ICWC 10-years Anniversary: Report about the events

On the occasion of the 10^th Anniversary of Interstate Coordination Water Commission in Almaty — the city where 10 years ago such an important event for Central Asian water economy and environment occurred — a series of activities was carried on:

• 32^nd ICWC Jubilee Meeting

• Scientific and Practical Conference “Water Resources of Central Asia”

• The 3-rd Central Asian Exhibition on Water Technologies and Water Management

• ICWC Members and Donors Meeting

• GWP Regional Conference for Central Asian and Transcaucasian Countries

Along with ICWC members — A. Ryabtsev, B. Koshmatov, А. Nazyrov, Т. Altyev, А. Djalalov, and honorary members, the invited participants of these activities were: B. Schultz, President of International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage; C. Madramootoo, Vice-president of ICID and Director of Brace Center/McGill's University; V. Roshupkin, Prime Deputy Minister of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation; N. Mikheyev, consultant of the Minister of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation; P. Polad-zade, Director General of Public Joint-Stock Company “Vodstroy” and others.

The importance of ICWC activity in many respects was emphasized by the presence of a great number of foreign guests - the representatives of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UN European Commission, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Swiss International Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC), USA, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Denmark, European Union, Global Water Partnership (GWP), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), etc.

32^nd ICWC Jubilee Meeting

ICWC jubilee conference was held on February 20, 2002 in Almaty. Conference was chaired by the Chairman of Committee of Water Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.D.Ryabtsev.

ICWC members and leaders of its executive bodies, honorable ICWC members, ICID President B. Shultz, ICID Vice President C. Madramootoo, First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources of Russian Federation N. Mikheyev, General Director “Vodstroi” P.A.Polad-zade were presented.

The agenda was as follow:

• Election of T. Altyev as ICWC honorable member.

• Awarding with pectoral symbol “ICWC honorable member”.

• Making more precise water reservoir cascade and water limits working regime in Syrdarya and Amudarya basin for non-growing period of 2001-2002.

• Donors and ICWC members meeting.

• Forthcoming 33-rd ICWC meeting’s agenda and place.

Meeting has decided:

ICWC members agreed to elect T. Altyev, EC IFAS Chairman as “ICWC honorable member” and decorate with pectoral symbol taking into account his contribution to IFAS development.

It was decided to decorate with pectoral symbols “ICWC honorable member”:

Aly Shady, CIDA Senior Adviser; Chandra Madramootoo, Director Brace Center for Water Resources Management of McGill University — for CIDA contribution to training activity and water sector development, ICWC Training Center establishing;

Walter Fust, Director SDC — for contribution to water sector development in Central Asia, Initiation of the range of projects implemented by ICWC local organizations.

BWO “Syrdarya” and BWO “Amudarya” information on water reservoir cascade and water limits working regime in Syrdarya and Amudarya basin for non-growing period of 2001-2002 was accepted. Naryn-Syrdarya cascade working regime up to April 1, 2002 was endorsed after its correction. ICWC members (except Turkmenistan) are advised to promote conclusion on interstate agreements on water-power resources of Syrdarya basin for the growing period 2002 and make more precise draught consequences assessment for relevant measures preparation.

It was decided to carry out meeting of donors and ICWC members on February 22, 2002 to work out measures on joint work effectiveness increase. Co-Chairmen are A. Ryabtsev from ICWC and D. Pearce from the World Bank.

Scientific and Practical Conference “Water Resources of Central Asia”

Scientific-Applied Conference “Water Resources of Central Asia” took place on February 20-22, 2002 in Almaty and was devoted to ICWC 10-year Anniversary. More than 200 scientists and practicians from 20 countries took part in the conference. Here were plenary (17 papers) and 4 section sessions:

• Water resources management and water right (22 papers);

• Water for municipal needs, water quality and health (25 papers);

• Water for environment and food (41 papers);

• Water for industry, power engineering and technology of its application (32 papers).

During plenary session presentation were made by ICWC members, leaders of ICWC executive bodies, Russian Federation, international organizations representatives.

It can be said that the conference became a “picture” reflecting modern status and issues in water sector of Central Asian countries. Range of interests was very wide: IWRM, sustainable development, Transboundary water resources, mathematical modeling, water saving, drinking water supply, water quality, water source ecology, hydropower engineering, water reservoir and pumping station operation, etc.

Magazine ”Land Reclamation and Water Management” (vol. 1, 2002), issued especially for ICWC jubilee and containing papers of ICWC members, leaders of its executive bodies, was presented to all participants.

Special collections and leaflets, reflecting ICWC 10-year activity, were prepared and issued before the conference.

