This report is prepared within the framework of UNDP/GEF “National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment for Global Environmental Management (NCSA) Project, implemented by Glavhydromet of the Republic of Uzbekistan and accomplished by United Nation Development Program (UNDP) with Global Environment Facilities (GEF) financial support. Project objective was the capacity needs assessment for fulfillment of Uzbekistan commitments on UN Conventions on Biological diversity, Climate Change and Combat Desertification. Eventual project goal was the development of the National Action Plan for capacity building in the cross-cutting areas that would ensure synergistic effect.
The following specialists took part in implementation of the cross – cutting report :
Mr. U. Abdullaev Working gropp Coordinate, Institute “Uzgipromeliovodhoz” Ms. G. Bensitova Fergana Oblast Department, State Committee for Nature Protection Mr. A. Voronov Institute “Uzgipromeliovodkhoz” Ms. I. Zholdasova Karakalpak Institute of Biology Mr. E. Karimov Karshi Institute of Engineering and Economics Mr. V. Mirzoev Samarkand Oblast Department, Uzhydromet Mr. Sh. Mirkhabibov Ministry of Economy Mr. M. Mirkhodjiev Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan Mr. D. Pardiev Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. A. Rafikov Interstate Sustainable Development Commission (ISDC) in Uzbekistan Mr. K. Sadikov State Committee for Nature Protection Mr. G. Samoilov State Committee for Nature Protection Mr. S. Sanginov NNO “Logos” Ms. G. Tolkacheva NIGMI Mr. A. Tukhtaev TDPU Mr. U. Uzakov Institute “Uzgipromeliovodkhoz” Mr. G. Usupov TIAME Ms. M. Fazilova Institute of Strategic Researches under President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ms. G. Khakimova Bukhara Oblast Department, Uzhydromet Mr. A. Khuzhabekov Scientific and Production Association “Agroimdunyo” Ms. N. Shulepina Newspaper “Pravda Vostoka”
Project Coordinator – Mr. Victor Chub
Project Manager – Ms. Raisa Taryannikova
International consultant – Mr. Arturo Garcia-Costas
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Project staff greatly appreciates the inputs of all organizations and individuals that have made this study possible.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ...... 4 1. INTERRELATED REQUIREMENTS OF THE THREE GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL CONVENTIONS: FCCC, CBD, CCD ...... 6 2. METHODOLOGY OF THE CROSS-CUTTING ASSESSMENT ...... 10 3. NATURE PROTECTION POLICY: THE LEGISLATIVE BASIS, ITS REGULATION AND USE ...... 13 3.1 Recommendations on Improvement and Development of Environmental Legislation ...... 19 4. INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL, REGIONAL, ANA LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS ...... 21 4.1 Assessment of Capacity Needs to Meet the Commitments to the Global Conventions ...... 23 4.2 Recommendations on Improvement and Development of the Institutional Basis for Implementation of the Conventions ...... 32 5. NATURE PROTECTION MONITORING AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ...... 34 5.1 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Existing System for Ecological Monitoring and Information Management 34 5.2 Assessment of Capacity Needs for Ecological Monitoring and Information Management ...... 37 5.3 Recommendations on Improvement and Development of Environment Monitoring and Management of Information ...... 37 6. ECONOMIC MECHANISMS FOR NATURE PROTECTION AND FINANCIAL TOOLS ...... 40 6.1 Financial Tools and Mechanisms for Nature Protection ...... 41 6.2 Shortfalls of the Current Mechanisms and Capacity Development Needs ...... 45 6.3 Recommendations on Efficiency Improvement for the Use of Economic Mechanisms ...... 46 7. INTERSECTORAL INTEGRATED NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ...... 48 7.1 Current Problems and Capacity Needs on General Sectors of Nature Management ...... 48 7.2 Strengths and Weaknesses of Natural Resources Management ...... 54 7.3 Recommendations on Capacity Development to Comply with the Conventions Requirements ...... 57 8. PUBLIC AWARENESS IMPROVEMENT AND ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION ...... 60 8.1 Capacity Conditions and Factors Impeding its Development ...... 61 8.1.1 Science ...... 61 8.1.2 Ecological Education ...... 62 8.1.3 Recommendations ...... 65 8.1.4 Informational Resources ...... 65 8.1.5 Public Awareness ...... 66 8.1.6 Public Participation ...... 68 9. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND EXTERNAL COOPERATION ...... 71 9.1 Strengths and Weaknesses ...... 71 9.2 External Cooperation ...... 73 9.3 Recommendations for Capacity Development ...... 74 10. STRENGTHENING/BUILDING CAPACITY STRATEGY TO BETTER MEET GENERAL COMMITMENTS UNDER THE THREE CONVENTIONS ...... 76 10.1 Capacity needs that are common for the three Conventions ...... 76 10.2 Key principles and approaches of the strategy ...... 76 10.3 Intended and Specific Objectives of Strategy ...... 77 11. REFERENCES ...... 91 12. ANNEXES ...... 92 Annex 1.1 Identification of Cross-cutting Capacity Needs ...... 92 Annex 1.2. Matrix of Cross-cutting Priorities ...... 94 Annex 1.3 Matrix of priorities and strategic objectives identified in the process of thematic assessment and cross-cutting on three conventions...... 96 Annex 2.1 List of Legislative Acts in the Field of Nature Protection and Natural Resources Use of the Republic of Uzbekistan ...... 106 Annex 2.2 List of Legislative Acts in the Field of Nature Protection and Natural Resources Use of the Republic of Uzbekistan ...... 107
2 ABBREVIATION ADB Asian Development Bank AISHF Automated Informative System of Hydrological Forecasts AS Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan ASPS Autonomous Solar Power System FEA Farming Entities Association GDP Gross Domestic Product GIS Geographic Information System SSTP State Scientific and Technical Program GEF Global Environmental Facility DS ESEIA Documentation Search and Expert System for Environmental Impact Assessment USSC United System of State Cadastres UNECE UN Economic Commission for Europe KB AS Karakalpak Branch of Academy of Science INE AS Institute of National Economy of Academy of Science ISSAS Information System for Support of Decision Making CACILM Central Asian Countries Initiative on Land Resources Management CCD Convention to Combat Desertification CBD Convention on Biodiversity Conservation ICWC Interstate Commission for Water Coordination IFAS International Fund for Aral Saving MES Ministry of Emergency Situations HIGMI Research Hydrometeorological Institute НИЦ Scientific Investigation Center SIC SDC Scientific Investigation Center at Sustainable Development Commission NEAP National Environmental Action Plan NEPA National Environmental Program of Action NGO Non-Governmental Organization SPC Scientific Production Center NFP National Framework Program UNDP United Nation Development Program NCSA National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment for Global Environmental Management AEI Assessment of Environmental Impact UN United Nations ASBP Aral Sea Basin Project IE Industrial Enterprise RAS Russian Academy of Science RGC Regional Hydrological Center UN FCCC United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change REAP Regional Environmental Action Plan EWS Early Warning System MM Mass Media CIS Commonwealth of Independent Countries LSS Living Standard Strategy SRPACD Sub-Regional Program of Actions to Combat Desertification SRPACDD Sub-Regional Program of Actions to Combat Desertification and Drought TPN Thematic Program Networks UNEP United Nation Environmental Program UNESCO United Nations Education, Scientific and Culture Organization UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization GM CCD Global Mechanism CCD CI CCD Committee for Implementation at Convention to Combat Desertification GTZ Agency on Technical Cooperation of Germany CIDA Canadian International Development Agency WB World Bank WUA Water Users Association ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ICSD Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development
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Introduction
Uzbekistan is located in the heart of Central Asia between the Amudarya and the Syrdarya rivers. This is the key country in the region due to its size, location, rich ecosystem and plentiful resources, but at the same time much more seriously affected by the lack of water and environment and nature degradation. After obtaining of independence Uzbekistan has inherited complicated socio-economic and ecological problems, related to unsustainable natural resources management and decline of agricultural production, that was developed without observation of environment conservation requirements. This was pronounced in the Aral Sea crisis.1.
The Republic of Uzbekistan, as a part of the world community, realizes the necessity of its participation in global ecological activities. It is the Party to the Three Rio Conventions and a number of other international ecological Conventions, Protocols, Agreements, and Memorandums on mutual understanding.
Sharing the world community concerns regarding to possible consequences of climate change and realizing the necessity for acceptance of the efficient measures for their mitigation, Uzbekistan joined to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) in 1993. The Parties of the Framework Convention, with the account of their economic situation, accepted the common, but differentiated responsibility on (1) the submission of the National Reports, including green houses emission inventories and description of measures on implementation of (FCCC) provisions on the basis of differentiated commitments; (2) promotion of development and technologies and experience transfer; (3) promotion of rational use of adsorbents and accumulators for all green house gases; (4) taking into account climate change problems in the development of social, economic and ecological strategies and programs; (5) cooperation in scientific, technological and educational spheres; (6) facilitation of education development and public awareness, and (7) exchange of information on climate change problems.
Recognizing the importance of biodiversity conservation for the sustainable economy development, Uzbekistan joined to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The CBD has three main objectives: i) conservation of biological diversity; ii) sustainable use of its components; iii) fair and equitable advantages from the use of genetic resources. According the provisions of the convention Uzbekistan has taken the obligation “to develop system of measures stimulating protection and sustainable use of biological diversity components”.
The Republic of Uzbekistan has actively participated in all stages of the preparation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) and become the first country out of the other countries of the Central Asian region and the CIS, joined to the Convention (1995) and the thirteenth one in the world. The objective of CCD is: the combat desertification and liquidation of drought consequences in the countries, seriously affected by drought and/or desertification, by efficient actions at all levels and based on international cooperation and partnership in order to promote and achieve the sustainable development. To the great extent and due to the active position of Uzbekistan the expression “… solicitude in regard to influence of desertification and drought on the countries of Central Asia and Transcaucasia“ had appeared in the CCD text. (see Preamble, page 6).
Although each of the Three Global Conventions has its own specific requirements and commitments of Parties, all of them at the same time are closely interrelated and contain a number of the common provisions, cross-cutting topics and synergetic possibilities, that allows to use unified and integral approach to the capacity development and implementation of sustainable strategy for environment conservation at the national level.
1 Uzbekistan. Country Profile, 2003. UNO, 2004.
4 Over the past ten years the main constraint for achievement of sustainable development in the developing and transitional countries, including Uzbekistan, were the limitations of the national capacity. All the three above mentioned Global Conventions, as well as the other regional and global international agreements, had encountered these problems.
In 2001, for the first time the Board of Global Environmental Facility (GEF) initiated activities on the National capacity needs self-assessment in order to assist and support capacity building in the developing countries for efficient fulfillment of the requirements of the all Three Global Rio Conventions: - FCCC, CCD, and CBD. This process is innovative on its nature and flexible enough in relation to the initiatives of the countries and at the same time it corresponds to the expected results and recommendations, which nonetheless should be achieved and implemented by the means of specific approaches and methods and with the use of GEF guidelines and instructions.
In 2004, Uzbekistan had started the implementation of the “National Capacity Self-Assessment for fulfillment of the global ecological conventions (NCSA)” project under Global Environment Facilities and United Nations Development Program (GEF/UNDP) financial support. Project objective is the combination of efforts of all Parties concerned, and involved in the implementation of the UN global conventions, in order to assess requirements and ensure the capacity development at the national and local levels, to involve into dialog the local authorities, public and to develop local initiatives, as well as to develop the adequate solutions for coordinated fulfillment of the commitments to the three global conventions.
The analysis of the thematic reports on the capacity needs assessment allows to define the current achievements, constraints, and possibilities of the capacity for implementation of CBD, CCD and FCCC, and also to identify the problems with capacity building, which are common for all the three conventions.
This Report presents the main outputs of cross-cutting assessment of the needs for capacity development, with the account of interrelated requirements and synergism of all the three conventions, being based on multilevel assessment of the capacity strengths and weaknesses, as well as the recommendations and strategic directions for the capacity development in cross-cutting areas of the global conventions.
5 1. INTERRELATED REQUIREMENTS OF THE THREE GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL CONVENTIONS: FCCC, CBD, CCD
The first stage of the assessment is aimed at the analysis of the interrelated requirements of all the three conventions (according the texts of conventions and other materials, including papers of the Parties meeting). This stage allows to identify general and cross-cutting requirements and commitments.
The analysis of the provisions and official documents, protocols and decisions of all the three Rio conventions had been conducted for identification of the possibilities for joined actions on the coordinated fulfillment of the global commitments and gaining maximum benefits from the activities, conducted within the framework of each convention.
The common provisions of all the three conventions can be grouped as follows: 1. Philosophy, principles and approaches of the Conventions; 2. Requirements to political, legislative, and economic basis; 3. International cooperation; 4. Systems for activity management, their structures or functions; 5. Informational and scientific achievements; 6. General requirements; 7. Participants of the conventions implementation.
Each of the above mentioned groups has the common elements for all the three conventions and specific ones for each convention.
Principles and Approaches. Basic philosophy and strategy of the Rio Conventions are aimed at the establishment of the sustainable management of the global environment and balanced management of the natural resources for the sustainable development and achievement of the Millennium objectives.
The common principles and approaches, recommended by all the Three Conventions, include: • Policy and activities, relevant to the sustainable development. According to this principle each country should introduce such policy and intervention activities, that do not affect environment, and at the same time, enable economic and social development; • Unified approaches for simultaneous solution of issues related to the Conventions and development. The use of ecosystem approach enables harmonization of the national policy and nature conservation activities at the regional and individual levels; • Mechanisms and tools, which enable adequate activities of the participants: − Equal degree of responsibility and differentiated commitments of the participating countries in the achievement of the Conventions objectives. On the other hand, this principle sets a necessity of the certain efforts from all the participants for implementation of conditions and provisions of the conventions. On another hand, it envisages that developed countries can assume higher financial responsibilities and provide assistance through Global Environmental Facilities and bilateral agreements and programs to the developing countries in the fulfillment of their commitments. Uzbekistan, as the country with transition economy and severe ecological problems, has the right to get such the assistance; − Marketing mechanisms and effective economic measures for the achievement of these Convention objectives; − Preventive measures on environment protection and conservation or reduction of the emission of harmful substances and pollutants, specified in these Conventions; − Measures, encouraging the use of accessible and allowable technologies; − Stimulation of sustainable resources management; − Development programs, combining strategic objectives for accomplishment of the Conventions.
These unified principles and approaches are interrelated and amend each other. Some principles and approaches are focused on the relationship between the Parties, while other ones are focused on the implementation of the conventions by every Party. However, many principles and approaches are related to the national polices and activities, and in the case of their adoption they can affect economic and financial conditions of development.
Requirements to Political, Legislative, and Economic Basis. The unified principles and approaches are amended by the requirements and recommendations of the legislative and economic basis for the achievement of the convention objectives. The conventions require from the countries to develop and accomplish the concrete programs, action plans and provisions with the use of a number of economic and financial tools. As a rule, these tools, unified for all the three conventions, are interrelated or related to the country economic platform. The conventions recommend also the mechanisms for equitable allocation of the benefits from the use of the sources, specified in these conventions. Many of these tools can be used for the achievement of the overall convention objectives, especially when they are related to the common sectors of economy. The common sectors of economy are agriculture, livestock, forestry, and crop husbandry. Interrelationships between the common sectors of economy/ecosystems and the objectives of all the three conventions are illustrated in Table 1.1. The energy sector is not clearly defined in the two conventions: CBD and CCD, however, its development and contribution to the climate change have an important role in the drought control. Thus, the use the convention tools in the common sectors of economy or in its separate sectors, might stimulate simultaneous achievement of the objectives of the two or three conventions.
Informational and Scientific Achievements. All the above mentioned tools should be monitored in regard to the processes related to the environment conservation, and emission of harmful substances/pollutants, as well as reporting on the achievements of the objectives. Some monitoring processes and the data required are common for all the three conventions. These data are related to land management, forestry, agriculture, soil, vegetation, livestock production, as well as to the weather and demographic characteristics, etc. Thus, the parameters required for all the three conventions might differ from each other, the joined efforts are required for their implementation by unification of the methods, integration of data and centralization of access to the data.
The Conference of the Parties recommends and, in some cases, demands, that the data, specific for each convention, should be used for derivation of analytical results, relevant to the type, that is common for all the three conventions. These analytical products are the indicators, predictions and directions, inventories and the assessments of the implementation of the policy and activities. The best opportunity for the joined efforts is in the elaboration of indicators for the monitoring of the processes and assessment of decision making and its implementation at the national level. In addition, these indicators are the means for reporting to the relevant Conferences of all the Parties.
Activity Management Systems, Their Agencies or Functions, which are required for the country to implement all the three conventions, also are contiguous through the specific requirements, but might differ in the context of each the convention.
Among these differences the following ones can be distinguished: introduction of the special regimes for economic activities, use of resources, monitoring of users, interdepartmental coordination of the efforts, advance warning and response systems, interaction with scientific community, public relations, selection of the investment projects and assessment of their environmental impact. Additionally, there are certain requirements for establishment of institutional systems, agencies or functions for fulfillment of reporting and monitoring requirements. Some of these functions may be coordinated or distributed among organizations responsible for the implementation of the conventions.
International Cooperation, which is necessary for fulfillment of the commitments and common requirements of all the three conventions, comprises information exchange, technologies and know-how transfer to the regional programs, and financial support (Uzbekistan is one the countries that might expect the financial support from GEF and bilateral agreements).
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Table - 1.1 Interrelation Between Sectors of Economy, Ecosystems, and the Global Conventions
Ecosystems/Sectors of Agricultural Land Forest Ecosystems Water Water Ecosystems of Arid and Desert Ecosystems Pasture Ecosystems Highland Ecosystems Economy Ecosystems the Aral Sea Coastal (Rivers, Lakes) Area Forest Recourses FCCC CBD CCD FCCC FCCC, CCD CBD CCD CCD Agriculture FCCC CBD CBD FCCC FCCC FCCC CBD CBD CCD CBD CCD CCD CCD On the Ground FCCC FCCC FCCC FCCC FCCC Transportation Energy FCCC FCCC FCCC FCCC Industry FCCC FCCC Water Management CCD FCCC, CBD CBD CCD CBD CCD CCD Municipal Waste FCCC CCD FCCC FCCC Management CCD Land Resources FCCC FCCC FCCC FCCC FCCC FCCC Management CBD CCD CCD CCD CBD CCD CCD Tourism CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD CBD Fishery and Aquiculture CBD CBD
Common Requirements. The Conventions have the common requirements and recommendations, including: i) distribution of public information and public involvement in the decision making process and decision implementation; ii) national capacity building for the implementation of the conventions, reporting, participation of sectors, local self-administrations, business, NGO, and public.
The Participants Involved in the Conventions Implementation, Organizations Concerned, and the Focal Points. The brief review and analysis of the requirements and recommendations for implementation of all the three conventions, show that there are great possibilities for joint activities. The coordinated activities on the common issues of all the three conventions will definitely reduce scope of work for each convention, eliminate duplication of efforts, reduce costs and ensure more effective saving of the country resources.
9 2. METHODOLOGY OF THE CROSS-CUTTING ASSESSMENT
Methodological basis for the National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) for implementation of the global ecological Conventions had been the recommendations, outlined in the following special implementation manuals: • “Guide for Self-Assessment of Country Capacity Needs for Global Environmental Management”, prepared by GEF Secretariat with UNITAR assistance and in the cooperation with UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, FAO, UNIDO, Secretariats of CBD, CCD, FCCC. GEF, September 2001; • D. Fenton, A. Garcia-Costas. National Capacity Self-Assessments: A Companion Implementation Manual And Resource Kit. United Nations Development Program, Global Environment Facility. Updated: October 2003. 87 pp.
Assessment of the common and the cross-cutting needs and priority directions of capacity development comprised several steps.
1) Interrelated Requirements of All the Three Conventions. The first stage of the assessment is aimed at the analysis of interrelated requirements of the three conventions (by the text of the conventions and other documents, including materials of the Parties meeting). This analysis has allowed to identify the common and cross-cutting requirements and commitments to the Conventions (see Chapter 1 of present report).
2) Analysis of the Thematic Reports on the Capacity Needs Assessment, which identified the current achievements, constraints, possibilities and requirements for the capacity development for the three thematic areas (CCD, FCCC, CBD), which were prepared by the relevant working groups. The working groups comprised representatives of the key ministries and authorities, NGO, private sectors, scientists, and independent experts.
The activities of the thematic groups were focused on the following types of assessment: i) Identification of the situation in each thematic area: preparation of the thematic profile / analysis of situation; ii) Collection and analysis of information; iii) Identification, confirmation or review of priorities within each thematic area; iv) Identification of the factors, SWOT analysis and analysis of the root reasons restraining the capacity development for solution of the top-priority problems in each thematic area; v) Search for the possibilities for elimination of the revealed factors restraining the capacity development in the each thematic area; vi) Development of recommendations and preparation of the thematic reports.
3) Identification of the Common and Cross-Cutting Requirements and Priority Directions for the Capacity Development. The restraining factors and requirements for the capacity development, identified in the framework of the thematic assessments, were compiled in the single matrix with the relevant code for each convention (see Annex 1.1). The requirements, that were relevant to all the three or, at least, to two conventions were selected as the prior ones (see Annex 1.2). Further ranking (establishment of priorities) had been conducted with the use of the approach similar to the one used in the thematic assessment (see the Thematic reports).
For this purpose, within the framework of this analysis the following actions were undertaken: (1) the group of specialists for priorities selection had been created; (2) the system of criteria selection had been developed, approved and accepted; (3) the system of importance degree had been established; (4) the matrix for establishment of the priorities had been created; (5) all the group members with the help of matrix for priorities establishment have had conducted independent assessment of each criterion for each cross- cutting problem, revealed as the result of situational analysis by identifying the degree of its importance and the priority scoring; (6) the obtained scores had been summarized and the cross-cutting problem areas with the highest scores, that might be considered as the prior ones, had been revealed; (7) taking into account the degree of importance and sum of scores for each problem the index of priority had been identified.
10 Synthesis of information, obtained as the result of the priority analysis, is aimed at the revealing of the cross- cutting priority areas, which had got the highest index of priority for capacity development.
Such approach had allowed the concentration on the cross-cutting problems of the outstanding importance, that required the urgent measures and actions for capacity building and development (Annex 1.3). This is the very important issue from the financial viewpoint, because both the internal and external sponsors are able to support solution of only the restricted number of the priority problems, related to the capacity development.
