and a 2005 work program will be developed.
The new Steering Committee immediately assembles in a meeting after signing a Draft Agreement for phase III and includes:
- Heads or deputy heads of water agencies in the three states
- Head of BWO “Syrdarya”
- Head of the ICWC Secretariat
- Director of the SDC Office for the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan
The materials of the meeting are available on the IWRM-Fergana Project website at: www.iwrm.icwc-aral.uz
K. ANNAN: WATER RESOURCES ARE NOT REASON FOR CONFLICTS
The UN Office in Almaty disseminated the message from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the occasion of International Water Day to be celebrated on 22 March 2005.
In his message, Kofi Annan calls the mankind to more seriously think of the significance of water resources in the world. Millions of people on the planet are facing water shortage. Children die every year from water-related diseases. Furthermore, droughts regularly affect some of the poorest countries in the world.
The world needs react to these problems better. It is necessary to raise water use efficiency, especially in agriculture. It is necessary to free women and girls from routine work of carrying water, often from distant sources. We ought to involve them in decision-making on water resources management. We should make sanitation improvement a priority. The progress has slowed down in this field indeed. We need demonstrate that water resources should not be reason for conflicts. They should be catalyst for cooperation, the UN Secretary-General considers.
“Significant progress has been made. However, the major efforts are ahead. That is why this year the International Water Day also initiates the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”. Our task is to achieve, by 2015, the agreed water and sanitation-related goals and create a basis for further progress in the coming years,” – says the Secretary-General in the message.
It is very urgent matter of development and dignity of human-being. This International Water Day, let’s show resolve to provide all the people in the world with safe and clean water. Let’s confirm our commitments on improved management of water resources, which are our means for survival and sustainable development in the 21st century, the UN Secretary-General has called.
KazInform, 18 March 2005
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