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No. 1 (298) January 2017



REGULAR 69TH MEETING OF THE INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR WATER COORDINATION IN CENTRAL ASIA

The 69th ICWC meeting was held on January 26, 2017 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The participants were the ICWC members Messrs. E.N. Nysanbayev (Republic of Kazakhstan), S.N. Rakhimzoda (Republic of Tajikistan), Sh.R. Khamraev (Republic of Uzbekistan) under the chairmanship of Mr. G. Baydjanov (Turkmenistan). The heads of ICWC executives bodies (BWO Amudarya, BWO Syrdarya, SIC ICWC, and the Secretariat) and some invitees also attended the meeting.

Agenda of the meeting included:

  1. Results of the growing season 2016 in the Syrdarya and Amudarya River basins;
  2. Consideration and approval of the water withdrawal limits and operation regimes of the reservoir cascade for the next non-growing season 2016-2017 in the Syrdarya and Amudarya River basins;
  3. Commemorative activities for the 25th anniversary of ICWC; and
  4. Agenda and venue of the next 70th ICWC meeting.

Having heard the reports of BWO Amudarya and BWO Syrdarya on the results of the growing season 2016 in the Syrdarya and Amudarya River basins, ICWC members have approved these reports. Based on the comments from Kazakhstan, BWO Syrdarya was instructed to update the data related to the Shardara reservoir and inflow to Prearalie and the Aral Sea.

ICWC members have underlined progress achieved by present in water accounting along the North Fergana Canal and Big Fergana Canal, as well as a need to make attempts to ensure water delivery to Tajikistan according to the approved limits. BWO Syrdarya was instructed to improve forecasts in order to reduce differences between the forecast and actual data on water availability. ICWC members also mentioned the common interest in improving and enhancing operation of gauging stations throughout the Syrdarya River basin, particularly, by installing automated stations and attracting attention of donors.

On the second item, ICWC members approved the projected water withdrawal limits by country and operation regime of the reservoir cascade for the non-growing season 2016-2017 in the Amudarya and Syrdarya River basins. In this context, they also stressed a need for consultation with the Kyrgyz party on the Syrdarya River basin in due course.

On the third item, ICWC members mentioned the important role of their organization in maintaining interstate water cooperation in Central Asia and decided to host commemorative activities for the 25th anniversary of the Commission in 2017. To this end, an Organization Committee is to be established. It will be comprised of ICWC members, SIC ICWC, the Secretariat and one representative per each member country. The Committee will prepare a preliminary program of the events within a month and submit it to ICWC members for discussion in their respective countries, with following application to donors for financial and other support.

ICWC members approved Messrs. O.A.Kholkhudjaev and M.Ya.Makhramov as the Heads of BWO Syrdarya and BWO Amudarya, respectively.

The next 70th ICWC meeting is to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in the first half of April 2017, with the following agenda:

  • The results of the non-growing season 2016-2017 in the Syrdarya and Amudarya River basins;
  • Consideration and approval of the water withdrawal limits and operation regimes of the reservoir cascade for the next growing season 2017 in the Syrdarya and Amudarya River basins;
  • Progress on commemorative activities for the 25th anniversary of ICWC;
  • Progress on the “Implementation Plan on strengthening ICWC activities in key directions”; and
  • Agenda and venue of the next 71st ICWC meeting.