As a result, several cross-cutting areas had been identified for the joint implementation of the Rio Conventions, such as: • Nature protection policy and legislation development in accordance with the Rio Conventions; • Integration of the nature protection issues into the process of national planning; • Institutional development and the national, regional, and local interrelationships; • Nature protection monitoring and information management; • Financial tools and mechanisms for nature protection; • Intersectoral coordination and cooperation in the integrated natural resources management; • Enhancement of awareness and ecological education, including development of training programs for the decision makers, private sector and the other focus groups; • Scientific and technical cooperation, technologies transfer and external cooperation.
The selection of the above mentioned areas had been based on the following approaches: • All the above mentioned areas are considered as the common for all the three conventions (Box 2.1), allowing the use of synergetic possibilities of the conventions for their joint implementation. They are relevant to the priorities and specifics of the national development.
Box 2.1 The Concurrent Provisions of the Conventions, which Allow to Use the Common and Synergetic Approach to the Capacity Building The Convention Provision CBD FCCC CCD The National and Regional Action Plans Article 6 (а) (b) Article 4 (1b) Articles 5 (b), 10 Identification and Monitoring Article 7 Article 5 Article 16 Legislation Article 8 (k) Introduction Article 5 (е) Scientific Researches Article 12 (b) Article 5 Articles 17, 19 (b) Education Article 13 Article 6 Article 19 Public Participation Article 13 Article 6 Articles 19, 5 (d) Information Exchange Article 17 Article 4 (1h) Article 16 Training and Retraining of Personnel Article 12 (а) Article 6 Article 19 Financial Tools Article 21 Articles 4 (1) (7) Article 21 Transfer of Technologies and Their Article 16 Article 4 (1g), (1h) Annex V, Provision Implementation 7 Reporting Article 26 Article 12 Article 26 • All the considered areas are the tools for nature protection policy and their improvement and harmonization will definitely be the substantial contribution to the development and implementation of the unified nature protection policy at the national and global levels.
4) In-Depth Assessment on the Above Mentioned Common and Cross-Cutting Areas and Priority Problems.
The timeliness of major part of the problems is beyond all doubts. However, some of the problems have had required in-depth analysis and detailing, which enabled to identify specific tasks, measures, and actions (to develop the strategy) for capacity development. Priority of the tasks, which require the urgent solution, had been defined in the context of already existing Uzbekistan capacity and the achieved positive results, as well as taking into account the possibilities for the achievement of the immediate positive effect.
The integrated approach had been used for the process of assessment. This approach included analysis of the capacity by the three levels: system, institutional, and individual ones. The same methodological approach as for the thematic assessment: identification of the restraining factors, SWOT and cause-effect analyses, had been used.
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At the initial stage, in order to get as much as possible the reliable and diversified information about capacity requirements, all the concerned participants had been involved in the process of the cross-cutting problems assessment. The key players and the possible participants had been identified on the basis of targets to be achieved and the issues, which required the assessment in the above mentioned common and cross-cutting areas. The different forms of participation had been used in the process of assessment, as for example: seminars, consultations, discussions, inspections, etc (see Box 2.2).
Box 1.1 Concerned Participants of Needs Assessment Process All the Concerned Parties had been Involved in the National Capacity Needs Assessment Process: • Representatives of Governmental Agencies and Administration: – The Cabinet of Ministries, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Committee for Nature Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, The Ministry of Education,, the State Committee for Land Resources Management and Cadastre, the State Committee on Science and Technology, the State Committee on Statistics, etc.; • Representatives of the State Scientific - Research Institutions; • Representatives of the Regional Administrations and Local Self-Administrations; • Non-Governmental Organizations; • Scientists and Experts; • Private Sector. 14 joint and the regional workshops, 10 round tables, and practical seminars on the different topics, a great number of individual discussions with the aim to explain to the participants the objectives and tasks of NCSA and to find out their opinions and recommendations had been organized and conducted, and also for assessment of their potential input. Establishment of fruitful cooperation with the Parties concerned had been the key and vital activity of NCSA project at that stage.
Reliability of the capacity self-assessment within the framework of NCSA project had been provided by: - political support and comprehensive involvement of all concerned participants; - reliability of GEF integral approach and tools for the capacity assessment; - provisions and requirements of the global documents, and also reviews of the national reports, the national programs on this topic and the special publications (the materials of information/analytical center); - interview and questioning of specialists (by interviewing at workshops and distribution of questionnaires among organizations) and public through mass media (radio, newspapers/magazines, TV, information network of NGO); - analysis and assessment of the documents, provisions and activities of the key organizations and authorities; - holding of workshops and working meetings with representatives of the agencies, involved and interested in implementation of all the three Conventions in Uzbekistan.
Studies had been conducted by discussions, questionnaires, and interviews of the focus group members, as well as the analysis and assessment of the available documents, provisions, and activities of the key departments and agencies. The problems identified in the course of assessment had been introduced for discussion to the wide audience of specialists and the individuals capable to develop the ways to resolve the problems of climate change and environment degradation. The public, represented by NGO members, had been involved in the discussion as well. All their comments and recommendations had been taken into account in the preparation of the final versions of the documents, which had been submitted to the Project Steering Committee.
The need detailed assessment for capacity development in each cross-cutting area is presented in the next chapters of this report. The assessment had allowed to identify the strategic requirements and priorities for the development of capacity for joint implementation of the conventions on the basis of the synergetic principles. The latter are used as the basis for the capacity development strategy and National Action Plan on the capacity development for the joint implementation of the Rio Conventions (see Chapter 10).
12 3. NATURE PROTECTION POLICY: THE LEGISLATIVE BASIS, ITS REGULATION AND USE
Background The first steps of the independent Uzbekistan within the framework of international commitments to global environment protection had been the affiliation the UN Framework Convention on Climate change in 1993, signing (in 1998) and ratification (in 1999) the Kyoto Protocol to this convention, signing of: the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (in 1995), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (in 1994), the Vienna Convention on Protection of Ozone Layer, the Basel Convention on the control and transportation of cross-border transfer of dangerous waste and its removal (1995), and Convention on prohibition of military or any aggressive destructive actions to the environment. The Republic of Uzbekistan is also the party to 12 international environmental agreements and 3 conventions directly related to biodiversity conservation (The CITES Convention (1997), the Bonn Convention (1998), and the Ramsar Convention (2001). Uzbekistan participates in cooperation with the Earth Council in preparation of the Draft Earth Charter. Early 1999 the National Draft Earth Charter had been submitted to the Secretariat of the Earth Council.
The nature protection policy and the measures implemented on the rational use of natural resources are based on the following main principles: • integration of economic and ecological policy for the environment conservation and rehabilitation, as the necessary condition for improvement of the living standards; • transition from the protection of some nature elements to the total and integrated protection of the ecosystems; • responsibility of all members of society for environment conservation, protection of its biodiversity and improvement of nature conditions, creation of favorable living condition for the population.
Currently the Environmental Legislation of Uzbekistan covers rather wide range of issues, including the following main areas: • Conservation of environment and its main components; • Protection of ecosystems and control over use of natural resources; • Assessment of environmental impact and ecological experts appraisal; • Regulation of compensation for ecological impact (including economic and administrative aspects); • Regulation of the natural resources ownership rights.
The “Law on Nature Protection” (1992) is the fundamental legislative act, that regulates nature conservation relationships and guarantees the common for all the three convention legal, economic and organizational principles of the environment conservation and monitoring, protection of ecosystems and the rights of the population to live in the favorable environmental conditions. At the same time, the package of laws regulating protection and use of nature resources had been adopted: “Land Law” (1993), “Law on Water and Water Management” (1993), “Law on the Specially Protected Nature Territories” (1993), “Law on State Sanitary Inspection” (1992), as well as the mechanisms for their introduction and observance.
In the following years, for enhancement and further development of the ecological legislative basis, the number of laws, related to the protection, use and management of natural resources with special attention to the most vulnerable nature components had been developed and adopted, including the following laws: “About Protection and Use of Vegetation” (1997), “About Forest Resources” (1999), “About Protection of Atmosphere” (1998), “About Protection and Use of Wild Life” (1997), “About Protection and Use of Wild Nature” (1997), “Land Tax” (1998), “About Farms and Dekhkan Farms” (1998), “Highland Code” (1998), “About the State Cadastres” (2000), etc. All of these laws directly or indirectly are related to CBD, FCCC, and CCD. In the development of the nature protection legislation the special attention is paid to the institution for the environmental impact assessment. “Law about the Environmental Appraisal”, adopted in 2000, strictly instructs, that the expert assessment of the environmental and human health impacts is obligatory. This law had created the legislative basis for such expert appraisal.
13 All the ratified and accepted for implementation international agreements on the global environment are the integral part of the country legislative system and have the supreme legal power. In the fulfillment of commitments to the conventions, the norms of international law precede the norms of the national law. However, in many cases there is a lack of general practice of consistent and balanced application of the international law norms in the country.
As the global conventions are cross-cut by, and cover many issues concurrently related to several conventions, these common articles and norms are synergetic in the framework of the national legislation. They ensure fulfillment of the requirements and achievement of the targets relevant to all the three conventions. The common and cross-cutting articles of all the three conventions are presented in Box 3.1. These articles include the norms, that dictate the introduction of changes in the national legislation in one or the other form. Box 3.1 Articles and Norms Relevant to Legal Regulation of Identical Issues of Conventions Content of Conventions Common CBD FCCC CCD Articles or Norms Right of State to exploit its Own А.3 Chapter “The Parties Chapter “The Parties Resources in Accordance to its Ecological of the Convention”, of the Convention”, Policy Paragraph 8 Paragraph 15 Sustainable Development, Management, А.8 (с), (g), (i), (j) A. 3(4) A. 10(2a), (4) Use/Conservation A.10 (a), (b), (c), A.12 (c) Legislation, Standards, Methodologies, A.8(b), (k), (j), A.4 A. 5(e), Norms A.15 (l), (7), A.10(4), A.16 (3), (4), (5), A. 16 (a i), (g), A.18 (4), A.17 (lc), A.19 (1) A.18 (1) (2) Technologies Transfer, Exchange, and Use А15 (1), (7) A.4 (1c), (lg) A.18 (1) (2) A.16 (3), (4), (5), , A.6 (e), A.18 (4), A. 10 (2e), A.19 (1) A. 18 9le), (2b) A.1, A.19 (2), (3) Monitoring, Assessment, and A.8 (b) A. 5 (a), (b), (c) A. 16, Identification A. 7 A. 17 (lc), A.17 (ld) Information Collection, Exchange, and A.18 (4), A. 12 (la), (lb) A. 16 (ai), (g), Dissemination A.17 (2) A.10(2e), A.19 (2b) Programs, Activities, Strategy, Policy A.6 (a), A. 3(3), (4), A. 10(4), A.18(2) A.4 (lb), (le), (2a) A.9(1), (3) Relationships A. 26 A. 12 A. 26
The legislative basis and approval procedure of the normative/methodological and the normative/technical acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan are presented below (Box 3.2)
Box 3.2 Legislative Base and Approval Procedure of Normative/Methodological and Normative/Technical Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan The legislative basis for development and approval of the Normative/Technical Acts of the RUz, i.e. standards and technical provisions are presented in the above mentioned laws about environment protection, as well as in the following documents: • Law of the RUz on Standardization; • Law of the RUz on the Quality and Safety of Food Stuff; • Law on the Services Certification; • Law on the Agricultural Crops Protection from Pests, Deceases, and Weeds; • Decree of the CM of the RUz No 199 “About Amount of Payments for Emission and Disposal of Pollutants into Environment and Disposal of Municipal Waste”; The requirements for acceptance of the ecological normative/methodological and normative/technical acts may be identified in the codes, laws, decree of the Government of the RUz, as well as in legislative acts, regulating the other areas of activities.
14 All the three conventions directly or indirectly include the requirements for control and supervision. For example, the control requirements are specified in the items (g) and (h) of the Article 8, the items (а) and (b) of the Article 10, and the items (с) and (d) of the Article 14 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the items (3) and (4) of the Article 3 of the Convention on Climate Change, the item (4) of the Article 10 of the Convention to Combat Desertification. The common commitments of the Conventions for expert assessment of the environmental impact and implementation of the adequate mitigating and safety measures are presented in Box 3.3. These requirements are specified almost in all normative acts and laws of the country.
Box 3.3 Common Commitments for Expert Assessment of Environmental Impact CBD FCCC CCD Items 1 (а) and (с) of Article 14 Item 3 of the Article 3, and Articles 4 and 5 and Item 1 (f) of Article 4 the Item 3 of Article 10 Commitment of the Parties to introduce Introduction of requirements to take the The requirement to conduct expert the appropriate procedures requiring adequate precautionary measures to assessment of environmental impact in expert assessment of the environment anticipate, reduce, and prevent or the context of combat desertification conditions in order to prevent risk of minimize the causes of climate change and implement measures mitigating adverse effect on biological diversity and mitigate its adverse effects. drought adverse effect.
The process of legislative basis development is conducted continuously by improvement of the system and tools for regulation of relations between government and users of nature resources, and by adaptation of the national legislative/juridical basis to the international requirements. However, the national legislation requires further improvements in order to comply with the norms of the international conventions.
Analysis of the legislative basis in the framework of the nature protection policy allowed to identify strengths and weaknesses of the legislative basis in regard to the conventions implementation.
Strengths
1. The nature protection policy, laws and reforms by sectors and areas of activities are favorable for capacity building to comply with commitments to the global conventions and achieve the Millennium Targets. The main strategic directions for transition to sustainable development and comply with the global commitments are assured by the Decrees of the President and the Decisions of the Cabinet of Ministries of the Republic of Uzbekistan, such as: “About measures for implementation of programs aimed at liberalization and enhancement of reforms in the political, economic, and spiritual spheres of society, and ensuring the security of the country”, “About enhancement of reforms in agriculture”, as well as the special laws, provisions and norms, regulating their implementation. Conceptual framework and approaches for transition to the sustainable development are reflected in the program documents of the government: “Concept and the National Strategy for the Sustainable Development”, “A National Agenda for the 21 Century for the Republic of Uzbekistan”, the National reports within the framework of the UN SDC Sessions (1997-2001) and the Millennium-2000, as well as the reports and reviews on evaluation of the progress and achievement of the government. The socio-ecological and economic programs are implemented with the support of UNDP and the international financial institutions (World Bank, GEF) and some donor countries. Implementation of these programs facilitates formation of the system-wide conditions for transition to sustainable development.
2. The current legislation, including norms, standards and mechanisms for their implementation, sufficiently reflects the necessary measures for protection of the environment components and natural resources management and, in general, complies with the requirements and interests of the Rio Conventions.
Since the years of independence the Republic of Uzbekistan had adopted more than 100 laws and decrees of the Government on the environment protection and rational use of natural resources. Current environmental standards include 16 international, 163 interstate, 55 state, and 5 sectoral standards and more than 50 guideline documents. The list of the main laws and decrees is shown in Annex 2. Their provisions and norms are presented in details in the Thematic reports on the three conventions.
15 3. Implementation of the national strategies, programs and action plans on the environment protection, conservation and protection of biological diversity, reduction of greenhouse gases emission, combat desertification, as well as sectoral programs and projects on the regional cooperation ensure the basis for the development of unified approaches to improve legal and institutional basis to comply with the commitments to the three Rio conventions. Implementation of the national programs and plans on the environment protection, their approaches, measures, actions, and inputs in fulfillment of the global conventions are discussed in details in the thematic reports on CBD, FCCC, and CCD. These programs and plans reflect the political, legislative, and institutional frameworks and preconditions for strengthening of interrelations and synergism among the conventions and development of the national strategies. Some program documents, which demonstrate the government possibilities and input in implementation of the three global conventions, are summarized in Box 3.4.
Box 3.4 Some Program Documents
“National Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan” (NSSD, 1999) In the strategy of sustainable development of Uzbekistan the environment protection policy is addressed from a viewpoint of the government attitude to the solution of global, regional, and national problems of natural resources use. The global problems are: climate change, combat desertification, biological diversity conservation, protection of ozone layer. The regional/national problems are: liquidation of the Aral Sea crisis adverse effect – desertification in the Aral Sea littoral area, protection of water quality and rational use of water resources, restoration and improvement of soil fertility, protection of biological resources, establishment of reserves, refugiums, national parks, conservation of ecological equilibrium in newly created ecosystems as the Arnasay lake, etc “National Environmental Action Plan “(NEAP, 1998) comprises the legal norms and general recommendations to assure sustainable development and considers the necessity to include the nature protection issues into the ongoing general reforms in the political, economic, and social sectors. "Environmental Program of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 1999-2005, is prepared on the basis of NEAP. The first priority objectives and the government policy, presented in the NEAP, are development of the effective legislation and establishment of institutional mechanisms for environment protection and sustainable development, especially ensuring the legal regulation of the issues, related to the compensation of already inflicted damage. 14 key problems are defined in the NEAP as high priority ones, that are directly or indirectly related commitment to GEC. “National Action Plan to Implement the Convention to Combat Desertification” (NAP/CCD) (1999) identifies the main approaches, measures, and specific actions on prevention and combat desertification, land degradation, and specially dangerous nature phenomena by introduction of the system for irrigation water charge and creation of the early warning system against drought, mitigation of drought impact, as well as by creation of the single system of ecological monitoring and information exchange, capacity development and ecological education and public awareness. “National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan” (NBSAP) had been approved by the Decree of the President in 1998. Apart from measures for establishment of the system of specially protected territories, the strategy and plan also regulate the balanced protection of wild life and stress the necessity for ecological education. “National Strategy for Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emission” (2001) identifies requirements to ongoing national policy and cost effective technical measures aimed at reduction of greenhouse gases emission. Strategy comprises five components aimed at the improvement of economic mechanisms, institutional strengthening, modernization of technologies and introduction of new technologies, assimilation of renewable energy sources, and improvement measures in transport sector. Special attention is paid to the necessity for development of market infrastructure for saved volumes of emission and creation of the National funds for the Clean Development Mechanism. Mid-Term Strategy of growth of the People’s Well-Being and Better Security for the Population for 2004-2006 and for the period up to 2010 (the first version was published in June 2005). The Chapter “Condition and Actions on Environmental Improvements” of this strategy points out, that environment condition has direct impact on population living standards, and, in the first turn, it affects the socially vulnerable stratum of population. The necessary actions, ensuring sustainable environment, as one of the main factors of population living standards improvement and steady economic growth, are specified in the Strategy. “The first national report of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change” (1999). The Report includes a description of national conditions, cadastre of greenhouse gases in accordance with inventory of its sources and volume of emission for the two base years (1990 and 1994). The important component of the Report is the prediction of greenhouse gases emission by 2010. On the basis of this Report the activities aimed at the decrease of greenhouse gases emission had been developed. The Report also includes general description of mitigation activities, evaluation of vulnerability of Uzbekistan to climate change, and characteristics of the possible adaptation approaches. The Development Program for Some Sectors of the Fuel and Energy Complex for the period up to 2010. Several National and sector specific programs for development of the fuel and energy complex are developed and now under implementation in Uzbekistan. The objectives of these programs are as follows: to maintain the energy independence of the RUz; to improve efficiency of the fuel and energy sector and reduce energy consumption; to intensify oil and gas geological survey; to mitigate environmental impact of the fuel and energy sector; to increase share of non-traditional renewable source of energy in the overall energy balance of the republic; to reduce greenhouse gases emission.
16 4. The initiatives on improvements of the legislative basis and the mechanism for regulation of relationships between the government and users of natural resources, taking into account the international legislation and the convention requirements, provide the possibilities for improvement of capacity by sectors and areas. Adoption of the Government Program “Staged Transfer of Uzbekistan’s Economy to the Chargeable Natural Resources Use and Concept of Legal and Economic Mechanisms for Its Introduction” is the important input into fulfillment of the global conventions. Within the framework of this program the charges had been introduced for unrestricted (i.e. disposal of full volume of pollutants) environment pollution and waste disposal.
All the required documents are prepared for the possible joining of Uzbekistan to “Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters” (UNECE, 1998), and also documents for signing of the Cartahena Protocol on Biosafety. This provides additional guarantees of meeting commitments to the CBD and comply with objectives and possibilities of all the three conventions. During the first half of 2004, 7 decrees of the Cabinet of Ministries of the Republic of Uzbekistan had been adopted, which regulate legal relationships in the area of conservation and use of biological diversity. In January 2005 the Oliy Maglis had adopted the new law “About Protected Nature Territories”.
Thus, the current legislation sufficiently reflects general measures on protection of the environmental components, protection and sustainable use of nature resources, norms, standards and the mechanisms of their implementation. At the same time, in practice, the fulfillment of the adopted laws, decrees, and acts are not efficient enough and inadequate to meet requirements of the global conventions.
Weaknesses and Requirements for Developments of Legislative Basis
Over the recent period the country had adopted a number of important laws and bylaws, which are directly related to the environment management. However, since adoption of many laws the significant economic changes had taken place. This requires some correction of laws and preparation of new normative acts. There is poor efficiency of fulfillment of some laws and decrees. In some cases, the legal documents do not comply with reality. As a rule, this is related to the lack of finance and proper technical means for implementation of laws, low level of legal education of major part of population and local administrative staff.
The convention approaches and requirements for general and specific areas are not enough integrated into current legal and normative documents, as well as into the planning system. The mechanisms of incentives for environment protection, and especially for conservation of biological diversity, are missing. The issues, related to the access to genetic resources, up-to-date and alternative technologies, as well as the measures for stimulation and financial mechanisms for nature protection are not supported legally enough. This restricts the possibilities for achievement of ecological and economic benefits. The bylaws on inventory of greenhouse gases, early warning system against drought and other dangerous nature phenomena, and norms regulating measures on adaptation to climate change, are missing.
Provisions and legislative acts, reflecting involvement of all the Parties concerned are not elaborated enough. The norms and criteria for fulfillment of relevant requirements for public involvement in the nature protection activities are not identified as well.
According to the analysis, criteria for introduction of environment pollution charge, as well as pollution norms and standards, developed in Soviet times, are already out-of-date and do not comply with the international requirements and the new legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The National program for evaluation of vulnerability to climate change and development of measures for adaptation to the consequences of climate change (FCCC, Articles 4.8(c), 4.10) and activity on mitigation of drought consequences and early warning system against drought (CCD, Part II, Article 5) are missing. Taking into account high vulnerability of water resources and agriculture to climate change, drought and land degradation, this nature protection aspect of legislation requires consolidation of the capacity efforts. A number of sectoral Programs, as “National Energy Program up to 2010”, “National Energy Saving Program
17 up to 2010”, and “Environmental Program for the Motor Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan” are required to be agreed.