Conference has decided:

Decision of Scientific-Applied Conference devoted to ICWC 10-year anniversary

1. ICWC establishing on February 18, 2992 and its approval by the Heads of State on April 26, 1993 is excellent reflection of deep understanding by governments of the Central-Asian states the role of joint water resources use and preservation management in all countries development, providing water and environment conditions for all countries.

2. 10 years of joint work on water use based on mutually benefit conditions has proved that collaboration and co-ordination, based on understanding of water resources limitation and taking into account sovereign interests of the countries, is only right decision permitting population of the region to survive under emerging destabilizing factors like population growth, economic development and climate changes.

3. ICWC organizations (BWO “Syrdarya” and BWO “Amudarya”, SIC ICWC, Secretariat) permanently developing and strengthening their potential have proved their viability and practical value in water resources use and development in the region. Included in interstate bodies and based on PKTI “Vodavtomatika and Metrologia” ICWC Commission takes relevant place in hydrometric works.

4. Permanently analyzing its achievements and shortcomings, ICWC improves its activity as follow:

• Organizing thematic groups on legal, institutional, technical and financial aspects;

• Training activity development as a base for consensus building between the countries, economic branches, governments and NGOs;

• Transition to IWRM within the basin and sub-basin as well as irrigation systems according to hydrographic principles with equal participation of all administrative, oblast, rayon, local water users, including WUA network development;

• Orientation for water conservation as only way for ecological and social-economic issues solution;

• Wide introduction of computerization, water recording and forecast as well as models use in operational and prospective aspects.

At the same time, ICWC members and its bodies understand very well necessity of transparency, openness and equity in water allocation, overcoming misunderstanding between water users interests in upper water shed and lower reaches, irrigation and power engineering, water users and environment. From this point of view, For ICWC is obligatory the following:

• Wide development of public participation;

• Attention to prospective development;

• Revealing reserves in water use with maximum reduction of organizational losses;

• Involvement in water resources management of power engineering, environmental, water supply and hydromet services;

• Creation of human potential through young specialists training in water management, informatics, economy and legislation.

5. International donor community permanently helps ICWC in IWRM introduction, training activity, water saving, river flow recording. Among others especially should be mentioned the World Bank, EU, CIDA, SDC, DFID, USAID, etc. At the same time, it was underlined during the conference, that high professionalism of local specialists and understanding modern approaches to water resources management allows to increase confidence to local national and regional organizations capability to implement projects by own without prevailing expensive expatriate experts, that permit to use limited financial resources.

6. ICWC collaboration with ICID gave big help in understanding the world experience in drainage, irrigation and information exchange and is successfully continuing during 8 years. ICID national committees turned into non-governmental potential uniting water highly qualified specialists and institutions.

7. Conference participants hope that donor community will strengthen its participation co-ordination to avoid duplication, ineffective use of financial means and will finance the following ICWC priority programs:

• Water collaboration development;

• Improving water resources management in Amudarya basin;

• Improving water resources management in Syrdarya basin;

• IWRM in Zerafshan basin;

• Improving social-economic and environmental situation in Amudarya lower reaches;

• Creation of the set of models for operational and perspective planning of BWOs’ activity.

Underlying necessity of GEF Project “Improvement of water resources and environment management in the Aral sea basin” completion to link regional and five national water strategies, participants suggest to link GEF and other programs and attract USAID to this work completion.

ICWC Members and Donors Meeting

Joint meeting “Improving effectiveness of donor aid to water resources management in Central Asia” was held on February 22, 2002.

The meeting was attended by: A. Masud, D. Pearce, A. Krutov (WB); W. Ariens, B. Tumurdaava (ADB); N. Mirza, N. Okda, C. Madramootoo (CIDA); V. Horinkova (IWMI); U. Herren, J. Gely (SDC); R. Watts, T. Lim (US State Department); A. Kalashnikov, N. Kavetskaya (USAID); B. Libert (UN EC); D. Jezef (ESCAP); B. Schultz (ICID).

From IFAS and ICWC: T. Altiyev (EC IFAS); ICWC members: A. Ryabtsev, B. Koshmatov, A. Nazirov, A. Jalalov, V. Dukhovny, P. Umarov (SIC ICWC); M. Khamidov (BWO “Syrdarya”).

International donor community permanently helps ICWC in IWRM introduction, training activity, water saving, river flow recording. Among others especially should be mentioned the World Bank, EU, CIDA, SDC, DFID, USAID, etc. At the same time, it was underlined during the conference, that high professionalism of local specialists and understanding modern approaches to water resources management allows to increase confidence to local national and regional organizations capability to implement projects by own without prevailing expensive expatriate experts, that permit to use limited financial resources.

