ICWC TRAINING CENTER'S ACTIVITY
Aral Sea Basin Management Model
Over the past 15 years, the SIC ICWC is conducting researches on the development and adaptation of integrated models for water resources management in the basins of Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers for short-term (1-2 years) and long-term (20-25 years) periods. The theoretical basis and architecture of integrated models were developed in detail for the Chirchik-Ahangaran-Keles basin (RIVERTWIN project), and the user interface was developed within the collaborative project of SIC ICWC and UNESCO IHE "ASBmm - popular version". Information support of models is served by the regional database (CAREWIB project).
Software and information support of "ASBmm popular version" (the Aral Sea Basin Model) is planned to distribute in Central Asian countries in the first half of 2011 in two ways: on the CD and in the INTERNET. Access to the ASBmm via the Internet will allow the user in accordance with his project to create various strategies on water and energy resources management in the basin as a whole, as well as in some areas (planning zones) of Central Asian countries, given the future scenarios of the socio-economic development, future climate change, environmental restrictions and requirements (aquatic ecosystems, the Aral Sea), the scenarios of agriculture development, etc. Software includes: a model of water allocation and regulation by the reservoirs with waterworks and hydropower station (water and energy balances, etc.), a planning zone model (assessment of agricultural production, water supply for irrigated lands, water balance of irrigated lands), a socio-economic model (calculation of indicators by sectors), database and interface.
Recently, the Round Table within the joint UNESCO IHE and SIC ICWC Program on capacity building for integrated planning and water resources management in Central Asia was held on 27-28 October in Tashkent (The Park Turon Hotel) at which experts from the countries of Central Asia and Europe discussed the ASBmm progress and further actions on the project The Round Table was attended by Mr. Joop de Schutter, Mr. Shreedhar Maskey, Netherland, UNESCO IHE; Mr. Laktionov A.G., Deputy Director of BWO "Syrdarya"; Mr. Lysenko O.G., BWO "Amu Darya"; Prof. Dukhovny V.A., Director of SIC ICWC; Mr. Sorokin A.G., Head of Regional Water Management Department of SIC ICWC; and others. The GEF Agency was presented by Y.K .Gorshkov, Manager on Water Management. The Institute of Forecasting and Macroeconomic Research of the Republic of Uzbekistan was presented by Mr. S.V.Chepel. Mr. Petrov G.N., academician of Tajik Academy of Engineering , Head of the Laboratory of the Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower and Ecology of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, and a renowned expert in the field of Central Asian hydropower and water resources was invited to participate in the Round Table.
The Round Table's participants took part in the regional training seminar on October 29, 2010 , organized by UNESCO IHE and SIC ICWC (The Park Turon Hotel), for preparing trainers for the Central Asian countries on regional transboundary cooperation on IWRM, international law, etc . The potentials of ASBmm popular version were demonstrated to future trainers of Central Asian countries through the Internet. The role-playing game was carried out on this subject during which the note to improve the ASBmm from popular version to the research version for experts involved into decision-making process on current and strategic water planning, allocation and use in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins.
A Sorokin
The Round table on the project “Implementing financial mechanism on interrelation between agriculture and water management in Uzbekistan”
Uzbek government defined the agriculture as one of the priority sectors within the general policy of development of country. The plan includes modernisation of this sector to increase its productivity, without prejudice to the environment. More than 80% of Uzbekistan's agriculture is the irrigated agriculture. Therefore available water resources, their quality and sufficient quantity are one of the major factors of development of Uzbekistan. To overcome water shortage limiting the development of country it is needed a lot of efforts to construct and modernise large infrastructure for water mobilizing and supplying.
Financial instability of irrigated agricultural sector enforces to adopt innovative financing options, because researchers increasingly discover that farmers may pay only a portion of all costs for water and for land reclamation. More than 80% of the costs have to be taken from other sources. The costs depend on various natural conditions which have to be investigated before adoption of the budget at the national level
Recently, the Round Table within the joint UNESCO IHE and SIC ICWC "Program on development and implementing financial mechanism on interrelation between agriculture and water management in Uzbekistan", where representatives of abovementioned organizations discussed the work plan and further activity on the AFMAS project, was held in Tashkent on 28-29 October 2010. The Round Table was attended by Mr. Prasad K., UNESCO IHE; Prof. Dukhovny V.A., Director of SIC ICWC; Mr. Yusupov N.S., Manager of the Economists Group; Mr. Muminopv Sh.Kh., Consultant on Economics; Mr. Ibragimov I.I., Consultant on Economics; Mr. Gozhenko B.V., Consultant on Economics.