Framework character of the majority of laws forces to define in details the mechanisms and procedures for their execution in the relevant provisions, instructions, and methodological guidelines. For example, the Articles 8 and 9 of the “Law about Protection and Use of Wild Life” envisage monitoring of wild live species and their state inventory. However, the norms, mechanism, and procedures for their introduction are not established. The relevant instructions or methodological guidelines are missing as well.
The main constraint of the legislative basis to meet the requirements of the conventions might be summarized as follows: i) insufficient legislative basis, lack of unified impact assessment methodology and appropriate specialists in this field; ii) low quality or lack of a number of bylaws and norms (standards, methodologies, manuals, guidelines, etc.), in particular, on greenhouse gases inventory, on development and implementation of the early warning system against drought, on measures for adaptation to climate change, on many aspects of desertification and specially dangerous nature phenomena; iii) lack of norms and requirements on the procedure for progress review of governmental programs and responsibilities for their implementation; iv) inadequate and insufficient logistic support for efficient activities.
The problems related to education in environmental legislation, intersectoral relationships and cooperation are of special concern. These are: i) insufficient level of expertise of the local specialists and local training programs; ii) lack of training courses on execution of the current laws and legislative acts, and lack of relevant training manuals and materials; iii) lack of information network and insufficient intersectoral cooperation; iv) inadequate volumes of the international technical assistance and support.
Thus, the analysis of the legislative basis shows, that synergetic capacity of the common issues, specified in the international conventions, had not been used to full extent as the guidelines or aid in the process of development and adoption of legislative acts on environment conservation. Improvement of legislative basis on environment conservation in Uzbekistan should be based on the elimination of the identified shortfalls and introduction of synergetic possibilities for the successful implementation of the international conventions.
With the account of the synergism amongst all the three conventions, it is necessary to adopt the Forest Code, Water Code, and the Law about WUA, etc. It is necessary to widen and amend the current laws and acts in order to ensure their adequacy and harmonization with the international agreements, standards, and criteria, including: • amend “Law about protection and use of vegetation” by legal, institutional, economic norms and requirements for protection and use of semi-desert and desert pastures and wetland vegetation cover in the southern part of littoral area and the dried bottom of the Aral Sea, and the list of the main threats of irreversible changes in the natural vegetation community; • establish maximum allowable concentration of pollutants and biological organisms in the air for human being and environment in the Article 7 of “Law about Protection of Atmosphere”; • develop the Law about Land and Water Use Tax for irrigated agriculture, in order to ensure the gradual transition to the chargeable water use, enhancement of incentives and responsibilities for water and resources saving, etc.
18 Recommendations on Improvement and Development of Environmental Legislation
On the basis of cross-cutting analysis of the problems, limitations and requirements, the following measures might be recommended for capacity development in environmental legislation: • improve legislative base on the basis of ecosystem approach and with participation of all the Parties concerned in order to define in details mechanisms for coordinated fulfillment of requirements and implementation of all the three conventions; • develop new and improved normative acts, with special attention to regulatory basis for combat desertification, land degradation and drought, and covering requirements and means for implementation of all the three conventions; • strengthen the human capacity by the relevant legal knowledge, skills and international experience; • enhance the capacity of the specialized department within the State Committee for Nature Protection for implementation of unified environmental policy and assessment procedure in relevant areas.
Requirements for capacity building for the national environmental legislation and its implementation/enacting, which had been discussed in the previous chapters, were summarized in the action plan with proposed implementation schedule, the party responsible, and possible sources of financing (Table 3.1).
Table 3.1 Proposals for Action Plan on Improvement of Environmental Legislation for FCCC, CBD, and CCD Implementation
№ Activities on Legal Status Period of Executing Agencies Sources of Performance Financing 1 Improvement of laws, regulating the issues related to Draft amendments to Authorized agencies and International the three global ecological conventions, and the Law: in 1 year. other concerned state financing development of drafts relevant bylaws: Bylaws: during 1 organizations. The state budget of a) Draft Law about amendments and changes of year after adoption of International experts the RUz “The Nature Protection Law” of the RUz the Law b) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Law about the Environmental Appraisal” of the RUz. c) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Land Code” of RUz d) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Law about Water and Water Management” of the RUz e) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Law about Protection and Use of Vegetation” of the RUz f) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Law about Protection and Use of Wild Life” of the RUz g) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Law about Protection of Atmosphere of the RUz h) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Law about Protection of Agricultural Crops from Pests, Deceases, and Weeds” of the RUz i) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Law about Staff Training” of the RUz j) Draft Law about amendments and changes of “Law about Rational Use of Energy” of the RUz
2. Development and adoption of the new Forest Code of Code: in 1 year The Main Administration of International the Republic of Uzbekistan and relevant bylaws Bylaws: during 1 Forestry under The Ministry financing year after adoption of of Agriculture and Water The state budget of the Code Resources of the RUz and the RUz other concerned state agencies International experts 3 Development and adoption of the new Water Code of Code: in 1 year The Ministry of Agriculture International
19 № Activities on Legal Status Period of Executing Agencies Sources of Performance Financing the Republic of Uzbekistan and relevant bylaws Bylaws: during 1 and Water Resources of the financing year after adoption of RUz and other concerned The state budget of the Code state agencies the RUz International experts 3. Development and adoption of the new Law “About The Law: in 1 year The Ministry of Agriculture International Water Users Associations” Bylaws: during 1 and Water Resources of the financing year after adoption of RUz and other concerned The state budget of the Law state agencies the RUz International experts 4. Development of the national program on improvement in 2 years Goskompriroda, International the legal and juridical norms, standards, Glavhydromet, Gosstandard, financing methodologies, and guidance on environmental and other concerned agencies legislation and organizations International experts 7. Development of GIS data base on in 2 years Goskompriroda, International normative/methodological and normative/technical Glavhydromet, and other financing acts, regulating ecological issues and improvement of concerned agencies and information network. organizations International experts
20 4. INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL, REGIONAL, ANA LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS
Background
The institutional policy of the country is the main instrument of environmental policy on harmonization of relationships with environment and, its integration in the sustainable management of the global environment. All the three conventions include the common provisions on the necessity of building and/or development of the institutional capacity of the country and, development of the relevant possibilities and relationships at all levels of environment management.
The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan pays great attention to fulfillment of these requirements of the conventions within the framework of the governmental policy, that is developed and implemented by the certain governmental organizations under the guidance of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers. The multilevel government system of environmental management is presented in Figure 4.1.
The representative supreme state legislative authority is Oliy Majlis (The Parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Parliament determines the main directions of the governmental policy in the area of protection, improvement, and maintenance of environment, approves the state ecological programs, develops and adopts the environmental legislative acts of the republican importance.
The Cabinet of Ministers is the executive body, that provide guidance of economic, social and spiritual components of the society, and execution of laws and decrees of the Oliy Majlis, decrees and orders of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The CM conducts the unified policy to maintain the proper condition of the environment, and regulates the use of nature resources of the state. The regional and local authorities identify the main directions of nature protection on their respective territories, conduct inventories and assessment of natural resources conditions and ecologically harmful objects. They are responsible for the control of environment protection and use of natural resources.
The main executive body for environment protection in Uzbekistan is the State Committee for Nature Protection (Goskompriroda). It is subordinated and reports directly to the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Goskompriroda is the specially empowered and coordinating agency of the state control and intersectoral management in the area of nature protection, use and restoration of natural resources jointly with state authorities and managerial bodies. Goskompriroda is also empowered to develop and implement the unified nature protective and resource saving policy, aimed at enhancement of ecological situation, management of nature reserves, organization and conduction of the inventories of flora and fauna, and specially protected territories. The Mandate of Goskompriroda is based on “The Statute of the State Committee for Nature Protection” of the Republic of Uzbekistan, approved by the Parliament on 26 April, 1996. . In accordance with the Article 8 of “Law about Nature Protection” execution the nature protection measures and special control functions and responsibility for some nature spheres are entrusted to the Cabinet of Ministers, Goskomproroda” and local government authorities. According to the Article 31 of “Law about Nature Protection” Goskompriroda, the Ministry of Public Health, the Inspection on supervision and safety management in industry and mining under the Cabinet of Ministries, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, the State Committee on Land Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadastre are the specially authorized bodies on nature protection. The general principles and mechanism of interaction amongst the authorized bodied within the framework of natural resources and environment protection are identified by the National Programs and Provisions, approved by the decrees of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, the arid country with frequent droughts, shortage of water and intensive land degradation, the existing hierarchic system of the natural resources management, adopted in Soviet times, has significantly limited the possibilities of management of available natural resources.
21 The President of the The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Republic of Uzbekistan
Apparat of the President The Cabinet of Apparat of the Cabinet of Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan Ministries Ministries
The State Committee for Nature Protection
State Committees and Agencies Ministries Central Organizations under the Cabinet of Ministries The State Committee on Land Resources, Geodesy, Oblasts The Ministry of Agriculture and Water Cartography and State Cadastre Khokimiats Resources Glavhydromet The State Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources Andijan The Ministry of Emergency Situations Uzgosreserve The State Tax Committee Bukhora The Ministry of Justice VAK The State Customs Committee Djizak The Ministry of Finance Patent Agency The State Committee on Statistics Kashkadarya The Ministry of Education State Testing Center The State Committee on Property and Support to Enterprises Navoi The Ministry of Defence The Committee on Religion The State Committee on Demonopolization Namangan The Ministry of Economy The Service of Governmental The State Committee on Architecture and Construction Samarkand The Ministry of Labor and Social Communication The Agency of Communication and Informatization Surkhandarya Security Uzkhlebinspection The Media and Information Agency Syrdarya The Ministry of Public Health The Center on Drugs Control The Agency on Standardization, Metrology, and Certification Tashkent The Ministry of High and Secondary Uzgosvodkhoznadzor The Agency Automobile and River Transport Fergana Education Uzgosneftegazinspection The Uzbek Agency “Uzkommunkhizmat” Khorezm The Ministry of Culture and Sport The Agency on External Economic Relations Tashkent city The Ministry of Foreign Affairs The State Inspection “Uzgoszhelnadzor” The Ministry of Internal Affairs The State Inspection “Gosavianadzor” and Corporations and Concerns, Companies, Amalgamations, Scientific Organizations, Banks, Funds and Public Organizations
Figure 4.1 Structure of Executive Bodies and Government Administrative Agencies of Uzbekistan
22 Since the years of independence the general government policy had been aimed at introduction of socially orientated market economy. This had led to enabling such functions of government, as formation of a legal basis of reforms, privatization of state property, reformation of agriculture, creation of market infrastructure, and ensuring of reliable social security for environment protection. This might be possible with retention of managing ability in economy. At the same time, the political changes and economic problems, which created some deterioration of agricultural basis and infrastructure, restrict these reorganizations and changes of management structure. The result is the decline of yields, slow pace of development, low revenues from export, and negative impact on living standards of rural population in general.
For overcoming of these restrictions and strengthening the management reliability and efficiency of services providing, in 2003 the Government of Uzbekistan had adopted the Decree of the cabinet of Ministries on transition from administrative-territorial to basin principle of irrigation management, with introduction of market relations at all levels of water use. Current institutional reorganizations in water and agricultural sectors are defined the pace of reforms development and transfer of management in irrigation and other areas of environment protection.
In the context of the environment protection, at the interstate level the Government of Uzbekistan and the governments of the other Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) had signed several agreements, which are currently the basis for the management at local levels. The most important ones are: -The Declaration of 12 October, 1991, that confirms the requirement to comply with principles of water sharing, formulated in the Soviet times up to preparation of the new agreements on water sharing; -The Agreement of 18 February, 1992, that had led to establishment of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC). Previously established BVO Amudarya and BVO Syrdarya had become the executive bodies of ICWC.
Later on, with the development of the Aral Sea basin program, two new organizations had been created: the Interstate Council for the Aral Sea (ICAS) for coordination of the program, and the Interstate Fund for the Aral Sea (IFAS) for mobilization of financial resources. The Scientific Information Center of ICWC (SIC ICWC) had been established in December 1993. ICWC had amalgamated with IFAS in February 1997.
It is well-known fact, that agriculture and environment management are interrelated, and the current institutional reformations, especially at the local level, are the part of a wide scope of actions aimed at the recovery of the environment components at the global level.
Assessment of Capacity Needs to Meet the Commitments to the Global Conventions
This Chapter is aimed at the assessment of the current activities, the inputs and the country efforts to meet the commitments to the global conventions, and at the multilevel analysis of the problems, limitations and needs from the viewpoint of the synergetic possibilities of the three conventions.
The processes of capacity self-assessment had been conducted on the basis of the large-scale consultations, interviews, and discussions at all levels, with the special attention to the local community and vulnerable groups of population. According to the opinion of one participant of the workshop in Samarkand … the discussions at the workshops have forced the participants to look at themselves from the outside. We felt like something needs to be changed in us, as well as in our lives. This is very important.
Assessment of the county current efforts and activities aimed at implementation of the three global conventions allowed to identify the following strengths of the institutional basis of the country: 1. Existence of the executive government bodies and agencies, which are empowered and responsible for implementation of the conventions. The responsible agency for the implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the State Committee for Nature Protection (Goskompriroda) of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Centre of Hydrometeorological Service (former the Main Administration of Hydrometeorology) under the Cabinet of Ministries of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzhydromet) is the agency responsible for implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD). These agencies are also responsible for development of the policies, strategies, and action plans for implementation of the three conventions. 2. Existence of National Agency for Sustainable Development Since its establishment, the National Commission on Sustainable Development (NSDС) makes significant contribution to the development of sustainable nature protection and achievement of the global objectives by advocating of the unified policy, approaches, actions, and coordination of the joint intersectoral activities of the national institutions and international organizations with public participation. 3. Existence of Specialized Governmental Organizations Responsible for the Protection and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Coordination of the Activities Directly Related to Implementation of the Conventions (Goskonpriroda, MAWR, Uzhydromet, Goskomzemgedezkadastr, etc) The number of the key ministries and institutions is responsible for governmental management of natural resources, implementation of the nature protection measures, and special supervisory functions. These organizations are also responsible for the use and conservation of natural resources, establishment of sustainable governmental service and activity on development and implementation of specialized programs, strategies and action plans in the area of environment protection, which are necessary for fulfillment of the global commitments. The status and functional structure of all responsible organizations are described in the reports of the thematic groups of the three conventions. 4. Existence of Wide Network of Public and Non-Commercial Non-Governmental Organization of Uzbekistan, which Enable Consolidation of National Capacity for Sustainable Environmental Development Currently in Uzbekistan there are 13 public organizations and 22 national charitable and international funds. Activities of these organizations are aimed at the support to population health and environment protection, as well as to the development of business, education and strengthening of cultural relations and spiritual values. The fund “ECOSAN”, IFAS, Health and Mercy Fund, Fund “Soglom Avlod Uchun”, Women Committee, Association of Business Women of Uzbekistan, and the others make special contribution to the achievement of national and global objectives. Their activities are aimed at wide involvement of public, and especially women, in the process of management and decision making on environment protection issues. The non-commercial and non-governmental organizations of Uzbekistan (NGOs), which have mandate to deal with nature protection, participate in the national program ECOFORUM. The main objective of this purpose-oriented program is the conservation and sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity of Uzbekistan, as the most important resource component of its (Uzbekistan) sustainable development. Currently, there are more than 70 NGOs of this kind in the country. 5. Existence of Wide Network of Specialized Scientific and Research Institutes and Universities with Specialists, who Have Many-Year Experience, Knowledge and International Reputation and who Will Introduce the GEC Objectives into Scientific Researches, Projects, and Action Programs within the Framework of the Three Conventions The specialized institutions interested in the protection of the global environment cover all scientific, research, and design capacity of the country. The scientific and research complex of the republic comprises 362 academic and educational institutes, and sector specific scientific and design institutions. The significant part of these institutions directly and/or indirectly participates in fulfillment of the commitments to the three conventions. The list of the responsible scientific, research, specialized, and sector specific institutions and organizations and their capabilities and possible contributions to the implementation of the conventions are presented in Annex .
6. The Processes of Reformation and Development of the Private Property by the Main Sectors of Economy Cover All Governmental Management Authorities Both at the Level of Farms and Local Communities
24 At the beginning of reforms in water sector and transition to the basin principle of irrigation management the new organizational structure of MAWR had been approved. Introduction of the new structure allowed to reduce the total number of organizations for 2.5 times. Their functional objectives, capabilities, and responsibilities for implementation of legal interactions with water users have been changed. The process of establishment of the self-governing water users associations (WUAs), based on hydrological units, is on- going. Obviously, the experience of the recently established WUA and the lessons learned are extremely important to all the groups of stakeholders and for further development of irrigation management privatization in Uzbekistan.
Most of reorganizations and changes are taking place in the agricultural sector. During the first stage of agricultural reforms development the former state and collective farms (sovkhozes and kolkhozes) had been restructured into different categories of land users (big cooperative farms or “shirkats”, private farms, and “dekhcan” farms). The associations of dekhcan and private farms, which also comprise small enterprises for processing of agricultural production, represent their interests in the government and other organizations. Structure of Association and its rayon representations is shown in Figure 4.2.
At this stage, the priority directions of economic reforms in agriculture are the development of dekhcan and private farms on the basis of restructuring of 613 shirkat farms. The total number of farms is already more than 100 thousand. For regulation of water management interrelations amongst private and dekhcan farms over 880 WUAs had been established, which cover already more than 40% of the total irrigated area. By the end of 2006 another 736 shirkat farms will be restructured in the republic.
7. Existence of Local Self-Administration Bodies, as Historical Public Domain and Product of Its National and Spiritual Values and Traditions, Enabling Achievement of Harmonized Natural Resources Use Council of citizens or “makhallya” is the independent self-administration body, that called to conduct the public initiatives and measures to fulfill environment protection requirements of the national and global importance directly on-site, i.e. in the villages, rayons, oblasts, and cities of Uzbekistan. The main principles of “makhallya” activities are democracy, openness (glasnost), social justice, humanity, and community mutual assistance. “Makhallya” is responsible for decision making on the local problems, including improvement and development of social infrastructure, organization of “khashars”, and provision of social assistance to the families with low income, etc. Executive governmental bodies and authorities provide assistance and support to establishment and development of local self-administration bodies and do not interfere in the exercising of the rights for self-administration.
Assessment of Management Efficiency and Capacity Needs at the National Level
For the analysis of efficiency and management ability to fulfill the provisions of the global conventions, the following assessment indices had been used: (i) coordination and development of management strategy, (ii) legal and economic mechanisms and credits, (iii) planning, inventory, and monitoring, (iv) human resources and level of knowledge, (v) expertise and absence of duplication, (vi) degree of participation in the governmental programs, and (vii) availability of infrastructure.
The results of analysis show, that the executive governmental bodies and authorities are undertaking the adequate institutional measures and actions at national and regional levels. (Figure 4.3). At the same time, the measures and actions related to the key factors, as coordination and establishment of management systems, selection of specialists and improvement of their knowledge and expertise, and use of economic mechanisms, undertaken by governmental institutions and agencies, are insufficient to fulfill the provisions of the global conventions. The main reason of these shortfalls is economic problems, which limit capabilities and contribution of governmental institutions and agencies to meet the national commitments to the Conventions.
25 Joint stock and private enterprises, non-governmental noncommercial organizations and local communities in many cases are not involved in the implementation of the global conventions. Operative interaction amongst management bodies is not sufficient enough.
Conference of Plenipotentiaries
Audit Commission Council of Association
Fund for Support Dekhcans Executive Body Bank and Private Farms
Representations of Association in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Oblasts
Executive Representations of Association in Rayons Body
MEMBERS OF ASSOCIATION
Cooperatives Private Farms (Amalgamations of Private Dekhcan Farms and Dekhcan Farms)
Executive Body Structure of Rayon Representation of Dekhcan and Private Farms Association
DIRECTOR
Department of Contracts, Production, Department of Logistics and Dekhcan and Product Processing, and Marketing of Crop Private Farms Machinery and and Stockbreeding Production Infrastructure Maintenance
Juridical, Accountant Department Department of Dekhcan and Private Farms Consulting and Business Plan Development Performance Analysis
Department of Dekhcan and Private Farms Inventory and Monitoring of Their Activities
26
Figure 4.2 Structure of Dekhcan and Private Farms Association
27 Availability of Infrastructure
Planning, Inventory, and Monitoring
Human Resources and Knowledge
Government Legislative andCoo Mrdinationanagement and Develop Aumthoritiesent of Management Strategy Executive Bodies (Ministries, State Committees) Science and Education Institutions JS Concerns and Amalgamations Mass Media Civil Society (NGOs and Local Communities) Figure 4.3. Assessment of Management Ability at Different Levels of Current Management Structure for Fulfillment of the Global Conventions
The analysis had revealed, that poor coordination and interaction amongst different sectors and Parties concerned to meet commitments to the global conventions, are the main constraint for capacity development. First of all, this is due to the lack of the essential coordination bodies, including:
i) Executive body and coordination agency for efficient participation of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Clean Deevelopment Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol and the National greenhouse gases inventory system. This impedes introduction of measures on reduction of greenhouse gases emission, puublic awareness and studies on the FCCC and Kyoto Protocool.
ii) Specialized agency for coordination of the CBD implementation and enhancement of cooperation foor capacity building on coordination, intersectoral relations and interaction amongst the conventions.
iii) Institution and specialists on coordination and development of the early warning system against drought, its monitoring, exchange of information, expert and impact assessments on the CCD.
iv) Information and coordination agency for conducting the unified state naature protection monitoring and analytical database on ecological norms, standards and criteria, which based on the principles, approaches and tools of the global conventions.
v) The national agency for widening public awareness, advocating approaches and principles of suustainable natural resources use with the aim to increase public self-consciousness, responsibility, and degree of participation in meeting requirements of the global conventions.
vi) Agency for coordination of relationships amongst the National Coordinators and working groups on CCD, FCCC, and CBD with the aim to introduce unified approaches and conduct joint initiatives, as well as for reporting and monitoring of the conventions implementation progress.
The above mentioned problems impede possibilities for coordinated activities of capacity at all levels and limit their contribution in the development of unified approaches and implementation of joint action plans. Especially, this is true in regard to the local self-administration bodies, which unite the big part of urban and rural population.
