Previous Home Next

No. 1 (172) January 2010



54th ICWC REGULAR MEETING

54th ICWC regular meeting was held 14-15 January 2010 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, under chairmanship of Mr. Orman A.O., Chairman of the Committee on Water Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The agenda was dedicated to the following issues:

  1. About results of vegetation period 2009 on the Amudarya and Syrdarya river basins (responsible: BWO "Amudarya" and BWO "Syrdarya").
  2. About water withdrawal limits within the Amudarya and Syrdarya river basins for Central Asian states, the predictive modes of reservoirs’ cascades and water delivery process in non-vegetation period 2009-2010 (responsible: BWO "Amudarya" and BWO "Syrdarya").
  3. About improvement of ecological situation in deltas of Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers (responsible: SIC ICWC).
  4. About preparing new ADB project RETA 6486 "Improving water resources management in Central Asia" (responsible: SIC ICWC)
  5. About realization of ICWC executive bodies rotation.
  6. About agenda and venue of 55th ICWC regular meeting.

ICWC members took note of information from BWOs "Amudarya" and "Syrdarya" about implementing the water withdrawal limits and the predictive modes of reservoirs' cascades in the Amudarya and Syrdarya river basins for vegetation period 2009.

SIC ICWC and its branches are requested to analyze data of BWO "Amudarya" and BWO "Syrdarya", to make conclusions and to present them at the next ICWC meeting.

ICWC members will undertake measures on organizing the joint measurements at the border hydrological stations under requests of BWO "Amudarya" and BWO "Syrdarya".

The meeting participants took note of information from BWOs "Amudarya" and "Syrdarya" about water delivery process in the non-vegetation period 2009-2010. It was pointed out that Parties did not reach an understanding about predictive withdrawal limits and reservoirs operation modes for non-vegetation period 2009-2010 because of existing energy problems in the region.

Participants took note of information from SIC ICWC about the ecological situation improving in the Amudarya and Syrdarya river deltas.

In connection with ADB proposal about work development on the project RETA 6486 "Improving water resources management in Central Asia", the ICWC members will consider the given materials and prepare proposals on work scope and personnel of national work groups according to ADB's requirements.

The issue about ICWC executive bodies rotation was also considered.

The ICWC secretariat was requested to establish an organizational commission from among SIC ICWC and representatives of its branches according to resolution of 53d ICWC meeting.

The next 55th ICWC meeting is to be held in the Republic of Uzbekistan in the second half of April 2010.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Zafar Ruziev is appointed the minister of agriculture and water management of the Republic of Uzbekistan by the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Before Zafar Ruziev was the deputy adviser to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on personnel and the deputy minister of agriculture and water management of the Republic.

The Agency on Water Resources and the State Enterprise "Irrigation" were established at the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kyrgyz Republic in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic "About organizational measures on implementing the positions of the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic "About structure of the government of the Kyrgyz Republic". Uzakbaev Chyngyzbek Makeshovicn was appointed the director of Agency on Water Resources at the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kyrgyz Republic; also he is appointed the ICWC member from the Kyrgyz Republic. Kamchybekov Ravshanbek Kamchybekovich is appointed the manager of the State Enterprise "Irrigation".

ABOUT THE ECOLOGICAL SITUATION IMPROVING IN THE AMUDARYA AND SYRDARYA RIVER DELTAS

"Restoration of equilibrium of destroyed ecosystems in the delta's region and firstly in deltas of Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers" is defined as one of general tasks of regional countries according to the Agreement of Heads of States of Central Asia of 6 March 1993 (Article 1).

Conception of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on resolving problems of Aral Sea and Priaralie with consideration of socio-economic development of the region approved by the Heads of States 11.01.1994 has defined more clearly that:

  • Works on creation of artificial ecosystems in deltas and on the dried sea bed are first-priorities as to nature conservation measures for Priaralie directly and have to include the followings on the own water resources base:
  • Creating the adjustable reservoirs system for Amudarya, and management of Small Sea part for Syrdarya;
  • The polder systems on the dried sea bed;
  • Works on vegetative reclamation for blown sands fixation;
  • Drainage waters delivering to the sea water area through the sand winnowing zones.