ICWC collaboration with ICID gave big help in understanding the world experience in drainage, irrigation and information exchange and is successfully continuing during 8 years. ICID national committees turned into non-governmental potential uniting water highly qualified specialists and institutions.

Meeting’s participants have noted:

1. Until now “Aral Sea program” has not clear provisions on donors co-ordination between themselves and with ICWC (IFAS).

2. Efficiency of donor program is different. Mostly it depends on:

• Agreed choice of themes and their topicality;

• Nomination of executives from donors’ side;

• Joint with beneficiaries program and methodology;

• Work orientation on results and payment according to agreed results;

there are most effective and productive programs, where main work is performed by local specialists and donors take responsibility only for control and monitoring.

3. ICWC and other IFAS bodies have prepared several project proposals for regional programs funding. Part of them was presented to donors. They are as follows:

• Program of actions on regional water collaboration in Central Asia.

• Transboundary return waters in the Aral sea basin — ecologically sustainable management of water bodies, wetlands use and maintenance and their biodiversity.

• Social-economic situation and Action Plan on sustainable agrarian development in the basin’s lower reaches.

• Program of hydrostructures modernization and automation on Amudarya river.

• Modeling.

• Project “Water management in Syrdarya and Amudarya upper water shed”.

After exchange of opinion participants agreed to organize meeting with concrete proposals during next ICWC meeting. Projects submitted to donors presenting regional programs will be considered until the end of April 2002 and results will be sent to next ICWC meeting. Further is expedient to agree procedure of priority projects presentation to donors by ICWC.

GWP Regional Conference for Central Asian and Transcaucasian Countries

International Conference of the parties from Central Asia and Caucasus interested in water partnership has been held on February 22-24, 2002. It worth to note, that since GWP establishing (1996) its major activity was devoted to approaches to IWRM and concentrated in 8 regions of the world: Europe, Mediterranean, South-East Asia, South Asia, West Africa, Central America, South America.

The goal of Almaty conference was determination of possibilities for GWP activity in Central Asia and Caucasus. It became possible after Steering Committee and Secretariat decision on GWP network extension for Central Asia and Caucasus. Danish Agency for Ecological Cooperation in East Europe (DANCEE) financially supported this conference.

Delegations from 8 states took part in the conference (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). Each delegation included officials from water and environmental organizations, NGO and WUA representatives. Besides, representatives of the regional organizations participated in the conference: IFAS, ICWC, CSD, regional ecological centers, etc. Total number of participants amounted for 75 persons.

On behalf of Kazakhstan Government Conference was opened by A. Ryabtsev, Chairman of Committee of Water Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Republic of Kazakhstan. On plenary session the following papers were presented:

• Review of IWRM issues in Central Asia and Caucasus V. Dukhovny, Director SIC ICWC.

• Review of GWP activity including IWRM Toolbox T. Jonch-Klausen, Chairman GWP Technical Committee.

• Report on preparatory process to WWF-3 M. Toyama, Vice Secretary General WWF-3.

During the second working day partnership organization in the region was discussed. Four papers were presented:

• About NGO and WUA participation in IWRM S. Aknazarov, Chairman “Ecology of Biosphere”.

• Water saving and rational water use — main direction of sustainable development in the region V. Sokolov, Deputy Director SIC ICWC.

• Interstate collaboration in the region in IWRM introduction T. Altiyev, Chairman EC IFAS.

• Capacity building in water sector M. Khamidov, Head BWO “Syrdarya”.

Detail discussion of partnership took place in 6 working groups. Decision has been made on regional consultative technical group (RTAC) and regional water partnership establishing in the region. It was agreed that RTAC will include one representative from each state, ICWC representative, one representative from each regional ecological centers of Central Asia and Caucasus and two representatives of NGO (totally 13 persons). RTAC composition should be determined in April 2002 and its first meeting will be held in May in Tbilisi. Program of priority actions in water partnership will be discussed on this meeting.

Taking into account that Danish Government changed its priorities in foreign policy, participants were informed, that further financial support to the region is not expected. Only first meeting in Tbilisi will be supported. That is why GWP Secretariat and DANCEE invited representatives from 25 international organizations including World Bank, EU, CIDA, SDC, DFID, USAID, UNDP, UN/ECE, UN ESCAP, IWMI, OSCE, ICARDA. Special meeting of GWP Secretariat with potential donors was conducted. As the first step, Mrs.V. Horinkova suggested to place RTAC Secretariat in her office in Tashkent and support it by IWMI as GWP resource center.