SIC ICWC HOLDS A WORKSHOP ON INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE AND WATER COOPERATION
On 11-12 July, as part of the project “Developing a National Adaptation Planning Process in Turkmenistan”, the second of planned six workshops was held for the members of the Coordination Mechanism and decision makers on integration of adaptation into water planning.
The workshop was organized by SIC ICWC jointly with the Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development (SIC ICSD) and with the financial support of UNDP. Experts from SIC ICWC, SIC ICSD, Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, Global Water Partnership, Agency for Implementation of IFAS Projects in Uzbekistan, Secretary of the Kazakh Party of the Chu-Talas Commission, representatives of UNECE and others took part and made presentations at the workshop.
The main objective was to enhance knowledge of the participants about international, regional and national legal instruments of water resources management in the context of climate change. The participants learned about country climate commitments, UN conventions on water and climate, existing water management system in the Central Asian region, examples of transboundary cooperation all over the world, and water diplomacy.
Director of SIC ICWC, D. Ziganshina in her presentation “Adaptation of water allocation in the Amu Darya River Basin to changes taking place over the last three decades” indicated to experience accumulated by riparian countries of the Aral Sea Basin in adaptation of water management to new conditions. She explained the dry year situations in 2001 and 2008, analyzed the inter-state water limits over 30 years, and gave practical recommendations on how to improve the current situation in the basin. Responding to questions, she told on forthcoming reforms in IFAS organizations.
Expert from SIC ICWC, A. Rysbekov made two presentations on “Legal and institutional frameworks of water cooperation under umbrella of ICWC” and “Examples of governance adaptation in transboundary basins”. In particular, he presented the chronology of establishment of regional organizations, the legal mechanisms regulating transboundary water relations and addressed strengths and weaknesses of regional organizations, as well as advantages and shortcomings of bi- and multilateral agreements reached between the CA countries. He also showed examples of adaptation of transboundary water management in the Rhine, Danube, Mekong, and La Plata river basins and of joint operation of Itaipu Dam.
UNECE representatives A. Belokurov and T. Kutonova spoke on the UN Water Conventions, particularly the role of the UN Convention for adaptation of transboundary river management to climate change and the examples of adaptation measures in the transboundary Dniester River basin.
Secretary of the Kazakhstan party of the Chu-Talas Commission, I. Akbozova made a report "Adaptation to climate change in the Chu-Talas Transboundary Basin", where she presented the legal framework and mechanism of cooperation in the Chu-Talas Basin, talked about the development of cooperation and adaptation experience in the Chu-Talas basin.
Representatives of SIC ICSD made presentations on Turkmenistan’s climate and water commitments, main directions of water diplomacy in Turkmenistan, ICSD and adaptation to climate change, ongoing activities to overcome the crisis in the Aral Sea zone of Turkmenistan, adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins, and the Caspian Sea, with detailed Turkmenistan's commitments under international documents on climate change, etc.
Finally, the participants have got answers to raised questions.
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