28
The reforms in agriculture and water sectors, which are vulnerable to climate change processes, shortage of water, and degradation of land and biological diversity, had been commenced in 2003. These reforms entail the significant technical, financial, and institutional difficulties. Although, more than 880 WUA had been already established, the process of establishment of a new self-administrative management bodies at the local level is going with significant difficulties due to the lack of resources, experience, and knowledge. In this regard, support from the government and joint efforts of executive and local administrative bodies with all the stakeholders concerned, as well as assistance and support from international institutions and development agencies, are required.
Undoubtedly, the staged transfer of irrigation management, introduction of water charge rates, self-financing, and other problems should be resolved jointly with land privatization and restructuring. Experience of the similar reforms in the Central Asia shows, that simple replication of such institutional programs without observing historical and socio-economic context of the country is unacceptable and inappropriate. The experience of such countries, as Turkey and Mexico, indicates, that the significant precondition for successful transfer of irrigation management is the strong political will and commitments to implementation of privatization.
Special attention should be paid to the reorganization of the general management structure of water sector at the regional level. Recently established interstate institutions and agencies are dealing with the issues of rational use of water resources in the Aral Sea basin. However, their competences are not defined precisely and, therefore, they very often duplicate each other activities. Supervision over observance of water quotas, i.e. over actual distribution of water resources amongst the republics is conducted inadequately. Apart from this, the Parties concerned are not properly represented in these institutions.
The accomplished analysis shows, that synergetic capacity of institutional management structure in both common and cross-cutting areas of the conventions have not been fully utilized yet, and further improvement and development in terms of the global approaches and management principles are required.
Assessment of Capacity Needs at Regional and Local Levels
For well-ordered participation of regional community in the project implementation, the wide scale consultations for opinions exchange and discussions on the current limitations and capabilities at the local level had been conducted. Oblast and thematic working groups of the project were aimed at the involvement of the main beneficiaries by holding discussions, in-depth interviews, and exchange of opinions in the focus groups, as well as by the dissemination of specific tests and questionnaires. With the help of these discussions and interviews with participants, the project team has identified the wide scope of needs and recommendations on capacity building to meet requirements of the global conventions.
The communities of the five main regions of the country had been involved in the process of consultations. These regions had been ranked by degree of ecological risk and socio-economic problems as following: The Aral Sea littoral area and the lower reaches of the Amudarya river (Muinak and Nukus); Bukhara oasis (Bukhara); The Zerafshan river valley (Samarkand, Navoi, and Djizak); Fergana valley (Fergana) and Tashkent and Syrdaya regions (Tashkent).
The whole range of the selected problems, which were of prime concern and highly important for assessment of the regional capacity, had been discussed (Box 4.1).
Box 4.1 List of Issues, which had been Discussed for Assessment of the Regional Capacity
The key environmental problems at regional and local levels. The capacity needs for environment protection management at regional level. Understanding of environment deterioration problem and its impact on human health and life.
29 Existing limitations and capabilities for capacity strengthening at regional, local, and individual levels. Attitude to the unfavorable nature phenomena and to the specific measures conducted at regional level. Identification of the most important ecological problems for recent 5 years. Existing needs and limitations for improvement of knowledge and getting access to information on agriculture and other types of activities. Types of activities/enterprises for providing satisfactory living standards and possible alternatives for improvement of social, ecological, and the other benefits. Readiness to participate in the NCSA project and other activities on environment protection.
The main beneficiaries had been subdivided into two categories: (i) scientific and public organizations, especially NGOs, which think that existing environment management system should be reorganized by encouraging private sector initiatives and strengthening public social institutions; and (ii) experts and specialists on nature protection issues, who support role of the government in strengthening of the existing capacity and necessity of large government investments.
In total, more than 520 respondents had been interviewed within the framework of NCSA project. Three case studies had been prepared by the working groups, in order to demonstrate the specifics of needs and capabilities of capacity in the different historical, demographical, and ecological conditions of the country. The Aral Sea littoral area, the zone of ecological disaster, had been selected as the first indicative example. The second example is the Fergana valley, that includes three oblasts of the country with the highest density of population and relevant socio-ecological problems. The third case describes situation in the Zerafshan river valley. This is typical example of the local focus of ecological risk.
As a result of the multilevel assessment it had been determined, that at the regional level there is certain capacity to comply with the national and global commitments. The Republic of Karakalpakstan and the regions of the country have the network of scientific and educational institutions with qualified specialists. Capacity building of these institutions is possible by general improvement of the efficiency of their structure and functional possibilities, and first of all, by the improvement of resource base and facilities of the management institutions. The participants of the regional consultations came to the complete mutual consent, that the national capacity self-assessment project should be completed as soon as possible, in order to guarantee the implementation of urgent measures and action plans on the national and global environment protection.
The general problems and limitations, which had been identified in the process of regional consultations are summarized in Table 4.1. The current capabilities and needs of the capacity, and the results of their assessment by participants, are presented in thematic report on CCD.
Table 3.1. Problems and Factors that Impede Implementation of the Global Conventions Requirements at Individual, Institutional, and System Levels
Factors that Impede Capacity Factors that Impede Capacity High-Priority Factors that Impede Capacity Development on Individual Development on Institutional Problems Development on System Level Level Level Integration of − Lack of proper motivation − Lack of sufficient − The system for justification and tasks on for advanced training and qualification on a managerial ranking of priorities in conventions to improvement of level; implementation of nature combat qualification; − Insufficiently developed protection policy does not desertification, − Restricted access to mechanism for initiatives thoroughly elaborated; climate change, information resources; encouragement; − Insufficiently developed and biological − Lack of possibilities to − Lack of proper performing legislative base. diversity into widen contacts in the area of discipline; sectoral professional activities; − Insufficient supply of development − Insufficient sense of qualified staff. plans responsibility; − Insufficient or lack of precise understanding of functional responsibilities. Development of − Lack of proper motivation − Monitoring service does not − Lack of unified normative, the system for for advanced training and sufficiently equipped with informational, methodical,
30 Factors that Impede Capacity Factors that Impede Capacity High-Priority Factors that Impede Capacity Development on Individual Development on Institutional Problems Development on System Level Level Level Integrated improvement of the modern hardware and methodological, metrological, Monitoring qualification; software; and organizational base for − Restricted access to − Insufficient intersectoral creation, maintenance, and information resources; coordination and cooperation operation of the system for − Insufficient possibilities for on data collection, desertification monitoring; improvement of qualification processing, analysis, and − Lack of ecosystem approach and in the area of information exchange; scientifically justified criteria for analysis and processing by − Restricted access to the integrated assessment of the the modern technologies ecological information; monitoring objects. (GIS, remote sensing) − Lack of system for advanced − Lack of possibilities to training and exchange of widen contacts in the area of experience; professional activities; − Monitoring service has not − Insufficient sense of enough qualified staff. responsibility; − Insufficient or lack of precise understanding of functional responsibilities; − Lack of experience working with modern equipment. Improvement of − Lack of proper motivation − Lack of a good quality − Insufficient development of state the educational for advanced training and textbooks, training materials public awareness system; level and improvement of and technical literature on − Insufficient legislative base in awareness of qualification; local languages; regard to public awareness; population − Insufficient level of − Deficiency of qualified − Lack of practice to provide education, especially in rural teachers and trainers; freely available reports on areas; − Lack of specialized centers activity of relevant institutions; − Restricted access to for training and informing of − Lack of interaction amongst information resources; different groups of different institutions, involved in − Influence of local customs population; process of training and and traditions on − Lack or insufficient access to informing on desertification improvement of intellectual internet and other system of problems. and educational level of information with use of women. modern information technologies; − Restricted accessibility of high education, especially for rural population; − Demand for ecological specialists is higher than capacity of high school institutions. Development of − Lack of motivation for − Lack of a ground for − Normative and legislative base scientific and professional growth; exchange of experience and for encouraging of new and technical − Restricted access to training in use of new clean technologies introduction cooperation, information resources; technologies; is not enough developed; clean − Lack of possibilities to − Insufficient development of − Market system is not enough technologies widen contacts in the area of system for informing about efficient; (transfer, professional activities; new and clean technologies; − Human and financial resources acquisition, − Leveling of personal activity − Insufficient supply of are tight; adaptation) to the average level qualified staff; − There is brain drain due to irrespectively to the actual − Effective system for unfavorable conditions in the input of the individual; planning, quality country. − Lack of incentives system management, supervision for initiatives; over work progress, and − Lack of experience and assessment of results is knowledge on preparation of missing; project proposals. − Management of limited financial resources is not efficient enough; − System for provision of consulting services on mobilization of resources for
31 Factors that Impede Capacity Factors that Impede Capacity High-Priority Factors that Impede Capacity Development on Individual Development on Institutional Problems Development on System Level Level Level training in use of new technologies is not enough developed.
Thus, limitations and shortfalls of the current management structure, which limited capacity development might be summarized as following:
1. Iintersectoral coordination and relationships amongst institutions, agencies, and management bodies are not efficient enough. This impedes joint activities of the responsible institutions, organizations, and local administrative bodies on fulfillment of the global commitments;
2. Capacity of the civil society is used insufficiently, although its activities and initiatives are crucial for the broad involvement of all the Parties concerned and the local communities in implementation of the programs and action plans on environment protection;
3. Poor involvement of mass media, the capacity of scientific community and civil society in the public awareness campaigns, the cultivation of the national self-consciousness and responsibility for the global commitments, as well as for advocating of ideas and specific actions on achievement of safe natural resources use.;
4. Lack of institutions for environmental education of public and local communities, and permanent ecological training courses for the staff of executive and coordinating management agencies;
5. Poor financial and legal support for executive and coordinating agencies, and supervision over progress with implementation of the sectoral programs and action plans conducted within the framework of the three conventions;;
6. Insufficient external technical assistance on the common sectors and areas of the three conventions;
7. Poor logistical support for the national institutions/agencies and the local management bodies.
All the above mentioned shortfalls and weaknesses of the existing management structure, generated by economic and social problems of the transition period in the Republic of Uzbekistan, impede institutional development and partnership at all levels. At the same time, the processes of institutional reformations have already involved all levels of management and it is obvious, that the staff of these organizations is ready to participate in the processes.
Recommendations on Improvement and Development of the Institutional Basis for Implementation of the Conventions Reformation of government administration in the Republic of Uzbekistan has already involved all levels and bodies of administration, but insufficient coordination and connections with the local self-administration bodies can be observed. At the same time, the local self-administration has certain capacity for successful development and enhancement of its role in the context of already formed in the country legal, political, and socio-economic conditions.
On the basis of available institutional capacity the following recommendations for its building and development had been elaborated: - develop the unified conceptual document on achievement of the common objectives and the synergetic possibilities of the three global environmental conventions;
32 - enhance the coordinating role of the responsible executive bodies and their cooperation with the concerned participants, with introduction of relevant corrections in their functions, power, and responsibility; - strengthen the horizontal and vertical connections at all levels of institutions/agencies that will significantly improve efficiency of their activities and cooperation with the concerned participants; - develop the joint program for the institutional development for the period up to 2015. This program should be based on the unified approaches, instruments, and policy of measures, specified in the provisions of the conventions; - improve the mechanisms of cooperation amongst the National focal groups of the three conventions and the National body on the Sustainable Development and their connection with the executive governmental administrative bodies; - develop the mechanism for connections and integration, as well as for the exchange of information amongst the sector programs, plans, and projects by establishment of specialized agencies; - develop the system of permanent ecological training and advanced training courses for specialists within framework of the national and international cooperation.
Taking into account the special role of the local self-administrations in environment protection, it is necessary to implement the following measures for its institutional development: - widen the existing legislative basis for solution of issues on coordination of activities and connections amongst the executive bodies, NGOs, public organizations, and the local communities (WUA, Farmers and Dekhcan Associations, makhallies); - encourage the local communities and provide them with the possibilities to participate in the activities on environment protection, and involve them in the environmental monitoring and supervision of land and water use by persuading users to comply precisely with legal frameworks, and their rights and responsibilities; - provide mass media with free access to information on new technologies and measures required for their adaptation, in order to improve awareness of the concerned participants. By that the feedback from local community will be achieved. - implement on the competitive basis the projects for supporting institutional development of local communities. These projects should be aimed at technical assistance, and training of local specialists and farmers. It is worth mentioning in this regard the experience of FAO Technical Assistance on establishment of the Field Farmer Schools.
The advantage of the joint activities and measures is the possibility for early initiation and implementation of the urgent action and, thereby, the possibility for precise evaluation of the necessary investments and technical assistance at all levels of management.
33 5. NATURE PROTECTION MONITORING AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Background
Environment monitoring, inspection, analysis, and information management are extremely important for the development and implementation of nature protection policy and adoption of the relevant decisions, both in the global context, and from the viewpoint of the national priorities.
The requirements to the monitoring are common for all the three global conventions. The provisions specified in the FCCC (Article 4, 5), CCD (Article 16), and CBD (Articles 7, 14, 17) are extremely important to comply with requirements of the three conventions at local, regional, and international levels. These are the following provisions: i) participation of the Parties in assistance and cooperation on providing technical and scientific support; ii) inventory; iii) coordinated data collection and database development; iv) exchange of information and systematic monitoring of environment components to be protected (especially species and ecosystems, subjected to degradation and extinction threat), and their sustainable use; v) assessment of climate change impact and mitigation of consequences of climate change, drought, and desertification.
Monitoring data and information required for implementation of each convention are the convention specific. Nonetheless, there is broad spectrum of data relevant to the common issues and areas required joint efforts for implementation of all the three conventions. In particular, these are data on climate, hydrology, land use, forest, water and land resources, demography, villages, roads and other infrastructure, which are equally necessary for implementation of all the three conventions. Thus, there is precisely identified volume of information, that required for implementation of global requirements and achievement of Millennium Development Objectives in Uzbekistan.
This chapter provides assessment of the cross-cutting needs for the national capacity building for creation of unified integrated national system of monitoring and information management. In addition, the recommendations on improvement of ecological monitoring and increasing of its efficiency to comply with the requirements of the three global conventions are developed in this chapter.
Synergetic effect of the three conventions was the powerful accelerator of capacity building in this area. The significant volume of monitoring data, which are used within the framework of the three conventions allows to optimize the system of data collection, processing, and analysis, as well as the institutional structure of monitoring, and therefore to prevent duplication, irrational use of the scarce resources, and enable consistency of actions at the national, regional, and global levels. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Existing System for Ecological Monitoring and Information Management
Strengths
Uzbekistan has inherited from the former Soviet Union relatively developed environment monitoring system, and since the years of independence applies significant efforts to maintain its infrastructure.
Establishment of the state system for environment monitoring in the Republic of Uzbekistan had been introduced by the Decrees of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic “Implementation of Action Plan on Environment Protection for 1999 – 2005” (No 469 of 20.10.1999), “Approval of Provision on Land Monitoring” (No 496 of 23.12.2000), and “Approval of Provision on the State System for Environment Monitoring” (No 111 of 3.04.2002).
These normative/legislative documents define the monitoring objectives and tasks, functions of each ministry and agency in the system of actions for nature protection, the main principles of operation of the state monitoring system, as well as operation of the system for collection and distribution of information amongst monitoring participants.
34 The new national integrated environment monitoring system is coordinated by Goskompriroda, that also responsible for implementation of the national program on improvement of monitoring quality and supervision over accuracy, timeliness and reliability of information. The general principles and mechanisms of interaction amongst the authorized agencies and responsible ministries within the framework of environment monitoring are defined by the Provision on the State System for Environment Monitoring. List of institutions and agencies that responsible for environment monitoring and their scope of work are shown in Table 5.1. The responsible organizations involved in environment monitoring have all technical facilities, the network of data collection stations and trained staff.
Relevant agencies and authorized ministries and institutions have extensive databases on protection of environment components, hydrometeorology and climate. On the regular basis, these agencies analyze and summarize information, prepare annual reports and information bulletins, which used for compilation of the regular National reports on environment condition. Assessment of specialized databases available in the responsible agencies, and databases capabilities and needs are presented in details in the thematic groups reports on the three conventions.
Table 5.1 Organization Responsible for Environment Monitoring in Uzbekistan
Organization Scope of Work The State committee for Nature Monitoring of pollution sources and monitoring of ground ecosystems Protection The Centre of Hydrometeorological Monitoring of atmosphere pollution, contamination of surface water (natural water bodies), Service (Uzhydromet) soils, and background monitoring, monitoring of agricultural lands, hydrometeorological and climate monitoring The Ministry of Agriculture and Monitoring of quantity and quality (mineralization) of irrigation and drainage waters, Water Resources monitoring of forests and forest plantations, and pasture The State Committee on Land Monitoring of land quality and pollution Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadastre The State Committee on Geology and Monitoring of underground water pollution and hazardous geological processes Mineral Resources The Ministry of Public Health Sanitary monitoring of environment
Within the framework of the national and international projects and programs (WMO, GEF, WB, and the others) on the regular basis it is conducted the study on improvement and standardization of all aspects related to data collection and processing, transfer of methodologies, technologies and new method of control and analysis of changes and impact on the general sectors of economy and on the most vulnerable sectors and areas.
Existence of the state agencies on data collection and processing and service on natural resources cadastre enable inventory of greenhouse gases, registration and control over quantitative and qualitative characteristics of natural resources. For example, the single service of the state cadastres with the head agency “Goskomzemgeodezcadastr” had been established. This service coordinates maintenance of all the cadastres on the territory of the republic (there are more than 300 different types of cadastres) and provides support for development and implementation of reforms and current reorganizations in agriculture and water sectors.
The achieved progress in improvement of methods of information collection, processing, and communication with the use of remote sensing methods and GIS technologies provides operational efficiency and continuity of databases, information reliability and objectiveness in all sectors and areas, related to environment at the national and regional levels. Installation of the ground receiving stations to download and process the NOAA satellites digital data, new equipment and software allow to resolve the tasks on assessment, forecast, and analysis of directions in changes by the main indicators of natural resources conditions. The information systems WARMIS, ISEAM and local databases and ecological atlases, created within the framework of the EU, WB, LSA, etc. projects had made the significant contribution to the development and transfer of GIS technologies, and strengthening of capacity in the area of environment protection.
35 Weaknesses
Analysis of the current situation in the area of the national environment monitoring, activities of the institutions dealing with environment monitoring and availability of data and information allows to identify its weaknesses and limiting factors. Elimination of these limitations can significantly improve the efficiency of monitoring and implementation of the country commitments to the three international ecological conventions.
The current national monitoring system has a number of problems and shortfalls, which limit development and implementation of the unified policy in environment monitoring and information management. The cross-cutting problems identified in the process of the thematic assessments by the three conventions, cover the following aspects:
Managerial: • imperfection of the normative and legislative base and poor execution of bylaws and the Decrees of the Cabinet of Ministers in the area of monitoring and supervision; • deterioration of equipment and infrastructure of environment observation network, and as consequence, the low quality of data and processing results. This limits capacity for reliable analysis of situation and impacts assessment. For example, poor monitoring of the most vulnerable sectors of economy (agriculture and forestry) reduces the reliability and assessment quality of land degradation and desertification, change of biological diversity and climate, and inventory of greenhouse gases; • monitoring service and its specialized departments have low supply of equipment, deficiency of modern laboratory equipment and automated (mobile) platforms for monitoring of environment conditions; • insufficient human resources and lack of highly qualified specialists, training courses, and on-the-job training. Lack of young specialists on ecological legislation, modeling, GIS technologies, and analytical control, etc.
Financial: • acute shortage of the state budget financing and low attraction of local funds and resources, as well as technical assistance and support from international institutions and development agencies; • lack of mechanisms for financing of monitoring and information management. This impedes its reorganization and modernization.
Methodological: • contradiction between the current methodologies/principles of the state environmental monitoring and provisions of the international conventions and protocols. Apart from this, new requirements of the conventions to data collection are not reflected yet in the activities of relevant organizations; • lack of the common principles of standardization and efficient management of monitoring process on the sectoral and territorial levels.
Informational: • lack of the common, efficient, and coordinated system of information and data collection, analysis, processing, and management. Data collection and analysis are conducted without observing of the ecosystem approach requirements and standard criteria for assessment of existing ecosystems. This does not often reflect the criteria and indices, which are important for environment management at the global level. For example, the current monitoring of land resources is insufficient to meet the requirements of the CCD and FCCC; • system for the exchange of information amongst the Parties involved in monitoring is inefficient. The common system for data collection, analysis, and processing is missing. The coordination amongst database developers is practically missing; • scope of collected indices and indicators is not optimized. The current observation procedure with excessively large number of ecological indices impedes decision making at the local and territorial levels. Therefore, the measures on reorganization of information and data collection procedure are of the utmost importance.