The roundtable participants took part in preparation of the initial action plan, in the methodology description, schedule for implementation of the envisaged work and the allocation of responsibilities between the SIC ICWC and Asian Institute of Techlonogies. Also the contributions to the project by researchers and the goals to be achieved was agreed.
I. Ibragimov
Regional Seminar within the framework of the UNESCO-IHE and SIC ICWC Collaborative Program "Capacity Building for Integrated Planning and Water Resources Management in Central Asia"
The seminar was held on 26-30 October 2010 in Tashkent. The following persons participated in this seminar: Mr. Joop de Schutter, Deputy Director, UNESCO-IHE; Mr. Krishna Prasad, senior teacher, UNESCO-IHE; and Sridhara Masks, senior teacher, UNESCO-IHE; representatives of the SIC ICWC: Victor Dukhovny, Director; Pulathon Umarov, Deputy Director and Director of Training Center, the block leaders - Nazir Mirzaev, Michael Horst, Yusuf Rysbekov, Anatoly Sorokin, and representatives of five Central Asian countries invited as future trainers.
The aim of the seminar was to get feedback from the future national trainers who have received a lot of educational materials at the first regional seminar held in the framework of this collaborative program on 7-16 June 2010 in Tashkent. The training materials were developed by the Block's managers in the following areas:
- Integrated Water Resources Management
- Improving irrigated farming
- International Water Law
- Regional Cooperation on Transboundary Rivers
The block leaders have generalized the whole experience not only of SIC ICWC, but also of the region and presented it as the guided material for the future trainers. The main tasks of participants were to prepare notes and comments as well to adapt the material to local conditions of each country. Despite the fact that not all trainers were able to take part in the seminar, and there are only few comments to the training material, this seminar was successful, the participants actively have exchanged experience and views regarding the structure and content of educational material, as well as future plans for organizing national seminars.
Future trainers made their presentations about situation within water sector in their countries, and also evaluated educational materials. In general, most participants accepted the structure and content of modules presented by the coordinators of 4 blocks. At the same time the block leaders were satisfied with the work done by the future trainers. Reports of the participants were very interesting and informative, particularly the report of Kipshakbaev N., Director of the Branch of SIC Training Center in Kazakhstan. Mrs. Sakhvaeva E., chief specialist of the Chu-Talas Commission has provided information on the Basin Boards in Kazakhstan and about organizing the Information Center at the Committee on Water Management.
The presentation on ASBmm by Sorokin is of particular interest. A large interesting work on development of database was done, and any user, using own data to be entered, can get interesting information about the rivers of Central Asia.
Much attention was paid to conduct the role-playing games. The block coordinators have developed scenarios for role-playing games (RPG) on each block. Themes of RPG:
- Block ¹ 1 “Integrated Water Resources Management” ;
- Block ¹ 2 “Relation between water saving and financial sustainability of water management organizations”;
- Block ¹ 3 "Rotation of ICWC executive bodies in Central Asia: decision-making process - how it should be?"
- Block ¹ 4 "Developing and evaluating possible scenarios for development of water-energy sectors iin the Aral Sea Basin by ASBmm models (popular version)".
Future trainers very seriously embraced the game, and actively participated in the discussion of the proposed problems.
It was the first experience of this training method used by the block coordinators. Leaders used the information received from UNESCO-IHE colleagues, and introduced their add-ins into the rules of role-playing games. This method is very popular and widely used in all educational institutions in the world. The role-playing game makes you think of the situation posed, thereby activating the thinking of participants, which eventually leads to the active educational process. This method is a type of teaching based on the study of the problem, and our task is to look for other ways of teaching.
At the end of the seminar the simulation game LIBRA on planning a river basin was conducted . In conclusion, Mr. Joop de Schutter expressed his opinion about the need for further improvement of educational material, use of new training methods, ensuring the training sustainability, establishing links with universities in the region, as well strengthening information exchange between countries.
E Tsay
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