15th OSCE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM
The 15th Economic and Environmental Forum of OSCE member countries was held on 21–23 May 2007 in Prague, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic, under the motto “Key challenges to ensure environmental security and sustainable development in OSCE area: soil degradation, silting and contamination and water management”. The Forum was attended by a great number of participants from Central Asia, in particular two ICWC members namely Minister of Land Reclamation and Water Resources of Tajikistan M.Ya. Khamidov and Director General of the Water Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic B.T. Koshmatov, as well as Deputy Minister of the Environment of Kazakhstan A. Braliyev, Director of the Agency for Aral Sea Projects at IFAS U.K. Buranov, representatives from water and environmental organizations of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Minister M.Y. Khamidov and Prof. V.A. Dukhovny took part in the meeting as key speakers.
The Forum was organized under the chairmanship of Spain. In their speeches, Secretary General of OSCE Marc Perrin de Brichambaut and OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Spain Miguel Angel Moratinos emphasized the role of water management as a top priority in the present world and OSCE Spanish Initiative.
In his report, Kaj Barlund, UNECE Director of the Environment and Human Settlements Division, focused on water security in Central Asia and the contribution of the European Commission to capacity building for international cooperation on transboundary waters in Central Asia. At the same time, he noted the importance of a new program for desertification control, including Central Asia.
Convener of the Forum 1st session “Environmental Security” Tom Spencer, former Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, present Vice President of the Dutch Institute for Environmental Security, drew the attention of participants to growing impact of climate change, its continually progressing extra-heavy consequences, possibility of growing unforeseen losses in the future, especially related to polar icecap melting, rise in world ocean level. He cited intensified climatic and hydrological forecasts and strengthened water cooperation as two main ways to mitigate these consequences.
Director of the Department for Nature Management and Development of Italy Sorado Clini critically regarded the current attention of donors to discussed problems, noted numerous overlaps and doubling, low efficiency. At the same time he emphasized the big role of Central Asia in the future regional and global security.
Director of the Russian Federal Agency for Water Resources Rustem Khamitov outlined the role of Russia in strengthening water cooperation, noted that Russia is actively pursuing a line of the Eurasian Economic Community, within the framework of which it is planned to establish a Eurasian Water Center uniting interests of all CIS countries.
The second plenary session of the meeting was dedicated to cooperation on transboundary rivers: experience of France on Rhine, experience on the Aral Sea basin and the cooperation Spain-Portugal. The session also considered the experience with international use of transboundary waters in such water-deficit region as the Middle East, where representatives from Palestine, Israel and Jordan unanimously spoke. The attention was focused on the importance of information openness between partners of such cooperation and strict compliance with the Aarhus Convention.
Later on the same day, a special measure took place: environmental assessment in Central Asia and possible follow-up actions. U.K. Buranov told about measures taken by Uzbekistan to improve natural environment in Priaralie (creation of a system of small water bodies, afforestation, delta restoration). He was supported by M.Ya. Khamidov, who suggested adopting the appeal of the meeting participants to the Governments of developed countries for help in solving environmental problems in Priaralie. A. Braliyev (Kazakhstan) set out the large program of the country for eliminating negative consequences of past environmental disasters.
At the fifth session of the Forum, the problem of land degradation and contamination was discussed. Gregory Kalbermatschen, Assistant Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, said that Central Asia is a key focus area for the Convention, and that a decision was made to establish a special center for desertification control in Central Asia.
At the final session, Director of the Russian Federal Agency for Water Resources R. Khamitov offered the OSCE to concentrate its efforts on preventing catastrophes and eliminating their consequences, avoiding doubling with other programs. “Russia is ready to undertake obligation to provide assistance to Central Asian countries in solving water problems”.