Schemes of integrated water resources use of the Amudarya and Syrdarya river basins approved by the governmental bodies before independence according to the agreement of all republics provide the ecological releases implementing along rivers length that are amounted 100 m3/sec aiming to ensure ecological sustainability of rivers as natural objects and to conserve deltas as well.

During the last 10 years the ICWC organizations implemented big works related to improvement of water volumes needed for ecological maintenance of rivers and deltas particularly of lakes, which correct values of the integrated water resources use schemes. Particularly, according to the NATO 974357 project, the necessary water volumes for maintaining the ecologically stable profile of the Amudarya river delta and the feeding to lakes on the area of 180 thousand hectares are 8km3 of water in the high-water year, 4.6 km3 - in the middle-water year, and as minimum 3.1 km3 - in the dry year. According to the NATO 980986 project dedicated to the Syrdarya river delta it was stated that in order to protect lakes and wetlands in deltas it is needed 1.78 km3 of garanteed water delivery including 133 million m3 of drainage waters for 6 lake systems on the area of 152 thousand hectares. Under the lakes systems reconstruction this water volume can be decreased to 1.4 km3. Additionally 2.7 km3/year of water is needed for maintenance of the water area of the Small Sea.

The Government of Kazakhstan with financial support of the World Bank implemented big works, which gave possibility to build a number of large structures in the Syrdarya downstream, to improve infrastructure of the Northern Sea and to start the second stage of this project today that provides further improvement of lakes system. At the present time the water area of the Northern Sea reached the project level of 42 m and the low water salinity about 15 g/L that is enough to support rapid development of fish culture in this region. The volume of fish catching in this water body has exceeded 2000 ton in 2008.

Similarly the Government of Uzbekistan implemented works on creation of the Sudochie lake's infrastructure in the western part of the Amudarya delta as well as construction a number of structures within the project on delta watering and on water delivery improvement for small water bodies in the delta.

All of above mentioned gave possibilities to have the lakes systems on the area of 116.7 thousand hectares in the Amudarya delta and 85.8 thousand hectares - in the Syrdarya delta to 2000.

At the same time Uzbekistan has organized works on afforestation of the dried bed of the Aral Sea on the area of 248 thousand hectares. It is interesting that observation implemented by 5 expeditions, which were organized by SIC ICWC under support of the German Government, have shown that these works resulted in broadening the dried sea bed to area of 200 thousand hectares. Today these works is being continued.

Unfortunately for the last years there are extremely unsteady water supply and its delivery into systems of lakes in both deltas.

Although the period from 2002 till 2007 was the high-water years, the volumes of water delivered through the Amudarya river in 2002 and in 2007 were less twice than was defined for the middle-water years. Practically all water bodies in the delta in the end of 2008 were dried. In 2009 with enough water (exceeding the mean annual runoff) water delivery through the river began only in August. This sharply affected the amount of fish in the delta and especially the migratory birds, for which the Amudarya delta was place of intermediate relaxation before further way.

Though water delivery through the Syrdarya river constantly exceeds the ecological releases, the water availability of delta's lakes is very unstable and this affects on the water body's area.

Such situation is because of very poor management of both deltas. In this connection a series of measures are needed at the regional and national level to implement tasks defined by the Heads of the States related to maintenance of ecological sustainability of Priaralie. Particularly:

  • Develop the long-term strategy of Central Asian republics on water supplying of environment and natural complexes and to adopt the relevant agreement;
  • Strengthen the role and authorities of BWO "Syrdarya" and BWO "Amudarya" on supply of guaranteed water delivery with consideration of the environment and natural complexes requirements;
  • BWO "Amudarya" jointly with the Low Amudarya basin association have to ensure strong waterwithdrawal limits on the site between the Tuyamuyun reservoir's tail-water and the delta's mouth (HP Samanbay) in order to supply the maximal water passing into the delta - not less than 100 m3/sec according to "Scheme on integrated water resources use of the Amudarya river basin"; discharge of water delivery has to be implemented by the department of dam of the Low Amudarya basin association at the HP Samanbay;
  • Establish WUA of each of deltas on the basis of consolidation of interested water users (fishermen, hunters, cattle-farmers, hokimiyats etc.), having recognized stakeholders interested in equitable and fair water distribution in the deltas' water bodies, and of promotion of interest in rational water use.