36 The identified cross-cutting problems and shortfalls limit capacity to comply with the specific requirements of each the conventions and the commitments to all the three global conventions. The issues involving improvement of financial, technical, and human resources are required urgent measures and solutions. Assessment of Capacity Needs for Ecological Monitoring and Information Management
The common and cross-cutting capacity needs in the area of ecological monitoring and information management (including data quality) by the sectors of economy, which limit fulfillment of the global conventions requirements, can be summarized as follows: i) The main barrier, that limits capacity for introduction of the integrated monitoring system is insufficient coordination and operative interaction amongst the responsible institutions, agencies, and participants involved in implementation of the conventions. The existing national monitoring services and Information Centers under the Ministry of Nature Protection, the Centre of Hydrometeorological Service, the State Committee on Land Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadastre, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, etc. have the appropriate equipment, laboratories and other facilities, but operate independently from each other without proper coordination of their activities. Local communities and the other Parties concerned do not have databases and appropriate facilities for information exchange. Establishment of the National Information and Analytical Center would substantially help to eliminate these shortfalls; ii) The relevant legal and institutional system of management requires significant improvement and enhancement. This system would assist in establishment of unified integrated system of monitoring, and provide proper management and access to information for individuals and institutions, responsible for decision making; iii) The existing services and capacity of monitoring and supervision acutely require the government support and additional financial resources. The current mechanisms of financing require revaluation and improvement to adequately comply with the requirements of monitoring system and provide adequate financing from the state budget with attraction of the local and international funds for support and assistance; iv) The current system of information monitoring and management requires the significant enhancement of information exchange and the mechanisms for its regulation. The existing procedures on distribution and transfer of collected monitoring information, that is used for administrative purposes and distributed only amongst some state institutions, do not comply with the requirements of wide public. The information from the administrative registers is often inaccessible, and practically is not used in policy and decision making. A lot of information had been collected by the state institutions and NGOs, as well as within the framework of the international technical assistance projects. The local communities have some information as well. At the same time, this information had not been analyzed and summarized and data reliability had not been verified. Due to the lack of finance the information is often published on irregular basis, or published with restricted number of copies. Very often the responsible institutions and ministries have problems with access to information, collected by the other agencies, projects, and programs. v) There are significant needs for improvement of public awareness in regard to the existing system of monitoring and availability of information and databases. The regular statistical and analytical bulletins, reference books, and periodical magazines on nature and environment protection are inaccessible to all the Parties concerned and participants. Form of presentation and content of information and data should correspond to the specific requirements of users in order to provide efficiency of multifunctional analysis and assessment. Recommendations on Improvement and Development of Environment Monitoring and Management of Information
On the basis of the analysis of needs, root reasons, and factors, which limit the development of nature protection legislation and policy, aimed at the adoption of measures, the cross-cutting needs for the building and development of capacity for implantation of the three conventions had been identified. i) The efforts of the national institutions and participants capacity should be aimed at the establishment of unified integrated system of environment monitoring with the use of GIS technologies, modern
37 databases, and information management systems in order to provide harmonization of the general monitoring policy with the national action programs on the global environment and implementation of Millennium Development Goals; ii) Policy in the area of environment protection should be based on the continuous and multifunctional analysis and assessment of environmental impact with the objective to predict the medium- and long- term directions in change of environment and climate. Monitoring of land degradation (especially irrigated oases, ecosystems of deserts and semi-deserts, forestry, and agriculture), as well as remote sensing of breeds and species of flora and fauna (including aquatic biological diversity) allow to adopt the appropriate measures on conservation of biological diversity and timely solutions on the all three conventions. Collection and processing of information on solid waste management allows to assess the efficiency of measures on environment protection and efficient use of financial resources.
In order to achieve these objectives, it is necessary to undertake the following measures on enhancement and strengthening of the capacity in the area of information monitoring and management: • development of concept for establishment of the unified state ecological information system, target programs for monitoring of the general sectors and areas of economy and action plans for the mid- and long- term periods on the basis of wide scale consultations with the Parties concerned. These plans and actions should be supported by scientific, institutional, and functional modernization of the system, and by the development of economic mechanisms, improvement of legislative base for collection, processing, distribution, and ensuring availability of information, as well as by the creation of database and cadastre; • improvement of general and intersectoral coordination amongst the responsible institutions, agencies, and participants, involved in monitoring and management of information, from the viewpoint of the national and global requirements. This assumes rational distribution and redistribution of functions, close cooperation and interrelation amongst the participants (including NGOs) and development of the efficient mechanisms for information exchange; • establishment of the single information and analytical monitoring Center, that will ensure the possibilities for: organization and coordination of the activities on data collection, analysis, processing, and analytical control; improvement of monitoring data exchange and distribution; strengthening relations amongst institutions and participants; and, widening access to information; • capacity improvement of the existing observation network by the installation of automated data collection platforms, supply of instruments and equipment, and improvement of monitoring and control system facilities; • efficient use of available financial resources and implementation of measures, ensuring financial sustainability of information control and management system by the target financing from the state budget and attraction of local resources and international assistance; • creation of the single legislative, normative and methodological basis, comprising relevant ecological standards and indicators implied by the objectives and tasks of the global monitoring and predetermining the mechanisms for their implementation. Special attention should be paid to the optimization of the scope of observations on nature conditions within the framework of the State System for Environment Monitoring and selection of the important indices from ecological viewpoint; • development of the package of monitoring methodological and normative documents, that would include standards of licensing and certification, classifiers and approaches in accordance with the international conventions and protocols; • improvement of the management and use of information and databases by the introduction of the unified approaches, modern GIS technologies, and methods of assessment, prediction and modeling; • improvement and unification of monitoring data analysis, processing and distribution and assurance of their accessibility; • improvement of staff training in the area of environment monitoring and information management.
The recommended improvement of the system for information monitoring and management will facilitate capacity development and improve correspondence of definitions and methodologies with requirements, standards, and classifiers implied by context of the international conventions. This will allow gradual transformation of the existing fragmentary processes into the unified effective monitoring policy.
38 Taking into account shortfalls and requirements of the existing monitoring system, the important priority for fulfillment of the requirements of all the three conventions is the retention of the existing capacity and its rearrangement in order to ensure fulfillment of the most important functions. Significant progress without big financial investments can be achieved by improvement of legal regulation of standards and coordination of monitoring system.
Coordination and intersectoral cooperation should ensure effective and operative management of integrated databases and methodology of reporting on qualitative and quantitative indicators describing biological diversity, land degradation, atmosphere, and water bodies, and ecosystem as a whole. This will allow to unify reporting formats, and conduct supervision, expert analysis and assessment.
Thus, the strengthening and widening of monitoring capacity, that is the main instrument for the implementation of action programs, control over implementation progress of the global requirements is extremely important priority task.
39 6. ECONOMIC MECHANISMS FOR NATURE PROTECTION AND FINANCIAL TOOLS
Background Financial and economic mechanisms on implementation of the FCCC, CBD and CCD may have synergetic impact under the condition of joint elaboration of mechanisms for their application, as mentioned in the above Conventions are interrelated on a number of fields, and in many cases complement each other. Such approach is necessary for establishing of sustainable development principles and correspondence to the international requirements.
Application of economic tools is essentially important for the elaboration of economically effective and sustainable strategy for the environment protection and implementation of the requirements of the three Global Conventions. They make invaluable contribution in the harmonic development of environmental policy on the economic sectors and directions through efficient allocation of resources and attraction of additional financial investments, and also facilitate introduction of ecologically safe and cost efficient technologies in nature management.
Providing of efficient and sustainable natural resources use and realization of the principles "polluter pays" and "user pays" is the strategic objective of the National Action Plan on the environment protection. Economic reforms in the country had led to the adoption of laws about privatization and private juridical persons and foreign investor activities. Changes in the economy lead to the changes in responsibilities, and in particular, with privatization financial and legal duties on environment protection are imposed on shareholders.
In 1996, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan had approved and adopted for the execution the Program on introduction of economic and normative mechanisms for nature protection and the use of natural resources, elaborated by the State Committee for Nature Protection and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Government of Uzbekistan had introduced the system of regulating and financial mechanisms with the purpose to force principals of pollution to pay measures on the control of contamination and mobilize funds on environmental activities and, by that, to provide additional financial resources for the implementation of the Global Conventions requirements.
The adopted program will be implemented in three stages, and should be completed by the year 2010. At the first stage, which had been completed in June, 1992 with the adoption of the Provision № 303 “About introduction of payments for exceeding of norms emissions and discharge of contaminants into environment and waste disposal”, normative basis and the system of payments for contamination of environment over established limits and norms had been elaborated. The second stage, which envisages the introduction for normative and super normative contamination of environment, had been completed in 2000, with the adoption of the Provision № 554 about allocation of revenues from payments for contamination (December, 31, 1999). In accordance with that provision 80% of the received funds are directed into state budget, and 20% to the funds of environment protection. At the last stage by the year 2010 the system of payment for irrational use of natural resources will be introduced and the system of payments will be developed.
However, there is no system for assessment of non-economic functions of biological diversity, desertification, climate change. Such system should be based on the complex approach to the assessment of advantages of nature preservation, including, for instance, the importance of the protected territories for protection of water catchments areas, control of soil erosion and water quality improvement, and these in their turn will significantly influence on the health of population, moreover, that present year is declared as “Year of Health”. In the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan “About the state program “Year of Health” of January, 25, 2005 is said, that it is necessary to consider as main purposive tasks the implementation of the programs aimed at the environment protection, introduction of ecological norms, supply to each settlement with quality drinking water.
40 Financial Tools and Mechanisms for Nature Protection
The funding of environment protection and natural resources management and monitoring is carried out for the account: (i) the budget of the Government, (ii) payments for contamination and fines (regulated through the funds of nature protection); (iii) international financial support. For the last years the role of small business and private entrepreneurship is increasing in ecological policy. The contributions of international community are considered enough in details within the framework of thematic assessment on the three Conventions, and also in some chapters of the present report (chapters 3, 8 and the others).
Economic Mechanisms Enabling Nature Protection The economic mechanisms theoretically stimulate actions both manufacturers and consumers, and that allows to reach environmental objectives with the least costs.
Ecological fees for nature protection and management consist of fees for water, fuel, mineral and biological resources, for dangerous emissions into environment, disposals of industrial and municipal wastes, and also payments for the products and import of commodities causing damage to the environment (Box 6.1).
Box 6.1 Operative System of Payments for Nature Management In Uzbekistan the system of payments for waste disposal, emissions and effluents of contaminating substances had been introduced, both as in the cases of not exceeding (payments are the part of operational costs of the companies), as well as with exceeding of allowable volumes. Payments for generation of waste and its disposal are used to control waste formation. The fees for disposal include both reprocessing and non-reprocessing wastes. The amounts of payments are too small in order to provide any significant impact on the volume of generated waste. Payments of the enterprises for effluent of waste water directly to water bodies are transferred to the funds for nature protection. Amount of payment depends upon the volumes and toxicity of effluents and category of water bodies. Payments of users are transferred to public services, i.e. to the services of water supply and waste water treatment and municipal service for waste management. According social considerations, the amounts of payments of users are preserved lower the level of complete payback, and tariffs are controlled by local authorities and may vary. Tariffs on water use depend upon the character of user and type of water bodies. The amount of payments for the enterprises, organizations, industrial water users and power plants is established in proportion to the volume of water consumed. Water use for households is evaluated approximately, and only 2-5% of the water used are registered by water meters. The established prices on water compensate only current costs. The benefit of water plants also reduces due to low paying capacity of the population or its reluctance to pay. Therefore, the subsidies for covering of the most urgent costs (salaries and urgent repair) are allocated from municipal budgets. Households and enterprises, which are switched to the system of sewerage, conduct payments for effluents treatment to municipal water plants (Vodokanal). Ecological taxes and fees for ecologically harmful production levy from each enterprise and is 1% from productive costs of the enterprise. Incomes from that ecological tax are transferred to the state budget, but not in the funding of environment protection. These incomes more than for 25 times exceed payments for contamination, fines and sanctions, altogether. Payments are carried out for water consumption and water use, mining and use of mineral resources, land use and forestry use, and also for hunting and fishing. One half of the license for hunting and fishing cost is paid to the state budget, and another one to the funds of nature protection. Both juridical, and physical persons are subject to taxation on extraction of natural resources. This tax depends upon extracted amount. Taxation fees vary from 1 to 20% of estimated sale price of enriched mineral depending upon mineral itself. Payments for surface and underground water use depends upon the source (underground water, surface water) and water user. Tax rate for use of mineral resources and prices for water are established annually, in accordance with the decree about macroeconomic indices and state budget forecasts of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Fines and sanctions are imposed for contamination of environment exceeding allowable limits or for economic activities without necessary license (or payments for contravention of environmental legislation). Inspectors may impose fines and sanctions, if they have evidence about concealment of the facts of contamination. Amounts of sanctions are defined according the volume of contaminating emissions exceeding normative level and are calculated by multiplication of basic rate on the coefficient of toxicity. For each outstanding day of payment there is also fine in the amount of 0,15% from total accrued amount of payment. Due to difficult financial position, many principals cannot pay such fines. Fines and sanctions do not abolish the responsibility for contravention of environmental legislation. The violator is obliged to compensate the damage, the amount of which is usually established by the Court.
From the view point of funds mobilization, the economic mechanisms in Uzbekistan can be divided into the following categories: i) ecological payments or fees: direct payments for emissions or effluents of contaminating substances into water, air or soil;
41 ii) payments or fees of users: payments to public services, i.е. payment for water supply, waste water treatment and communal collection of waste; iii) taxes on production: payments for production, which contaminate the environment during the process of manufacture, consumption or removal. iv) payments for use of natural resources, i.е. payment for extraction of mineral resources and fossil fuel, water intake or use biological resources; v) payments for contravention of ecological legislation: fines imposed on contaminators, which do not observe certain norms and rules; vi) subsidies: all types of financial assistance to the users of natural resources, i.е. grants, lax credits, release from taxation and etc..
All such incomes from fees and payments for the use of nature and environment are transferred to the state budget. Different kinds of financial subsidies are envisaged also for the support and assistance to natural recourses users (grants, lax credits, release from taxation and etc.).
Due to the efforts and actions of the Government there are positive tendencies in environmental activities and additional incomes into state budget had increased, which create the possibility for the implementation of measures and policy aimed at the execution of the requirements of the Global Conventions.
For rational use of mineral – raw material resources the tax rate for subsoil assets usage (except oil, gas, gas condensate and precious metals) will be increased in average for 1.3 times. The indexation of rates is expected for the tax on land and tax for use of water resources, for strengthening of their role in stimulation of efficient water and land resources use, and also the increase of the tax on consumption of petrol, diesel fuel and condensed gas for transportation facilities2.
Presently the Republic of Uzbekistan undertakes the measures on entering the WTO, and in those the issues of environment protection are envisaged. Including: • joining Rotterdam Convention about the procedure of preliminary justified agreement concerning some dangerous chemical substances and pesticides in international trade, Cartahena Protocol on Biosafety, which envisages the control for genetically modified products, Montreal protocol (amendments) on the substances destroying ozone layer, Protocols to the Convention about transboundary air contamination for long distances. The participation in those international agreements will allow to avoid risk of negative commercial and technological impact of the imported commodities and technologies, and to transfer to the international environmental standards at the internal market; • extension and improvement of the system of state current environmental standards; • formation of the system of state ecological certification on the basis of international standards elaborated by the International Standardization Organization (ISO), International Electric-Technical Committee (IETC) and International Electric Communication Union (IECU); • creation of ecological audit institutional infrastructure for the monitoring of enterprises compliance with the ecological legislation, reduction of the risk for emergence of extraordinary situations linked with environment contamination; • training of highly skilled experts in the field of ecological legislation and ecological management; • ecological expert assessment of investment projects, EIA with obligatory participation of the public.
Liberalization of trade is linked with the extension of domestic production, the majority of types of which influence on the environment: extraction of raw materials, utilization of non-renewable resources, and also accumulation of waste and contamination. Thus, the accumulation of solid waste, industrial ones in the first turn, already now causes special worry due to resource extracting and resource capacious specialization of industrial complex.
In the conditions of globalization of world economy the transfer of contaminating sectors of economy and enterprises from the developed countries to the less developed countries is observed. And with that the fuel- energy complex and mining industry, including oil and gas complex, metallurgic and chemical industries,
2 PV№244, 22.12.04. , The article “Priorities in 2005”
42 and also heat power industry, are the main contaminators of the environment, further development of those with the extension of trade markets will cause significant increase of anthropogenic load and environment contamination. To prevent or to reduce to minimum the negative for the environment consequences is possible with the help of extensive system of legislative norms..
Budget Funding of Environmental Activities Funding of nature and environment protection is assigned from state budget through the State Committee on Nature Protection and its commissions, local budget, funds of enterprises and public organizations. Budget funding also includes in itself the costs for monitoring of the environment and other expenditures.
Republican and local funds for nature protection are assigning financial resources for nature protection through annual programs, approved annually by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan since 1993. The terms and order of funds assigning for environmental activities are based on investment priorities, adopted by the State Program on environment protection and rational use of natural resources for 1999-2005. Up to 15% of fund resources are assigned for payment of bonuses to the salaries of physical persons or group of persons as encouragement for environment protection.
The main source of those funds incomes are the payments for nonstandard contamination of environment, compensation for damage to the environment, fines and sanctions for non-observance and payments for contravention of nature protection legislation. 25% of those incomes are transferred to the Republican fund, and 75% are left in the place, where they have been initially collected. The expenditures for environment protection are funded by the enterprises themselves. Capital investments of the enterprises into the sphere of environment protection are 62-84%.
The activities financed by the republican and local funds include: construction and modernization of environmental objects, scientific studies and experimental – constructive elaborration of ecologically clear technologies and equipment, creation and preservation of natural reserves and environmental zones, ecological education, and informational and advocating activities, rehabilitation of the environment resources, which have been damaged due to the result of contamination and etc. For example, with share participation for the account of Republican and Syrdarya, Bukhara and Kashkadarya oblasts funds for nature protection, the measures had been carried out on the development and maintenance of the brooder «Saikhun», ecological center «Djeyran», Gissar reserve, respectively. For the enhancementn of ecological situation, including diversion of mining water and recultivation with deactivation of tails on the territory of former mine №23 In Pap rayon, Namangan oblast and in the village Charkesar, the funds of the UNDP (14 million soum), Program «Chapteer 416b» (71 million soum.) and Republican fund for nature protection (18 million soum) had been spent.
The dynamics of financial assignments for nature protection and use of natuural resources is shown in Drawing 6.1
Protection and rational land use
Protection of atmosphere
Protection and rational water use
Fiigure 6.1 DDynamics of Financial Assignments for Nature Protection in Uzbekistan
43 At the same time, the thematic assessments and discussions in the sites indicate existence of significant factors impeding the development of ecological service capacity (especially, the lack of financial and human resources for ecological inspections), and that limits the implementation of the commitments and requirements on all the three Global Conventions.
Role of Small Business and Private Entrepreneurship Small business and private entrepreneurship are involved more actively in the solution of the issues for conservation of biological diversity, prevention of desertification and climate change. In 2004, the scopes and amounts of small business and private sector in the economy of the country had increased. The number of small business enterprises had increased by 14% during one year. In the reporting year more than 425 thousand new workplaces had been created for the account of private entrepreneurship development, and that is for 14% higher than in the previous year. The share of small business in GDP had increased and was 35.6% in 2004.
There is the task for deepening and extension of the scopes of work on small business and private farms development, and increasing the share of small business in GDP not less than up to 45 %.3 by the year 2007
For that purposes it is necessary: • Assignation of additional charters and preferences in the system of taxation, promotion of stability of tax legislation, transparent and simple methodology for charging and payment of taxes. • Reduction and simplification of the number of permissive procedures for dealing with certain types of activities, gradual introduction of the system for registration of small business according to the application basis. • Encouragement of new small enterprises creation, small private workshops in households, manufacturing small assembling units in accordance with orders of big enterprises. • Creation of procurement structures providing services on logistics and sales of production of small enterprises or individuals working at home, especially in rural areas.
The perspective direction for small business development and private entrepreneurship with the objective to ensure the environment protection is agricultural sector, as its share is more than 30% of gross output, 90% of food staff, 55% of hard currency incomes and approximately 70% of turnover.
The system of agricultural production is changing fundamentally, the leading role occupies private farms as the most perspective and effective form of economy in the rural area. The new program for reorganization of unprofitable and low profitable shirkats (cooperative farms) into private farms had been adopted, it envisages reorganization of 110 shirkats up to 2007, including 406 in 2005. It is proposed in it, that the procedure for allocation of land and farmers selection would be transparent, equitable and would be carried out exclusively on competitive, bidding basis, precluding facts of departmentalism, clanism, bribery. It is also proposed to accelerate the process of market infrastructure formation on services and supplies of farmers with necessary logistics and machinery, and to provide the transition on lending farmers according preferential rates under mortgage on future yield.
According to the adopted in 2003 Concept of private farms development, for the account of liquidation in the country of 326 low profitable and unprofitable shirkats in 2004, 16 thousand of private farms had been created. As of February, 1, 2005 their number exceeded 103 thousand farms.
The analysis shows, that with private farms created for the last years, cotton yields had increased for 16-20% in comparison with shirkats. Last year average prime cost of production of one ton of raw cotton in shirkat farms was more than 400 thousand soum. In private farms it was approximately 230 thousand soum, and average costs in shirkat for the production of one ton of wheat were about 100 thousand soum, and as compared with private farms 70-80 thousand soum.4
3 PV, 29.01.05 "Our Main Goal is Democratization and Renewal of the Society". Report of I. Karimov in Oliy Majlis, 29.01.2005 , 4 PV № 22, 1.02.2005г., “Farmer Becomes Key Man”,
44 In agriculture there are vast opportunities for small business development in the field of creation of mini- banks, water users associations, alternative МТP, sales of F&L materials, mineral fertilizers, consulting centers.
The capacity of farming is far from being depleted. According the opinion of the experts, Uzbekistan only for the account of export of fruit and vegetable production might, in perspective, increase hard currency incomes up to 8-10 billion EURO. Development of traditional methods of land use should be implemented along with broad introduction of modern techniques, training for those should be carried out during the process of investment projects implementation, by the local and oversees training programs. Ensuring of synergism between technical and educational programs of the projects is rather important and necessary.
The capacity of highlands is not used completely. The lack or insignificant development of local industry, dominance of focus like resource-extract type of enterprises, incompleteness of mining complexes, their concentration, mainly, in the highlands of Tashkent region, undeveloped transportation infrastructure complicates the process of country highlands industrialization, causing non-reversible impacts on nature and habitat, and limit development of highland ecological tourism.
It is necessary to involve the possibilities of small business and private entrepreneurship for manufacturing of ecologically clear production, development of home-made and industrial production, and that will allow also to solve the problem of population employment. The priority should be given to those enterprises, which have good perspectives for sales in internal and external markets, and facilitate the increase of competitive advantages: reduce transportation costs, possess high quality, value, low weight and are ecologically clear products (fruits, grapes, pistachios and nuts, dried fruits and medicinal plants, honey and livestock production). Shortfalls of the Current Mechanisms and Capacity Development Needs
Cross-cutting analysis of shortfalls and factors impeding the capacity building on the FCCC, CBD, and CCD shows, that the efficiency of functioning financial mechanisms is limited and do not provide any real incentives for environment contamination reduction and achievement of global benefits. Economic tools of ecological enhancement are used not efficiently enough in the state. The difficulties are caused, mainly, by significant reduction of state subsidies and poor financial position of the enterprises, and that leads to insufficient funding of environmental programs and weak economic encouragement of nature protection.
The system of current fines and payments for contamination in Uzbekistan becomes significant source of financial incomes into nature protection funds at the national and local levels. Though, the level of collection of such payments remains low, and efficiency of the system of payments is limited. The main reasons of ecological fees low level, identified by thematic groups on the Three Conventions are as follows: • Low rate of payments for contamination; • Low efficiency of fines and sanctions. The sanctions for exceeding limits do not have special severity. Sometimes it is more advantageous for the enterprise to pay fines than invest funds in the solution of contamination problems; • Big number of contaminating substances, which are subject for payment; • Complicated administration system. The control is based on voluntary reports about emissions. Environmental bodies have the right to correct norms of emissions and release from payments. Many enterprises ask to release them from payments due to the financial reasons.
