UZBEKISTAN ACCEDES TO TWO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS
On 4 September 2007 the Republic of Uzbekistan acceded to two International Conventions:
- Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Helsinki, 17 March 1992)
- Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (New-York, 21 May 1997)
KAZAKHSTAN PROPOSES ONCE AGAIN TO GIVE THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR SAVING THE ARAL SEA A STATUS OF UN INSTITUTION
Kazakhstan proposes once again to give the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea a status of United Nations institution, stated President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, speaking at the debate of the 62nd session of UN General Assembly in New-York.
“Central Asian countries have done much to restore the sea, but it is necessary to consolidate the efforts of the world community for solving this problem. And I propose once again, as at the World Summit in 2003, to give the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea a status of UN institution” – N. Nazarbayev said.
The President reminded that by the 1990s the former large inland Aral Sea had lost three fourths of its water. It became a disaster for millions of people living around the sea. The salt from the exposed seabed is spread all over Eurasia, damaging the environment” – the President stated.
“Kazakhstan welcomes the decision of the General Assembly to choose the problems related to climate change as the priority topic of the present session" – he stated.
Therefore, the Head of the State drew attention to the initiative of Kazakhstan submitted at the Johannesburg Summit for Sustainable Development. The President proposed once again to “create a Register of Global Environmental Problems within the framework of the United Nations”. “This document will help to develop mechanisms for struggle against ecological catastrophes” – he thinks.
Source: Kazakhstan Today
WORK MEETING UNDER THE ADB RETA 6163
“IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF SHARED WATER RESOURCES IN CENTRAL ASIA”
A meeting of Subgroup 4 on Strengthening the Organizational Framework for Management, Protection and Development of Interstate Water Resources in the Aral Sea Basin within the framework of ADB RETA 6163 “Improved Management of Shared Water Resources in Central Asia” was held in Tashkent on 21-22 September 2007.
The meeting was attended by:
- for Kazakhstan – K.P. Pulatov
- for Tajikistan – Kh. Islomov
- for Turkmenistan – A. Tachnazarov
- for Uzbekistan – R.Z. Srajitdinov
- for BWO Amudarya – O.G. Lysenko
- for SIC ICWC – P.D. Umarov, F.F. Beglov, V.V. Khegay.
Executor for the Kyrgyz National Working Group (NWG) Zh. Sarybayeva and representative of BWO Syrdarya A.G. Loktionov did not participate in the subgroup’s meeting.
The members of subgroup 4 considered the draft Statute on ICWC requiring additional agreeing, and agreed the draft Statute as a whole.
Representative of the Tajik NWG Kh. Islomov reserved the right to additional consultation with the direction of the Ministry of Reclamation and Water Resources of Tajikistan on editing item 2.19
According to the decision made by ICWC members at the work meeting in Bishkek, the question on rotation of heads of ICWC executive bodies and deployment site is put into a separate Statute.
The second version of the Agreement on Strengthening the Organizational Framework was considered. Following the insertion of amendments and supplements, the draft Agreement was agreed as a whole.
The subgroup members made an offer to change the name into “Agreement on Enhancing the Status of ICWC and Its Executive Bodies” and ask ICWC to approve this offer.
REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON THE
“CENTRAL ASIA REGIONAL WATER INFORMATION BASE (CAREWIB)” PROJECT
A Regional Workshop on the ‘Central Asia Regional Water Information Base (CAREWIB)’ Project was held in Tashkent on 25-26 September 2007 with the sponsorship of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The aim of this workshop was to present the CAWater-Info Portal and CAREWIB Information System created during Phase 1 and train to create national information systems and apply the CAREWIB Regional Information System in daily activities.
The workshop brought together representatives from the stakeholders of the CAWater-Info Portal and CAREWIB Information System, the executors and donor of the CAREWIB Project:
For the Republic of Kazakhstan - Committee for Water Resources at the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan; AO KEGOC; Kazakh Institute of Strategic Research at the President of Kazakhstan
For the Kyrgyz Republic - Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic; SIC ICWC Kyrgyz Office.
For the Republic of Tajikistan - Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources of Tajikistan; Institute TajikNIIGiM; Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower and Environment at the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan; SIC ICWC Tajik Office.
For Turkmenistan - Ministry of Water Resources of Turkmenistan
For the Republic of Uzbekistan - Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan; Center for Socio-Economic Studies; State Water Inspection.
For the Russian Federation - FGUP “Center for Register and Cadastre” at the Russian Water Agency.
Regional organizations - SIC ICWC; BWO Amudarya; BWO Syrdarya; IFAS GEF Agency.
NGO – “Logos”.
Director of SIC ICWC Prof. V.A. Dukhovny and SDC Consultant J. Kraehenbuehl opened the workshop and welcomed the participants.
At the workshop, key staff members of the CAREWIB Project made presentations on the application of the CAWater-Info Portal, CAREWIB Information System, including its analytical capabilities, application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in water resources management, methods for formation of databases. A practical training was organized for the participants to reinforce skills to form databases and conduct operations with data. A number of guidelines and special questionnaires were prepared and published for the workshop:
- Guidelines for use of the CAWater-Info portal in daily practice;
- Guidelines for use of the Regional Information System of the Aral Sea basin countries;
- Instructional guidelines for formation of water information system at national level.
According to the draft Agreement on the Formation and Functioning of National, Basin and Regional Databases on Integrated Use and Protection of Water Resources in the Aral Sea Basin approved by ICWC members at the 44th ICWC meeting (30-31 March 2006, Ashghabat), the significant way for supporting the CAREWIB Project is to enhance the access to information on water resources, water sector and environment in Central Asia at regional, basin and national levels through initiating formation of national information systems interlinked to regional, basin and national databases. The CAREWIB Project will develop a common methodical basis for national information systems of all Central Asian countries by joint efforts of SIC and ICWC members.
The Decision made by the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination in Central Asia (minutes of 46th ICWC meeting, 8-10 March 2007, Ashghabat) serves as a basis for formation of national databases as well.
The water ministries of the countries will be beneficiaries of the expected national databases. They will also conduct exploitation of national databases.
SIC will deliver specially purchased hardware, necessary software, methodology for database maintenance, model interface and available database on each country to developers of each national database, and will provide support in form of a series of training workshops and consultations.
All the participants of the workshop noted that there is undoubtedly a need for further development of information exchange in the region and adoption of information systems not only in the water ministries and province water management organizations, but also at lower level, i.e. district water management organizations and WUAs. The application of national information systems will enable to improve the procedure of water use planning in quality and perform the procedures of water resources use planning and control up to date.
All the participants expressed sincere gratitude to the workshop organizers: SIC ICWC and workshop sponsor SDC.
|