A number of meetings of delegations from Central Asian countries with donors were held during the Forum. In particular, an agreement was reached with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel on development of a program for cooperation between ICWC and the Israeli Water Management Organization and a number of measures were planned. At the invitation of the Israeli Government, ICWC members will attend WATEC exhibition in Tel Aviv and be introduced to achievements of Israeli water sector in late October – early November. A number of trainings will be organized and some program meetings will be held.
The management of OSCE intends to provide assistance to ICWC in development of training activity.
WORK MEETING UNDER THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK RETA 6163:
“IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN CENTRAL ASIA”
A work meeting of thematic subgroups on development of rules for fulfillment of procedural obligations and recommendations for improvement of the rules for regulation and management of water and energy (“water-energy” at the suggestion of Kyrgyz and Tajik National Working Groups (NWG)) resources in the Syrdarya river basin, and revision of the draft Agreement on Strengthening the Organizational Framework for Management, Protection and Rational Use of Water Resources in Transboundary Water Bodies was held under the ADB RETA 6163 “Improved Management of Shared Water Resources in Central Asia” on 30-31 May 2007 in Tashkent. Leaders of Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik NWGs, members of thematic subgroups and members of the Regional Working Group (RWG) took part in the meeting.
The participants were informed about appointment of A.M. Zairov as Leader of Tajik NWG and amendments to the membership of the working groups. Prof. V.A. Dukhovny set out the progress in follow-up activities after the work meeting under the project and the ICWC meeting in Almaty, 25-26 April 2007.
According to the decision of the 47th ICWC meeting, the new draft Agreement on the Use of Water and Energy Resources in the Syrdarya River Basin was mainly agreed and should be signed through sending notifications of approval by the parties within a month. The sent text of the Agreement was signed by A.D. Ryabtsev Chairman of the Committee for Water Resources at the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, and S.R. Khamrayev, Deputy Minister and Head of the Water Department at the Ministry of agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan.
According to the decision of the 46th ICWC meeting, a lag was marked in implementing measures under items 2 and 3 of the work schedule, noting that work under items 7 and 8 has not been started yet. The meeting participants appealed to the leaders of thematic subgroups to intensify activities of subgroups.
The participants ask the leader of Tajik NWG to appoint no later than 15 June 2007 Tajik representatives for thematic subgroups, especially leader of the subgroup on development and agreeing of detailed methodical recommendations for accounting of basin-wide costs, collection of data and assessment of actual damage from water resources use regimes. It is planned to hold 1st meeting of the thematic subgroup in early July 2007.
Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek NWGs presented written remarks to the draft Statute on ICWC. According to the decision of the 47th ICWC meeting, the draft was considered in concurrence with the draft Agreement on Strengthening the Organizational Framework for Management, Protection and Rational Use of Water Resources in Transboundary Water Bodies (Interstate Sources) in the Aral Sea Basin (version 1/2007, April 2007). Only Uzbek NWG presented written remarks to this draft Agreement send to all ICWC members and executors on 1 May 2007.
The draft Statute on ICWC was considered on 30 May 2007. Amendments adopted during the discussion and matters to be further agreed were mentioned in the new draft Statute on ICWC.
The draft Agreement on Organizational Framework was discussed up to item 6 inclusive (version 2/2007, May, Tashkent), including with regard to remarks of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan provided earlier to the 2003 Agreement version, which were not taken into account, according to the opinion of Kyrgyzstan. In the opinion of Uzbek NWG, earlier provided written remarks were not taken into consideration during the discussion. It was decided that the parties should consider suggestions of Uzbek NWG and present their positions.
Due to the opinion of representatives from Kyrgyz and Uzbek NWGs on the need for getting opinions from all NWGs, the work on this Agreement was stopped until possibility to compare opinions from different countries. Both the representatives consider it necessary to complete the work on the draft Agreement, and then start revision of the Statute.
NWGs will present remarks and suggestions to the discussed documents up to 20 June 2007. Representatives of NWGs will agree with ICWC members the adopted amendments to reach a consensus. After that a decision will be made to hold next meeting of subgroups.
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