Some tax exemptions and releases from payments for nature use, specified by current legal documents and decisions of local authorities, leads to different understanding and interpretation of the laws by the administrative officials. The system for issue of permissions is not unified.
The imperfection of financial mechanisms in the sectors of economy involved in the execution of the requirements of the Three Conventions is the main barrier impeding capacity development. These shortfalls can be generalized in the following way:
45 • insufficient and inadequate budget funding of national programs, scientific-research programs and projects, restraining the implementation of national and regional action plans and measures; • not elaborated the mechanism for formation of enterprise purposive funds and regional funds of resource and energy saving, including application of promotional taxation and economic sanctions; • not defined the mechanism of off-budget funding of resource and energy saving measures, both at the republican level and at the regional level; • lack of economic mechanism for stimulation of water and energy saving and conservation of agricultural and biological diversity and land resources, able to change the attitude of economic entities to the use of natural resources and energy consumption; • not defined the mechanism for introduction of special custom duties for import of energy saving technologies and systems of tax exemptions for their introduction into production; • not introduced the system EIA and stimulating mechanisms in private land use, forestry and fishery, and also in public utilities; • insufficient development of encouraging tools and mechanisms on the introduction of clear technologies and production; • insufficient involvement of small and private business, NGO and other businessmen and local communities into funding of nature conservation and environmental activities. • absence of ecological services market and manufactured production and promotion of investment activities growth.
As a whole, the capacity problems and needs can be generalized in the following way: • Assignments from the state budget for activities on the environment protection, which include the activities to meet the commitments to the Three International Conventions, are rather limited, in spite of the tendency of budget incomes growing due to payments for environment protection and nature use; • Budget income from payments for environment protection and nature management apparently exceed expenditures allocated for the activities on environment protection, and residue of funds is not always used according to assignment. • Payments for environment protection have administrative and financial character. Such type of financial mechanism does not provide proper feedback, and also does not support the activities on environment protection of those, which contaminate the nature, and does not reflect the real damage to environment; • Mechanisms on the environment protection, which are efficient in market economy, practically are not used; there are no tax incentives for organizations and private sector dealing with the activities in the field of environment protection and application of ecologically safe technologies. Recommendations on Efficiency Improvement for the Use of Economic Mechanisms
The recommendations on the improvement of ecological mechanisms use cover common and specific for each Convention capacity needs, identified by the thematic groups and independent experts (Box 6.2). They are all identical and aimed at overcoming of current shortfalls and limitation on capacity building for efficient application of economic tools and mechanisms for nature protection.
Box 6.2 Expert Recommendations
• reduce the number of contaminating substances, for which the payments are effected, with the special stress on the main and having primary significance contaminating substances, monitoring of which could be implemented with reasonable costs; • gradual increase of tariffs up to the level, which might create real incentives for contamination reduction; • reduce the number of environmental powers on levy of payments for contamination; • introduce differentiated taxation, which will allow to make cheaper the manufacture of ecologically safe production; • return collected payments by allocation money for nature protection. Well planned environmental measures might make such payments more acceptable for the enterprises; • elaborate special financial strategies and mechanisms in public utilities sector. The aggregative part of those mechanisms could become subsidies, but together with that the element of commercial credit should be essential. Bank loans might be issued only according precisely elaborated schedules for their repayment, and that requires to use funds received from public utilities payments.
46 • introduce the systems of control (on the basis of EIA) in private sector (land use, fishery farms, components of biological diversity and the others.). • use new progressive technologies of raw materials and mineral resources processing, non-waste production, and also reorganize and reshape obsolete and harmful production, create completeness of technological cycle in order not to poison the environment (highlands, water, orchards and forests). • enable the possibilities of small business and private entrepreneurship while manufacturing ecologically clear production, development of handicraft-industrial production, that allows also to solve the problems of nature protection and population employment.
General requirements for economic tools improvement and mobilization of financial resources for execution of the FCCC, CBD and CCD provisions are identified in the process of self assessment and include the following aspects: • improvement of the system of payments for environment protection and fund accumulation in the state budget for investment funding for the account of collected ecological fees and payments; • creation of incentives and additional sources for investments into environmental activities by the introduction of differentiated taxation, subsidies and tax exemptions for enterprises carried out the activities on the prevention of environment contamination and degradation (for example: waste water treatment, recycling of wastes, use of renewable sources of energy and etc.); • creation of insurance funds for natural resource rehabilitation and prevention of consequences of possible natural disasters and environment contamination; • creation of the infrastructure and elaboration of joint projects with the objective to attract funds in accordance with Kyoto Protocol Clear Development Mechanism; • elaboration of joint programs on general economic sectors, with special attention to the most vulnerable sectors (forestry, agriculture and water management, pastures), which will provide synergetic environmental effect and achievement of global benefits; • development of intermediation mechanism for scientific technical collaboration, and stimulation and improvement of information exchange at the national and global levels by the strengthening/enhancement of SPC on the CBD and creation of joint national centers/groups for intermediation on the FCCC and CCD. • elaboration of mechanisms on liaison with society with the objective for strengthening awareness and involvement of local communities, NGO and private sector in the implementation of joint programs and environmental activities funding; • collaboration with GEF, the Convention Secretariats and other donors on efficient attraction of funds and the use of financial mechanisms of the Three Conventions in the country, especially in the projects of small grants;
47 7. INTERSECTORAL INTEGRATED NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Background The Republic of Uzbekistan, with total area of land resources 444 100 km2, is located in interfluve of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers. This is droughty country, the major part of its territory consists from highland (20 %) and arid/semiarid areas (70 %). Arable land occupies only 13.1% of the agricultural zone area, and 77.8% are for hayfields and deserted pastures. Due to the geographic and climatic characteristics of the country, the economy of Uzbekistan is in the high degree vulnerable to the environment degradation, and in particular, great damage is brought due to the instability of arid ecosystems and shortage of water resources.
Shrinkage of the Aral Sea and related to it ecological, socio – economic consequences, govern ecologically fluctuating practice of nature management and influence on the country economic policy. That is crucially important problem, impeding the achievement by Uzbekistan of the sustainable development.
Uzbekistan ensures the demands of rapidly growing population, largely due to the rich natural resources and human capacity and availability of developed irrigation system. Though, the possibility of the country to maintain economic capacity is under increasing threat in the result of the environment degradation. Degradation of natural resources reduces agricultural productivity, and worsens the problems of rural population. Because more than 58% of poor population live in rural areas, the role of agriculture is the most important component for the improvement of living standards in the country.
Key problems of the environment in Uzbekistan, identified by National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP, 1999), include: • salinity and degradation of agricultural lands; • shortage and contamination of water resources; • insufficient availability of safe drinking water; • loss of biological diversity and disturbance of ecological processes; • desertification and general degradation of land; • contamination of foodstuffs; • air contamination in big cities and industrial centers.
Many of those priority problems are directly linked with irrational use of natural resources and, first of all, water resources, low level of environmental legislation execution, and also with deterioration of productive basis and structural shortcomings in agriculture and water sectors, and in the other sectors of economy.
Climate change, droughts and new ecological threats related to socio-economic instability, bring serious contribution in the environment degradation. Recent disasters and deep socio-economic consequences cause serious concern of the Government of Uzbekistan, and that, in its turn, strengthens the political will to combat the problem all-around.
Security of ecologically sustainable and rational natural resources use is one of the main preconditions for realization of commitments, which Uzbekistan bound itself on the execution of the Three International Conventions. The Global Conventions require from the Government the adoption of integrated policy for natural resources use and management, ensuring conservation and sustainable use of the environment components. The interrelationships between the Three Conventions and their common synergetic possibilities contribute into the application of integrated approach to common environmental activities and planning of sustainable use of natural resources. Current Problems and Capacity Needs on General Sectors of Nature Management
Current activities of national capacity related to the natural resources use, practically coincide with the execution of the global commitments. These general issues allow to use integrated approach, possessing synergetic effect for planning of the strategy for sustainable use of natural resources.
48 Taking into account this fact, the cross-cutting analysis is concentrated on the assessment of problems and capacity needs in forestry and water sectors and in agriculture. These sectors are identified as the most vulnerable to climate change and environment degradation.
Agriculture
Agriculture always was the basis of Uzbekistan economy, and nowadays it continues to play important role. This sector involves 40% of population; 60% of export and 30,2% of GDP is the production grown with the help of irrigated farming. Besides, agriculture continues to be the source of financing for some sectors of economy. Net annual amount of transfer payments from agriculture is approaching to USD 1 billion, or 4-5% of GDP5.
Since the years of independence the government policy is aimed at the support of population employment in agriculture and attraction of investments for agricultural production processing6. Transition to market economy caused the formation of legal basis for the reforms; privatization of state ownership; reforming of agriculture and formation of new type of agrarian relationships; creation of market infrastructure; ensuring of reliable social security, and environment protection. The implementation of the above measures is possible with retention of managing ability in economy. Priority forms of economy become private farms, their share in gross agricultural output already now is about 15%. In future, private farmers should become main entities – producers of agricultural production. Though, the existing system of farming, its instability and inadequacy to the requirements of environmental and provisional security represents serious threat to future development.
Agriculture remains depending upon many biological services (genetic engineering, crop chemical application, improvement of soil fertility and pest control and etc.), and vice versa, sustainable managed agricultural landscapes are important for the conservation and enhancement of biological diversity. Relationships between agricultural land use with greenhouse gases are related to the dynamics of land use and rural landscape management. Intensive development of irrigated farming with virgin land development for agriculture had been accompanied by enormous emissions of CO2 into atmosphere due to the oxidation of organic carbon and vegetation in soils. Though, deforestation greatly contributes into climate change, than any other forms of land degradation, as the result of carbon dioxide emission and loss of isolated carbon in biological mass and soils.
Presently, serious degradation of land resources threatens to agricultural sector. It is caused by incorrect water management, unstable land use and excessive grazing. The growth of population strengthens shortage of resources of arable land and pastures, and that leads to the reduction of crop productivity and stock. Uncontrolled grazing leads to the erosion and degradation of pastures. The reduction of fodder crops share is disadvantageously influencing on livestock development. The existing practice of land use leads to intensive surface flow and soil losses, broad distribution of degradation, reduction of crop productive ability, slow development and low exports incomes. Serious impact of land degradation on provisional security in the country is apparent. Natural factors, such as arid climate, relief structure and hydro-geological conditions, and also susceptibility of soils to relict and modern hydrogenous salt accumulation, also contribute and aggravating processes of land degradation development (Box 7.1). Land degradation takes place everywhere, but the soils in the lower reaches of the Amudarya river, and also Bukhara, Navoi, Kashkadarya and Fergana oblasts are subject to strong degradation’.
Reduction of soil quality and secondary salinity of irrigated land is the most serious problem for agricultural production development. According estimative data for the last ten years the content of organic matter in soils had reduced for 30-40%, and also their physical-chemical and agrochemical indices are worsening. As the result, yields of cotton had reduced from 2,8 ton/ha (1990) to 2.2 ton/ha (2001), and average yield of wheat on rainfed areas do not exceed 0.7 – 0.9 ton/ha. Losses of food crops due to severe droughts and water shortage (2000) vary from 45-52% to 75% (wheat).
Box 7.1 Main Natural and Anthropogenic Reasons of Land Degradation and Related Ecological Problems: • Up to 53% of cultivation areas suffer from secondary salinity, and the area of the abandoned land is increasing due to high salinity and water logging;
5 World Bank Report, 2001 Strategy of Uzbekistan Irrigation and Drainage Development. 6 UNDP (2000) National Report on Human Development, Uzbekistan.
49 • Forest area occupies only 5,3% of total area, and concentrated mainly in deserted-sandy zones (81%). Broad distribution of thin ranks (1,2 million ha) fire-sites, deforestation, openings and dead plantations (0,98 million ha) on not covered with forest lands and shortage of forest plantations in the irrigated zone, deepen the loss of biological diversity, and low productivity of timber-shrubby breeds. • Higher than 16,4 million ha of pastures (73%) are subject to degradation due to over grazing, influence of anthropogenic factors and climate change; • 15,4 million ha (34%) are not used in the farms (slopes, screes, polygons, sands, landfills and the others.); • 8,0% of the territory of Uzbekistan are subject to water erosion (irrigated lands), including 2,0% in medium and strong degree; • Approximately 76% of cultivated areas and 15% of irrigated lands suffer from wind erosion; • More than 80-100 million tons of salt and sand are carried out from the dried up bottom of the Aral Sea into Aral Sea Littoral Zone and adjoining Kyzylkum (the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, Bukhara and Navoi); • Yields of cotton are reducing, the specific share of alfalfa in the cropping pattern is also reducing, and yields of cereals on rainfed areas continue to reduce; • Up to 40% of irrigated land areas are water logged; • From total number of mudflows in Central Asia, 75% occurs in Uzbekistan.
Agriculture is the main pollutant of water resources. According to estimating data more than 60% of total volume of contamination of watersheds causes diffusive sources of contamination (agrochemical, phenol, petrochemicals and the others.), coming in from irrigated areas, livestock farms, F&L depositories, aerodromes and rural settlements. There is close relationship between water quality, health and poverty. Almost quarter of the country population (more than 6 million people) feels negative influence of contaminated water.
Worsening of productive basis, instability of productive supplies, processing and sales of production, and also low level of work mechanization, significantly limit possibilities for overcoming and mitigation resource degradation. Shortage of agricultural machinery and mechanisms is one of the serious problems of the sector. The available machinery pools consist of obsolete and overworn mechanisms and machinery of Soviet production. The used techniques of soil cultivation with mouldboard plows break characteristics and health of soils, and reduce their productivity. The supplies to private farms of fertilizers and pesticides are carried out irregularly, and do not correspond to the recommended norms, and that deepen land depletion and loss of agricultural and biological diversity. Many of the farmers and dekhcans are forced to use degraded lands, and that is especially dangerous on the background of contamination of natural media.
At the same time, the issues of environment protection and natural resources efficient use are integrated part of the process of macroeconomic reforms. Correspondingly, the strategy of rural development, which has “safe” results for agricultural, provisional and ecological security, should be considered as possible strategy on the ensuring of sustainable basis for future growth of sector productivity and living standards increase.
Special attention requires resource saving and introduction of soil protecting farming by the improvement of soil cultivation and water saving, optimal system of fertilizers application, crop rotations and diversification of crops, with adaptation of clear technologies and energy saving, and also new forms of service, processing of production, entrepreneurship for labor market regulation and creation of workplaces, with the use of broad spectrum of economic tools. In particular, the package of the investment projects on the FCCC, oriented for the implementation within the framework of the Clear Development Mechanism, potentially allows to reduce emission of greenhouse gases in СО2-equivalent approximately for 10 % of the total emission of greenhouse gases in the main sectors of the Uzbekistan economy.
All these measures and actions can provide sustainable increase of crop yields and quality of provision with minimal use of water, energy and fuel-energy resources, and achievement of sustainable growth of the level of population incomes, and also ensure ecological safety at local and national levels.
Forestry
Uzbekistan is the country with total area of forestry fund 8,775 million ha, with area covered with forest of only 2,4 million ha. More than 7.0 million ha (80%) of forestry fund is concentrated in the deserted-sandy zone, the rest is located in highland zone (17%) and in valleys and river flood-plains (3%). More than 4,0
50 thousand ha of industrial plantations and reforestation zones had been created on the lands of agricultural enterprises and backyards, on the lands of State Forestry Fund for the satisfaction of the requirements of internal demand for timber. Annually, in highland zone seeding and planting of forest are carried out on the area about 2,5 thousand ha, in the same amount the tree planting works are carried out in valley and tugay zones, with the introduction of contracting forms for labor organization.
Forestry resources of Uzbekistan have important protecting, erosion preventive, medical-sanitary and sanative functions, necessary for biological diversity conservation and safety of human being habitat. Forests remain natural long term absorbents of carbon dioxide. Technical potential СО2 emissions in Uzbekistan is evaluated as 2,53 million ton per year, from them 0,58 million ton per year are created as the result of plantations on the lands of State Forestry Fund and 1,95 million tons per year on agricultural lands for the account of potential deposition of carbon dioxide by protecting plantations. Increase of forestry productivity and plantations facilitates the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions by the increase of СО2 sink. With that, irrigated arable lands have the highest potential of emissions increase and terms for deposition of СО2 in comparison with forestry ecosystems in the highlands, valleys and river flood-plains and deserted zone of the country. Thus, the rehabilitation of forest and development of timber breed plantations on cultivated areas and lands of State Forestry Fund have high ecological, economic, and global significance.
The consequences of the Aral Sea disaster and the scales of the desertification processes, losses of biological diversity and climate change in the country are well-known to the local and international communities. More than 1,3 million ha (32,5%) of the dried up Aral Sea bottom is on the territory of Uzbekistan, thus, the intensity and frequency of salt and dust transfer on the irrigated lands of the lower reaches of the Amudarya river is increasing every year. Besides, the problems in the Aral Sea Littoral Zone, the processes of degradation and losses of biological diversity covered already all the regions of the country, Therefore, the joining of efforts and capacity building in forestry sector for combat and mitigation of environment degradation have special importance and high priority.
The existing problems in the system of forestry plantations management and use (reduction of area of tugay forests and young saxauls in Kyzylkums, cutting out trees for firewood, uncontrolled grazing and the others), and also shortage of funding for rehabilitation of forests and plantations on a larger scale and creation of forest plantations, deepen the process of degradation and instability of natural media (Box 7.2). Natural replacement of old plantations with the young ones goes rather slow, the plantations are gradually getting old and die. If not to stop that process, then the green barrier created around Bukhara oasis may dry up, and that will lead to the second disaster and bring new problems, incommensurable with the Aral Sea problem.
At the same time, the forestry sector of the republic is not priority sector of people economy, and allocated budget funding for rehabilitation of forestlands and creation of forestry plantations remains insufficient. This restricts capacity development on the implementation of the key technologies in forestry, aimed at (i) protecting forest-growing and plantations of forestry crops, (ii) forest rehabilitation and forest growing (saxaul, turanga and the others.) and (iii) technologies for the increase of plant population at the plantations. Certain reserve represents by itself the selection of longeval assortment of wood species.
Box 7.2. Problems of Management in Forestry Annually State Forestry Fund with erosion preventive objectives carries out seeding and planting of forest on the area more than 42,0 thousand ha, including 37,0 thousand ha on the dried up Aral Sea bottom (20,0 thousand ha), and on the Aral Sea Littoral Zone and adjacent the deserted territories of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, Bukhara and Navoi oblasts. These works are executed in hard soil-climatic conditions and social--domestic conditions on friable barkhan sands in long distances (100-200 km) from inhabited areas. Due to the limitation of tree planting period (November-February) the execution of tree planting works is carried out by the method of shifts. Insufficient equipment of forestry farms with powerful tractors with high cross-country ability, mechanisms and machinery, and also shortage of budget funds impedes the work implementation within the acceptable timeframe with proper quality. Non-observance of the technological process requirements reduces viability of the created forest plantings. Current capacities of forestry of the Republic of Karakalpakstan provide annually creation of protecting forest plantations on the area of 15-20 thousand ha. Such tempos are apparently not sufficient for mitigation of the consequences of desertification on the area of 600 thousand ha, because for completion of those works 30-40 years will be required.
Water Management
51 The world cradle of irrigation, Uzbekistan possesses extensive irrigation system, formed in former Soviet times for production of cotton. After the collapse of the Soviet Union Uzbekistan inherited not only powerful network of reservoirs, dams, pumping stations, canals and other structures, but also great number of ecological problems related to sharp water shortage and unstable natural resources management, but also high level of contamination with communal, industrial flows and return water from irrigated fields.
In spite of large-scale irrigation and drainage (I&D) development about 70% (3.008 million ha) of irrigated lands of Uzbekistan are represented by old systems of traditional irrigation and only 1.290 million ha are modern engineering systems. On 1.4 million ha of irrigated lands lift irrigation is being used with the electric power consumption up to 8 billion kW/hour per year. Intake for the irrigation purposes is used irrationally, its significant part is lost for infiltration into groundwater or flows directly to the drainage system, and almost half of it is being lost in deserted depressions (Box 7.3).
Box 7.3. Problems of Water Resources Use In accordance with Interstate Agreement, Uzbekistan uses about 42 km3 of transboundary rivers flow, from that volume 34 km3 from the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers. Surface flow formed in Uzbekistan is only 11,5 km3. Regional operative stock of groundwater is 24,02 km3. The share of fresh undergroundwater (with mineralization less than 1 gram/liter), had reduced from 8,95 km3 (1965) to 5,05 km3 (1999). Average multiyear volume of backwater is fluctuating within 30-35 km3. Approximately 13 % from total volume are used for the second time in the sites of their formation (inside irrigated contours), about 50% is discharged to the rivers and used for the second time on lower located irrigated territories and 37% is drained to the closed depressions and beyond the territory of the Republic. Backwater is the main source of water contamination, nevertheless, 63% of drainage water is used for irrigation. Its use creates ecological threats and danger for health of human being in many regions of the country. Disposal of contaminated backwater in deserted depressions also has negative impact on deserted ecosystems and habitat: degradation of land surface and wetlands, loss of biological diversity, reduction of forage productivity and forestry resources. The existing capacities of deserted depressions are limited and rather insufficient for long term use. Infiltration losses and groundwater from irrigated areas contribute to the appearance of big number of drainage lakes.
There are two main problems limiting productivity and sustainability of irrigated farming, these are: (i) serious worsening of I&D infrastructure technical conditions, due to the shortage of budget funding for proper management and operation of hydro-ameliorative systems and structures (Box 7.4) and (ii) absence of motivation and incentives for farmers to improve production and maintain on-farm network.
Box 7.4 Water Use Efficiency Irrigation and drainage infrastructure is being operated for more than 30 years without modernization and rehabilitation. In all elements of main and interfarm network the reduction of their operative characteristics is observed: siltation reduces volumes and capacities of many reservoirs, pumps in many pumping stations had already outlived their operational terms and are subject to repair. All other elements of I&D infrastructure (distributing structures, canals, collectors) suffer from the lack of preventive maintenance Not more than 50% of subsurface horizontal drainage is in the operative condition, efficiency of vertical drainage had reduced from 0,80 to 0,25-0,35. Opened drains are functioning not in the full capacity and require cleaning. The funds spent for preventive maintenance or replacement are only insignificant part from the total demand. Technology of irrigation used since 50-ths of the last century, had not been changed since those days. Surface irrigation remains the most common technique of irrigation. Furrow irrigation is used on 64% of irrigated area. Other irrigation techniques (sprinklers, drip irrigation and the others) did not get broader development. Efficiency of water use for irrigation is in average 0,37, varying within the limits of 0.27- 0,33. Water losses on the Chapter between main canal system and fields are about 50-60% of all water delivered7. Losses of water transportation from farm boundaries to field are in average 6,286 m3/ ha , with maximum 10,031 m3/ha. (Khorezm). Losses of water in the field are in average 2,005 m3/ ha or 39 %, with maximum 4,866 m3/ha or 58% in Khorezm. According tentative assessment 8 % of losses is evaporation, 31 % is deep infiltration and 61 % is tail escape. Labor productivity of irrigators is rather low, i.e. 0,3-0,5 ha/day, with the share of manual labor 70-90 % .
The main reasons of on-farm water use low efficiency are as follows: а) shortage and lack of irrigation equipment and machinery; b) poor field land leveling and cultivation; c) low salaries of irrigators and machine operators; d) lack of stimulating measures and economic mechanisms on economical water use; e) imperfection of irrigation organization and low level of control and management of technological operation
7 EU-Tacis WUFMAS, 1999
52 system and the others.. The problem is deepening by bad quality of irrigation water used for leaching and irrigation of lands. Especially serious situation is in the lower reaches of the Amudarya river.
There is closed circle: current practice of irrigation inevitably generates surplus losses of water from the fields and canals, and poor and inefficient drainage and water disposal cause disturbance of natural geochemical flows and salt balance changing. The Republic of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm is the demonstrative example of such phenomena: mass of salts from upstream and midstream is completely accumulating in the lower reaches and delta of the Amudarya river. If current tendencies continue, then major part of cultivated area of the country will be unsuitable for irrigated farming within several decades, at the time when the levels of contamination and salt accumulation in the rivers and depressions will be increasing, providing negative impact on ecosystems and water quality for drinking water supply, health and lives of the population. Ecological, socio-economic impacts on the environment will be irreversible.
The process of reforms in the policy on water resources management, where two level system of integrated management is envisaged and support to water management by the creation of water users associations (WUA) and integrated management of the water basin, according to objective and subjective reasons develops with bigger difficulties, though, the effect of these reforms at the farm level already provides significant influence on irrigation management. The main impeding factor is the lack of funds on rehabilitation and reconstruction of the existing infrastructure, which requires high costs and cannot be solved only by the farmers themselves. The analysis shows, that the farmers are ready to invest, if it is economically expedient and beneficial. The increase of private farms benefits will allow to I&D sector further contributes to economic development of the country.
According to the various sources total costs of national infrastructure of irrigation and drainage rehabilitation are estimated tentatively in USD 23-31 billion. In the project of WB «Strategy of I&D Development of Uzbekistan», implemented with the support of the Government of Holland, costs for infrastructure rehabilitation on long term perspective are estimated in USD 23 billion, and USD 10 billion should be covered by the state investment program, the other part will be covered by consumers, and in particular WUA (Box 7.5).
Box 7.5 Strategy of Irrigation and Drainage Development of Uzbekistan The strategy of irrigation and drainage development for short and long term periods had been elaborated with the support of World Bank , for prevention further degradation of natural resources and possible destruction of irrigation and drainage infrastructure8. The I&D strategy consists of two stages, each of them represents by itself the combination of investments, institutional transformation and strategic reforms. At the first stage «Consolidation and urgent actions» the program is envisaged for state capital investments into main and inter-farm networks, with total cost not more than USD 2 billion for five years. Additionally, on- farm capital investments, the cost is about USD 1 billion, which should be paid by water users (WUA). Thus, the loans will be issued for farmers for rehabilitation of the infrastructure and improvement of land productivity, which should be paid back by them. The second stage of the strategy, conditionally called as «Rehabilitation and Modernization», differs from the first one according duration, scopes and types of work. Being based on economic, social and environmental expedience, the irrigation and drainage infrastructure will be rehabilitated and brought into correspondence with the requirements of sustainable land use by changing of cropping patterns, productive structures, water saving and soil protecting technologies and etc. Total costs make tentatively USD 20 billion, from which USD 8 billion – state capital investments and about USD 12 billion will be covered for the account of water users, in particular by WUA.
Within GEF Project framework, Component А19, Uzbekistan NWG had estimated the requirements for rehabilitation of the infrastructure and ameliorative improvement of irrigated lands, with the objective for securing ecological and provisional safety of the country in USD 24.5 billion, without the account of costs for new lands development. The sources of funding for those investments are supposed to be the following: • increase of state funding into water management sector, including nationwide, regional and basin programs and projects;
8 WB, 2000. Uzbekistan – Strategic Study of Irrigation and Drainage Sector. Part 1, Final Report. The strategy is based on Governmental Decrees (No 398 and 357) and National Program of Irrigation Development for 2000-2005. 9 GEF, 2001. Water Resources and Environment Management. Subcomponent A1- Water Resources and Salt Management at Regional and National Levels. Interim Report of Uzbekistan NWG.
53 • allocation of rural commodity producers into modernization and technical rearmament of hydro- ameliorative systems exploiting by water users associations, big cooperative farms and other agricultural producers; • funds of private investors, including foreign ones, attracted on preferential conditions into production, processing and sales of agricultural production; • loans of international financial organizations, big commercial banking structures and etc.
Both strategic programs require, in the first turn, to strengthen potential and capacities of WUA and agricultural producers, in order to provide their real contribution into obtaining of economic and nature protecting benefits. Thus, the nationwide actions on the three Global Conventions are necessary and important to carry out together with local beneficiaries. This will help to overcome and mitigate degradation of natural resources and, simultaneously, provide economic growth, increase living standards and solve the problems of employment.
Implementation of these strategic programs and priority measures will facilitate improvement/mitigation of current situation and elimination of future risks to the environment at the national and global levels. The accompanying result of those transformations will be prevention of further contamination of environment and increase of sense of water users responsibility and understanding of economic value of irrigation water. Strengths and Weaknesses of Natural Resources Management Strengths
Environmental policy, regional and national programs and action plans on water resources management, enhancement and negotiation of ecological tension in the republic facilitate capacity development in the field of the environment management. According the data of State Committee for Nature Protection (Goscompriroda) from 165 planned by the NEAP activities, 124 (or more than 75,2%) had been implemented, 37 are in the stage of implementation, (from them 14 with not expired terms of implementation), and that, as a whole, covers more than 97,6% of envisaged activities, and only 3% of works had not been implemented. As a whole, more than 1,85 billion soum and USD 9,6 million had been spent, from that amount: 346,1 million soum were state budget funds; more than 1,0 billion soum funds of enterprises and organizations; 350,8 million soum and USD 9,6 million investments on grant basis, and also 156,0 million soum from the funds of nature protection10.
Environmental problems, related to the main objectives of the global conventions occupy important place in the state scientific-technical and innovation programs. According to the State scientific-technical program "Solution of environment protection problem, sustainable nature management and ensuring of ecological safety" on grant basis, the works of about 50 institutions and organizations had been integrated. During 2001-2004 the national program «Improvement of the system for rational use and rehabilitation of land and water resources, elaboration of highly efficient methods of soil fertility increase and combat desertification, providing environment protection» had been implemented.
For the combat desertification and conservation of biological diversity of deserted ecosystems the Government efforts are aimed at the conservation of forestry resources and extension of forestry protecting plantations. In collaboration with GTZ forestry reclamation works are carried out on the dried Aral Sea bottom on the area of 15,0 thousand ha. French NGO «Cofutis» in 2003-2004 carried out the works on forest plantations on the area of 4,0 thousand ha along deserted shores of the Aral Sea. The funds for organization of trees plantation on the dried Aral Sea bottom on the area 8.4 thousand ha had been allocated within framework of the program "Chapter 416 (b)" USA.
Windbreaks improve air media quality, regulate air temperature and humidity above irrigated field, play the role of biological drainage, reduce intensity of groundwater level raising and processes of soil salinity and water logging, and that, as a whole, leads to crop yields increase and ecological situation improvement. Experimental data show, that windbreaks reduce wind speed above irrigated field for 20-70%, moisture evaporation from the fields for 10-30%, and increase various crops yield for 10-15%
10ADB (2004) Analysis of the Environmental Situation in Uzbekistan, David McColy , 2004
54 Within framework of the Agency IFAS on the development of part of the dried bottom of the Aral Sea on the area of 10,0 thousand ha, the Ministry of forestry and nature protection of Turkey had provided technical assistance to Gosleskhoz of the Republic of Uzbekistan by the supply of two tractors. Also the activities are being undertaken on mitigation of desertification consequences in the adjacent deserted zone of Kyzylkum (Bukhara and Navoi oblasts).
Methodological guidelines and mechanisms of the conventions implementation and coordination (GEF and UNDP, WMO), and also advisory assistance of international experts and institutions (UN, UNEP, FAO) and development agencies (USAID, GTZ, LSA, IWMI, ICARDA and the others.) provide the possibility for introduction of integrated approaches and methods of sustainable natural resources use and management.
Investment projects and programs of technical assistance at the national, regional and local levels, implemented with the support of international organizations and agencies, bring significant contribution into formation of sustainable development concept and solution of strategic objectives and tasks on natural resources management and use for short-term and long-term perspectives (Box 7.6).
Box 7.6 Intersectoral Projects and Programs of Technical Assistance on Nature Management, which Could Be Integrated into Planning System Aral Sea basin program (1994, World Bank), Program on the Aral Sea (1998, World Bank\UNDP\UNEP); Aral Sea basin ecological project (Phase 1: 1997, Phase 2: 2003-2010. GEF/WB); International project on Western Tyan-Shan biological diversity conservation (1998); National program on termination of the use of substances depleting ozone layer; Project on wetlands rehabilitation at Sudochie lake (1999, GEF/World Bank); Uzbekistan – study of climate change in the country (1997, GEF); National information network of Uzbekistan on the environment (1999, UNEP\Grid-Arendal); Subregional action plan on desertification combat in the Aral Sea basin (2000, GTZ). Uzbekistan – the country of study of climate change (1999, GEF/ UNDP). Project on environmental institutions strengthening (1999., ADB and USA); Irrigation and drainage development strategy (2000, WB/Netherlands) Drainage, irrigation and wetlands improvement project (2004, WB) National energy program for the period up to 2010 (Ministry of Economy). Project on the introduction of more ecological methods of production and elaboration of the program for sustainable ecological manufacturing development for Uzbekistan (1999, Japan, UNIDO, Czech Republic); Capacity development for mechanisms of ecological production (2001, Switzerland) UNDP Projects (2001) «Extraordinary measures on drought consequences mitigation in Uzbekistan»; «Assistance to the Government of Uzbekistan with the objectives of development: drought consequences mitigation»; and «Elaboration of consulting services for the Government of Uzbekistan on drought prevention» Action plan on tourism sustainable development in Uzbekistan (1995, UNDP), and the others.
Within frameworks of pilot projects of WB, ADB, FAO, ICARDA, GTZ the best practice of water and land use is adopted and tested, with the application of cost efficient and water saving methods and resource saving technologies, which later will be introduced into large scale environmental programs of the country. These pilot projects are prototypes for sustainable development, and demonstrate possibilities of ecologically – friendly and socially-oriented practice of nature management at the local, regional and national levels. For example, in Box 7.7 there is FAO pilot project in Uzbekistan on the introduction of the best practice of land use and water saving.
Box 7.7 FAO Pilot Project in Uzbekistan on the Introduction of the Best Practice for Land Use and Water Saving Project: FAO TCP/UZB/2901 “Integrated management for sustainable use of saline and gypsiferous soils” (2002-2004) Project objective: help to the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan to introduce and demonstrate cost efficient and safe methods of rehabilitation and management for sustainable use of saline and gypsiferous irrigated soils in the support of provisional security in the country. Integrated methods of management had been demonstrated on 3 pilot plots, with total area about 40 ha, on saline, water logged and gypsiferous soils of the Syrdarya and Kashkadarya oblasts. Direct effects and benefits of the integrated management in the agricultural practice, obtained on FAO project pilot plots, illustrate the following indices: a) improvement of soil physical characteristics and water permeability for 3 times b)soil health improvement and humus content growth for 0.22-0.31% c)reduction of salt content in rooting zone for 41-52% d)reduction of irrigation water use per 1ha for 14-22% e)reduction of water use per 1ton of yield for 41- 62% The advantage of integrated management in comparison with usual practice of economy is confirmed by yield increase: winter
55 wheat for 2,3 ton/ha (from 2,7 to 5,0 ton/ha) and raw cotton for 1,6-2,4 ton/ha (from 1,68 to 3,3 ton/ha with maximum 4,32 ton/ha). Regular informing of local community about results and achievements of the project on pilot plots facilitated technologies of integrated management distribution at the local and national levels. Farmers and local authorities performed high interest to the proposed methods of problematic soil management, and are ready to introduce them into practice.
For the abolition of drought consequences in 2001 UNDP projects had been implemented, related to the elaboration of measures on drought consequences reduction under the reason of climate change and anthropogenic impact. According to the proposal of the Government of Uzbekistan, UNDP coordinates international activities aimed at the mitigation of desertification and drought consequences.
In the context of regional management, Uzbekistan is the participant of joint Initiative of the Central Asian states on land resources management (ICASLRM). The objectives of that joint initiative on the application of comprehensive and integrated approach towards sustainable natural resources management in the Aral Sea basin are directly aimed at the CCD requirements execution and, at the same time to the FCCC and CBD provisions.
All mentioned above program documents, initiatives and projects facilitate the solution of key problems on environment protection, and also bring significant contribution in the strengthening of technical, institutional and human resources in the field on nature management. Part of them, directly or indirectly, influences on the country commitments executions on all the three Rio conventions.
Operative responsible state bodies and management structures, broad network of scientific and research organizations, and available capacity of specialists and scientists on general sectors, ensure all possibilities for creation of sustainable nature management basis. At the same time, it is extremely necessary to consolidate intersectoral national programs and projects on the FCCC, CBD and CCD into common action plan on integrated nature management.
Weaknesses The existing problems of environment, especially land and water resources degradation, are originated by the reasons of economic character, and low efficiency of irrigation and drainage infrastructure and shortage of funding limit the ability to support balance in the environment. The shortfalls and limiting factors, identified in the previous chapters of cross-cutting report, deep enough characterize the current situation and intersectoral nature management problems.
The analysis of vulnerability to the climate change processes and natural resources degradation shows, that there are not enough studies and projects on the assessment of degradation and environment components impact on human being health, provision and habitat. At the same time, for elaboration of the strategy and measures for adaptation to the processes of climate change, desertification and biological diversity, these activities should have regular and obligatory character, being based on the objectives and requirements of all the Three Conventions.
The main factors, impeding global requirements execution, cover wide range of adjacent problems, including: • Complicated socio-economic conditions, related to the transition economy and the process of transformations and reforms in agriculture and water management, and also the problems of new social and economic relationships; • Limited financial resources, low level of budget funding for combat land degradation, forestry resources and agricultural and biological diversity, and for consequences of climate change, drought and especially dangerous phenomena mitigation. • Insufficiently effective coordination of intersectoral activities at the national, regional and local levels, limiting the harmonization of national programs and projects with the global conventions requirements • Inadequate normative-methodological standards and monitoring indicators and impact assessments, and the lack of the unified informational basis and databases for intersectoral collaboration and partnership development; • Inadequacy of economic mechanisms for nature management protection and insufficient use of business financial possibilities;
56 • Insufficient level of training system, technology transfer and knowledge distribution and weak public involvement and local community into the processes of decision making on the Global Conventions; • Unstable specialized expert groups, which discontinue their work after project completion. • Limited possibilities for stimulation and mobilization of human resources.
At the same time, reconsideration of hardened principles for nature management and search of acceptable and adequate measures and actions on overcoming of hardened stereotypes in natural resources management. These processes take place on the background of dynamically developing sectoral transformations, and here is very important to find optimal solutions not only at the level of legislative and other actions, but also in the formation of new social relationships and elaboration of mutual actions, with the objective for sustainable development and ecological safety achievement. Recommendations on Capacity Development to Comply with the Conventions Requirements
With the objective for rational and sustainable natural resources management achievement, it is necessary to join efforts and capacity possibilities for the solution of the following target priorities: • Forest conservation and sustainable management forestry • Agricultural and biological diversity conservation and sustainable management of agriculture • Pasture biological resources conservation and ecosystems of desert management • Energy and resource saving system development • Renewable sources of energy and their use development • Marginal water management, contamination control and treatment • Water ecosystems rehabilitation and biological diversity conservation in the Aral Sea Littoral Zone and in the lower reaches of the Amudarya, Syrdarya and Zaravshan rivers • Highland ecosystems biological diversity conservation • Waste reclamation and processing • Environmental territories creation and development
Improvement and development of joint intersectorial program documents should be based on the following tools of the Global Conventions: (i) ecosystem approach while implementing target tasks; (ii) sustainable environmental management indicators development; (iii) economic and financial mechanisms (prices, taxes, payments and licenses, subsidies, loans, regulating regimes and the others; (iv) coordination and intermediation mechanisms; (v) ecological expert assessment and impact assessment, with the introduction of GIS technologies, modeling, forecast and the others.
Increase of greenhouse gases emission due to the expansion of green areas is the important component of adaptive measures for climate change processes, and at the same time for degradation, drought mitigation and biological diversity conservation. Projects on forest plantations and forestry rehabilitation also can be implemented within Kyoto Protocol Mechanism of Clear Development.
Agriculture and forestry conservation needs introduction of soil protecting farming, with complex use of approaches, methods, techniques and technologies for field cultivation and laser land leveling. This will provide cultivated crops yield increase, saving of financial, labor and human recourses for the account of minimal use of tractors and machinery, soil moisture conservation and soil productive ability rehabilitation. According to the available data, the introduction of recommended field technologies provides cotton and wheat yields increase for 30-40% and seasonal water use reduction for 40-50%.
Rational water resources use and ensuring of reliable water delivery for irrigation and other needs, planned within state water management program with direct participation of WUA and other users, covers wide range of activities (Box 7.8)
Box 7.8. List of Water Management Activities in Accordance with State Program for Short- and Medium-Term Perspective (2001) : Technical measures on water saving in irrigation systems by rehabilitation of main and interfarm networks - 3,4 thousand km (12.4%)
57 Water saving at the field level by improved land leveling and introduction of cost efficient irrigation technologies and techniques (subsoil irrigation, drip irrigation and etc.). Land reclamation improvement - 900 thousand ha of irrigated areas, 690 thousand ha of them need urgent actions. Irrigation systems rehabilitation - 1700 thousand ha. Gradual modernization of pumping irrigation systems, including (i) pumping stations rehabilitation with replacement of energy consuming, physically and morally obsolete equipment on Karshi main canal, Amu-Bukhara pumping canal and Amu- Zang pumping canal, with total cost USD 163 million, and (ii) modernization of equipment at 460 medium and small pumping stations with total capacity 1250 m3/sec. Irrigated lands water availability improvement by gradual construction of 4 reservoirs, with total capacity 2,12 km2, and construction of 17 new and rehabilitation of 6 operational water and mudflow reservoirs, with total capacity 1,1 km3 Marginal water resources management – drainage water endogenous use improvement, reduction of non-productive outfalls from the rivers and from irrigated massifs: Water protecting activities and wetland areas improvement; Underground water management improvement Study of additional reserves in water use, elaboration of alternative solutions and measures for resource saving.
To the number of priority critical rayons, requiring high – priority actions on water quality and salt management, the following problems, identified with GEF Project framework (2001)11 , and also in ASBP 3.1B (1997) and NEAP (1999), should be referred:
I. High risk of desertification and loss of biological diversity: Water ecosystems in the Aral Sea Littoral Zone Wetland areas in the lower reaches of the Amudarya river II. High salt mobilization: The Syrdarya river basin: Fergana, Syrdarya, Dzizak The Amudarya river basin: Karshi, Bukhara, Khorezm, Karakalpakstan III. High salt disposal into the transboundary rivers: The Syrdarya river: Fergana and Syrdarya The Amudarya river: Karshi, Bukhara and Southern Karakalpakstan
IV. High risk of local watercources contamination: The rivers: Chirchik, Zaravshan and Mailisu
For practical implementation of identified adjacent target tasks and actions, the following is required: • improvement of interstate collaboration on transboundary water; • integration of issues for the combat desertification into national strategies and development plans, • extension of mechanism for direct promotional crediting of private and dechcan farms through their commercial banks for purchase of equipment, machinery, fertilizers, additional services and etc. • role of export revenues increase from the sales of agricultural production ( for the account of deepening of production degree processing with the use of modern technological lines); • development of cooperation and integration of agrarian enterprises, and also farmers partnership, coo- partnerships and groups according identical socio-economic and business directions; • development of small and medium business enterprises in rural area; • assistance in the improvement of mechanisms for farmers and dekhcans financing and stimulation on the extension of additional and alternative sources of revenues ( ecologically clear technology, silkworm growing, crop diversification, collection of medicinal herbs and etc.); • mobilization of farmers and dekhcans and households for creation, by joint efforts, more acceptable system of business with the objective for achievement of well-balanced and sustainable development in rural areas.
With the objective for efforts consolidation and contribution of common sectors into integrated nature management in the execution of the Global Conventions, the following is recommended: • create unified structure under the Cabinet of Ministries on coordination and interaction of intersectoral environmental activities;
11 GEF, 2001. Water Resources and Environment Management. Subcomponent A1 Water Resources and Salt Management at Regional and National Levels. Uzbekistan NWG Interim Report.
58 • strengthen interrelations and data and information exchange between sectors and directions, and ensure wide access to the information for all concerned participants; • elaborate unified system of environmental norms and indicators, and unified methodology for data collection and processing, GIS databases and databanks and analytical control; • create the group on preparation of intersectoral projects and programs being based on ecological priorities and feasibility; • carry out the inventory of intersectoral programs for synergetic development between projects and their integration into common action plan; • elaborate national action program on integrated water and land resources management for agriculture sustainable development up to 2015; • elaborate national program of rural development, with special attention to women and vulnerable groups of population; • elaborate common strategy and joint cross-cutting action plan on natural resources integrated management for implementation of the Global Conventions requirements. The recommended scheme of joint cross-cutting action plan implementation for the execution of the Global Conventions is illustrated in Figure 7.1.
National and sectional Thematic plans for programs, plans and sustainable natural projects resources management within CBD, CCD, FCCC frameworks
Natural Resources Use Integrated Plan
Action plan on CBD Action plan on CCD Action plan on FCCC
Cross-Cutting Action Plan on Global Conventions Implementation
Figure 7.1 The Scheme of Joint Cross-Cutting Action Plan Implementation on Integrated Natural Resources Management for the Execution of Global Conventions
59 8. PUBLIC AWARENESS IMPROVEMENT AND ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION
Background
“Education, from primary school to continuous training for the duration of the whole life, is the key to global economy. It has fundamental value for development, social progress and human being freedom” (UN Secretary General Koffi Annan, Millenium Report).
All the three Conventions include the cross-cutting provisions about the necessity for strengthening of public awareness and ecological education development and corresponding possibilities and links at all levels of environment management (Article 6, FCCC, Article 13, CBD and Article 19, CCD). While comparing the objectives of ecological conventions it is possible to outline basics uniting them – assistance to the society and nature sustainable development achievement.
Ecological development and public awareness are determinative factors of Sustainable Development (SD). The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan is using purposefully all possibilities for achievement of economic development and ecological safety in the country.
Ecological education has vitally important value for the formation of knowledge about environment, laws of nature, reasons and sequences of ecological disasters, ecological safety and rights of each citizen for favorable living conditions, and facilitates sustainable development of nature, society and state. For the years of independence the ecological education occupied certain place in the state ecological policy, and that is confirmed by multiple legislative and bylaw acts. Though, for the complete achievement of SD is necessary the corresponding operative provision of all involved structures and society with scientific, technical, training and other information, in order to consolidate efforts and contributions of all participants into global protection of environment.
In spite of the difficulties of economic character, proper attention is paid in the Republic to environmental policy, oriented at the introduction of resource saving and low-waste technologies with the use of broad spectrum of economic tools. Structural changes, originating in the economic sectors of Uzbekistan in the conditions of transition period, with no doubt, provide influence on the efficiency of natural resources use and environment protection from contamination and degradation.
The strategic guides for implementation of ecological policy of Uzbekistan12 are: • creation of favorable conditions for human being health and ensuring of ecological safety; • conservation of genetic fund, species and landscape diversity of natural environment; • rational use of natural resources, equilibrium of their reproduction processes and non-renewable resources efficient use; • creation of the conditions for the growth of educational and intellectual capacity of society.
Practical implementation of the Conventions objectives and tasks on the extension of awareness and ecological education of interested participants and training of society and local community is possible to realize with the availability of: (i) scientifically-justified programs for environment protection; (ii) efficient operative mechanism for environment protection management; (iii) developed system of ecological monitoring; (iv) developed and competitive system for training of specialists of ecological and nature protecting directions in higher schools, extension courses and retraining of staff, obtaining of second profession; (v) coordination and cooperation of scientific-research and applied works, executed within frameworks of the Conventions and SSTP programs; and (vi) developed system of science informational support, system of education and economic complex of the country.
12 National Report About Environment Condition and Natural Resources Use in the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2001, State Committee of Nature, Tashkent, 2002
60 Within frameworks of cross-cutting assessment, the analysis of capacity needs had been carried out, and the factors impeding awareness of the society about global ecological problems, and also possibilities, efforts and capacity of science contribution, primary, secondary, and higher education, MM, NGO and public organizations in the execution of all the three Conventions requirements had been identified.
Capacity Conditions and Factors Impeding its Development
Science In spite of transition period difficulties, scientific capacity of the Republic has been mainly preserved. The network of scientific institutions in the country reckons more than 300 scientific-research institutions, explorative centers, laboratories and designing-exploratory organizations, where more than 25 thousand of scientific collaborators are employed. The number of Doctors and PhDs has reached 2.5 and 15.5 thousand persons, respectively.
Scientific studies, elaboration of projects for creation of new technologies, machinery and equipment are carried out in accordance with the approved State scientific-technical and innovation programs within frameworks of priority directions of science and engineering development, among which ecological and environmental problems occupy important place: • elaboration of optimal methods and techniques for land and water resources use; • elaboration of efficient methods for prospecting, production and processing of mineral-raw resources and ecologically clear technologies providing competitiveness of industrial produce; • elaboration of modern methods and techniques for prevention, diagnostics and treatment of diseases and improvement of population health protection system, monitoring of environment and promotion of country ecological safety.
Presently, only in the ecological program of the Center on Science and Technologies there are 38 Scientific- research institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Universities, Designing institutes and other scientific subdivisions, which carry out studies on 114 subjects.
To the number of doubtless advantages of SSTP, the following should be referred: • transition to grant system of scientific-research works funding, • coordination of the majority of scientific and applied works of ecological and environmental primary activities, • collaboration and cooperation of scientific teams of the country in the solution of the most important scientific problems, • more broader scientific – technical information exchange, • creation conditions for young scientists support, • introduction of the institute of temporary creative teams and many others.
At the same time, we would like to notice some omissions and shortfalls, which had performed in practice during the process of State Scientific-Technical Program implementation (SSTP), and they require special attention: • still there is not enough coordination of scientific-research works of ecological and environmental character. Eventually, the results of scientific-research works executed in the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan and in higher schools and on international grants, are callable not completely. • necessity of scientific justification and formation of priorities on EP and Ecology from the State Committee for Nature Protection, for the Center on science and technologies. This would allow to elaborate SSTP more directionally. • incomplete elaboration of the mechanism for financing of fundamental research related to ecology and nature protection. One thing is clear, that funding only by the Center on Science and Technologies is insufficient. Share participation of State Committee for Nature Protection and other departments would be logical and justified, as they are consumers of scientific products,
61 • insufficient participation of enterprises, organizations and departments in share participation of applied scientific-research works of environmental character, though, those mechanisms have been elaborated (with participation of the enterprise in share funding of innovation project, it receives interest-free loan). • practically there is no mechanism for economic incentives of the enterprises, which allocate funds for scientific-research works related to environment protection and rational nature management. • there is no proper cooperation and information exchange on the grants carried out within framework of International projects, and in particular, related to ecological conventions. • outflow of young perspective personnel from scientific media is continuing, and that intensifies the problem of specialists deficiency and succession of experience and knowledge in science.
Development of cooperation and synergism of scientific works, aimed at the solution of ecological conventions tasks and promotion of Sustainable Development, is impeded mainly according to the following reasons: • insufficient development of the mechanism for information exchange and access • still existing conservatism at administrative level, • intellectual ownership protection problem, • lack of incentives.
Ecological Education Over the years of independence the ecological education had became the important issue in the governmental policy of the country.
The system of education reform in the country is carried out in accordance with the National program of personnel training and the Laws “About education” and “About basics of state youth policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan”.
The main directions of carried out reforms are: • Conservation of the achieved in pre-reform period level of education; • Its transformation in accordance with new requirements and conditions; • Development and reformation of the whole structure of education and personnel training.
Within frameworks of the National program on personnel training for the period up to 2010, the concrete measures had been envisaged for the increase of education quality, equilibrium of labor market for skilled specialists. State Committee for Nature Protection together with the Ministry of Eduction had elaborated "Concept of continuous ecological education", "Ecological education standards», "Ecological education program" for higher schools, for schools, ecological lyceums "Program for ecological education implementation and upbringing while teaching to natural disciplines in secondary general education schools", "Regional ecological programs”. In many higher schools of the country and in more than 20 secondary schools ecological faculties and cathedras of ecology had been opened, ecological educational programs are available in lyceums and colleges13. For the last years, in higher schools of Uzbekistan training of personnel on some directions of general and applied ecology and environment protection at the level of bachelors and magisters had been started (Table 8.1).
Table 8.1. Results of Admission in Higher schools of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Ecological Directions of Education
Code Education Directions and Higher Results of Admission Schools 1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 850000 Environment protection 363 413 488 441 452 окружающей среды 5850100 151 190 203 178 176 Environment protection (by sectors)
13 National Review of the Republic of Uzbekistan Progress Assessment, 2002
62 Tashkent state technical university 22 28 37 31 38
Tashkent automobile-traffic institute 31 39 42 36 36
24 23 Tashkent state aviation institute i
Tashkent chemical-technological 20 25 25 36 27 institute
Karshi engineering-economic institute 16 17 33 24 27
Samarkand state architectural- 11 24 27 14 14 construction institute Tashkent institute of irrigation and land reclamation 27 34 39 37 34 5850200 Ecology and nature management 212 223 285 263 276 National university of Uzbekistan 18 18 29 26 31
Andijan state university 20 21 32 20 16
Bukhara state university 17 16 21 20 15 Gulistan state university 10 И 8 14 10
Dzizak polytechnic university 17 25 18
Karakalpak state university 36 40 28 23 21
Karshi state university 20 20 18 13 И
Samarkand state university 44 51 47 41 59
Termez state university 20 20 18 20 14
Fergana state university 27 26 35 35 34
Tashkent institute of irrigation and 32 26 37 land reclamation Andijan institute of agriculture 10
Specialist-ecologists are being trained on two directions: “Ecology and nature management” and “Environment protection”. With that, the tendencies of ecological education in various higher schools are different. The training of ecologist-specialists in the Universities is carried out according classic tendency, i.e. for scientific activities. Sectoral disciplines in those training plans are practically absent. The sector specific higher schools train specialists on general economic sectors and directions, as for example: Tashkent State Agrarian University for agriculture, Tashkent Institute of Agriculture Mechanization and Irrigation Engineers for water management, Tashkent Automobile-Traffic Institute for automobile transport, Tashkent Institute of Textile and Light Industry for textile industry, Tashkent State Technical University for industry and etc.
More narrow specialization of ecological education is necessary with the purpose that future specialist- ecologists would possess necessary knowledge and skills in certain area and ability to carry out work on adjacent directions and to make adequate decisions. One of the approaches, called to intensify training process, is the introduction of interactive methods of training (module program «Ecology, Environment Protection, Sustainable development» and the others.).
63 The analysis of the existing normative-methodological documents and the study of 227 training plans on the directions of bachelors shows, that (1) the discipline “Ecology” is included into all training plans, but allocated time for the study of that discipline is different (30-94 hours) in various institutions; (2) basic relative ecological disciplines for mastering of the subject «Ecology», are presented by various disciplines completely enough.
At the same time: • content of training plans often does not correspond to the approved state educational standards; • major part of training process includes general educational disciplines and does not focus the attention on obtaining of deep professional knowledge. • contents of special disciplines in training plans and programs require unified methodological approach and unification by sectors of economy; • special courses or chapters, enlightening global ecological problem and national commitments adopted by the Republic to the CBD, CCD and FCCC, are not included into training plans; • there is no training of personnel on a number of such important directions as; GIS technologies in ecological and environmental studies and activities, ecological safety, natural and anthropogenic catastrophes and disasters, environmental impact assessment, socio-ecological analysis, legal basics of nature management, ecologically clear production, ecological tourism, ecological audit and expertise and the others; • it is necessary to make more ecological main special disciplines, which form specialists for various sectors, in accordance with classification of directions and professions “engineering, processing and construction sectors”, “architecture and construction”, and “agriculture”; • the lack of the system for economic incentives limits the increase of educational status and recruitment of young specialists.
The general analysis of ecological education conditions in the country had shown, that: • in the sphere of primary and preschool education the shortage of specialists, methodological manuals, demonstrative materials and means was observed; • school courses do not reflect the specifics of the conditions of ecosystems and ecological situation in Uzbekistan, ecological problems reasons and consequences; • lack of adequate system for the improvement of skills and retraining of pedagogical personnel, managerial staff and society; • low involvement into ecological education of the available capacity of scientific-research institutes and other organizations; • the shortage of qualitative text-books and methodological manuals, especially in the state language, was observed everywhere; • still there are weak links between higher schools and secondary schools, with higher schools of the other countries on the exchange with students and teachers; • very weak professional awareness of higher schools staff, schools and public about current ecological problems and global commitments to the FCCC, CCD and CBD.
For active involvement of Uzbekistan into international process of ecological education and upbringing the training of skilled specialists on the basis of principally new approach of personnel development, it is necessary: • Further development and implementation of State program on continuous ecological education; • Creation of Training – Scientific Ecological Center (TSEC) on training, retraining and improvement of teaching and managerial staff professional level at the national and local levels; • Participation in international programs and projects of educational character.
These measures and activities need joining efforts of all Parties concerned and scientific capacity of secondary and higher schools, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, sector specific institutes and State Committee for Nature Protection.
The Available Potential and Capacity of Uzbekistan National University (UNU) are the Most Preferable for Creation of Training-Scientific Ecological Center (TSEC): • Practically on each faculty there are cathedras and scientific subdivisions related to the training of specialists of ecological and environmental orientation,
64 • UNU possesses leading role in the preparation of training-methodological materials on ecology with the use of computer technologies and remote method for training • UNU is one the main elaborators of SSTP on ecology, EIA and rational nature management. • There is magistracy in the University on many professions of ecological direction, there is also specialized Council on the PhD dissertations defending on the items of “Ecology”. • Since 2000 the interactive method for teaching of the course “Ecology, Environment protection, Sustainable development” in Uzbek and Russian languages had been introduced on physical and chemical faculties. • Since 1990 there are Scientific-research department of applied ecology and rational nature management and the other subdivisions in the University.
The task consists of the achievement not only ecological education as the system for transfer and extension of certain knowledge, but also the formation and enhancement of ecological mentality and thinking, as the most important basis necessary for the analysis, modeling, prediction and justified solution of ecological problems and related to them measures and actions.
Recommendations Implementation of legislative acts, concrete action programs and tasks, defined in the International conventions, at the present stage needs training of skilled specialists on the basis of principally new approach, which should include: • complex and, at the same time, addressed training of the second level and higher qualification personnel on all directions of ecology, EIA and rational use of natural resources, and also ecological safety; • elaboration of unified training and methodological basis for organization and management of training process on environment and sustainable natural resources use; • systematic preparation of various kinds of training-methodological material with the use of modern computer and GIS technologies; • conducting of training process in close connection with bachelors scientific activities, magisters and post-graduates, and in the links with problems and tasks of industrial enterprises, departments and ministries; • constant improvement of skills and retraining of teaching personnel and managerial staff, involved in ecology, environment protection and sustainable development; • obtaining of the second profession on various directions of ecology, EIA and rational nature management; • centralized collection and distribution of training-methodological and scientific information through resource centers; • more wider use of training and methodological literature prepared within frameworks of the UNDP, UNESCO, WYO, FAO programs and the others; • transition to the remote and interactive methods of training.
Thus, the activities should be aimed at: • elaboration and improvement of programs for continuous ecological education, training and upbringing; • addressed training of skilled specialist-ecologists of different directions, especially for the sectors of economy, management, expertise and audit; • more close integration of scientific-research works, applied studies and needs of environmental organizations into educational process.
Informational Resources More than 300 million people in the whole of the world systematically use Internet. It means, that the number of Internet users for the last seven years increased for 3000 times14. Remote training in the “worldwide web” provides everybody similar resources and opens equal possibilities. This is the part of information technologies capacity, where sex, age and socio-economic position of human being do not play any role15.
14 Electronic Journal of the USA State Department, 2000, volume 5, №3 15 Millennium Report
65 Availability of access to informational resources, and also necessary skills and knowledge enhance the efficiency of training and scientific-research works implementation. At the same time, in the Republic of Uzbekistan own informational resources accessible for broad use in the network are practically absent. Vast scientific information had been collected, but it is stored, mainly, in hard copies, and thus, it is not callable enough.
The realization of possibilities on the use of informational resources during the process of training and increase of intellectual capacity of the country scientific personnel are impeded due to the lack of systemized scientific databases and research materials in electronic format. This is confirmed by the comparative data given below:
USA: 90% of queries to Internet are processed inside American Internet, and only 10% of queries are addressed to the other countries.
Russia: About 70% of queries are processed inside Russian Internet «ru.net», 25% of queries are addressed to the USA, 5% are for the other countries.
Uzbekistan: Approximately 80% of queries in Internet are directed to Russian informational portals, 15% to American ones, and only 5% for the others. For 2000 in total about 300 Internet – sites had been registered in Uzbekistan.
Presently, there is pressing issue on elaboration of electronic training manuals, and also visual methodological aids and scientific materials, which will allow to extend the access and to enhance the intensity of information exchange process in scientific and educational media. This requires the significant network quality improvement for data transfer, development of the network infrastructure and increase of the level of that sphere of activities attractiveness.
It is possible to state, that presently in Uzbekistan the accessible ecological information: • bears fragmentary character, and not always professionally prepared, • not systemized and not processed, as it is, mainly, stored in hard copies in archives. • not stored in resource centers (no centers for ecological information storing).
Actually, one can talk only about discrete information, which is stored in higher schools, archives of the institutes, and other depositories, thus, this information is actually inaccessible not only for the broad circle of users, but sometimes also for the narrow circle of experts, who according their duties should process and use it.
Public Awareness Extension of awareness and involvement of public into the process of decision making and their implementation is one of the important commitments of Uzbekistan to the Global Conventions FCCC, CBD and CCD. These general requirements and recommendations of the Conventions facilitate amalgamation of efforts and contributions of all society layers in the implementation of global commitments.
The society already recognizes the necessity for adoption of radical measures and actions on the overcoming and mitigation of environment degradation. Though, the current scales and global consequences of environment components degradation are the results not only irregular natural resources management and use, but also the lack of proper knowledge, skills and experience on the environment protection with public and family. Often, instead of enhancement of ecological problems and own activity recognition, there is adaptation to «extraordinary» living conditions and migration to the more safe regions.
Providing of the access to information for journalists and population is regulated by the package of state laws and bylaw acts. At the same time, these documents are of declarative character, and the guarantees and
66 mechanisms for their execution are not envisaged. The result is: the access of country population to ecological information still remains limited (Box 8.1.)
Box 8.1 Legislation and Mass Media Capacity The access to ecological information is regulated by the following laws: “About protection of state secrets” (1993), “About guarantees and freedom for access to information”, “About protection of journalist professional activities” (1997) and the laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan «About mass media means» (1997) and “About radiation safety” (2001). Article 6 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan «About principles and guarantees for freedom of information» (2002) ensures openness and publicity of ecological problems enlightening, except confidential information. According to the data of Uzbek Agency on press and information mass media capacity in Uzbekistan includes publishing of 1597 newspapers, 145 magazines, 93 electronic editions, there are 43 TV stations, 12 radio stations, 4 information agencies.
Mass media means, radio and television have special significance in the upbringing for cultural, aesthetic and spiritual values of the society. Though, ecological theme on the pages of local and republican press is represented desultorily and systemless. Every month in the country the only ecological newspaper “Tabiyat khabarshysy” is published (State Committee for Nature Protection of Karakalpakstan, circulation is five hundred copies). Ecological magazine “Ecological Gazette of Uzbekistan” is published by the State Committee for Nature Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan with participation of Karakalpak department of IFAS. Its circulation is about one thousand copies, periodicity is ones per two months. The magazine “Water Resources” is published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan. Ecological information is represented on the sites of State Committee for Nature Protection, the program “Atrof-Mukhit”, various NGOs and the others.
State Committee for Nature Protection and other authorized state agencies, scientific and training institutes and public organizations of the country pay serious attention to upbringing and formation of ecological ideology of the society. The TV and radio programs devoted to ecological problems of the republic are broadcasting, the magazine "Ecological Gazette" is published. In particular, within frameworks of presently implemented project «Enhancement of national capacity for the execution of Article 6 of the FCCC» is envisaged to create conditions for the FCCC objectives advancement and distribution through broad informational-educational activities with the participation of professional personnel and broad classes of public.
In spite of significant difficulties, which presently face mass media and journalists, practically all editorships could be considered as potential participants of various ecological campaigns, including execution by the country of the commitments to the Global Ecological Conventions.
Training of journalist – ecologists is the important condition for transfer of knowledge and public ecological upbringing. The subject “Ecological Journalism” had been introduced in the number of higher schools of the country. In National University this discipline is studied at the first course, though, the number of hours is limited and there is no practice, therefore graduates are not ready to work on that issue.
Main principles and factors limiting extension of public awareness are: • lack of sufficient funds with significant part of population, with growing prices on periodic publications, reduces the demand for printed issues; • journalist labor stopped to be prestigious, and the outflow of professional journalists occurred, as journalist specialization on such complex issue as ecological one is time consumptive, and the of payment remains low; • general reduction of publication quality; • complexity of ecological information obtaining, and with that, it is difficult for journalists to understand it and to deliver; • unfitness of the faculties of journalism graduates to the work on ecological issues; • low involvement of scientific circles to popularization and advocacy of ecological knowledge.
The analysis shows, that the possibilities for holding of cultural-aesthetic activities, public campaigns and acts of support are used insufficiently. Though, ecological education by the organization of cognitive programs and opened lessons in museums of nature, near ancient monuments, and also by organization of
67 exhibitions, competitions, excursions and ecological routes, facilitates upbringing and awareness of the youth and schoolchildren about global commitments, causing with them the feeling of complicacy and responsibility. For example, for already five years in the Republic of Belarus they are implementing ecological-educational project “Our big care to small rivers”, aimed at the involvement of children and teenagers into bio-ecological monitoring of small rivers and water bodies, and environment enhancement16.
With the objective for public ecological ideology upbringing and enhancement of its contribution into execution of the global commitments, it is necessary: • formation with population of holistic system of knowledge about environment degradation problems and global commitments; • increase of recognition of natural resources scarcities and careful attitude to habitat; • regeneration, conservation and advocacy of local traditions and customs for careful attitude to water and land and biological resources in towns and villages of the country; • credit accommodation to cost efficient and clear technologies, safe soil protecting farming and water use for sustainable development, • formation of personal complicacy and responsibility for the conservation and safety of environment.
For the increase of public awareness and capacity development on the execution of general requirements of the Global Conventions, it is recommended: • elaborate and implement of nationwide concept ands program for public awareness on global environment protection increase; • increase of the contribution of state mass media information into public awareness about ecological issues, with the use of institutional, legal and financial tools, including addressed budget funding of mass media; • strengthening of civil society and NGO contribution into the process of advocacy of ecological knowledge and decision making in the field of environment protection and search for alternative income sources and creation of workplaces; • addressed training of journalists on specific ecological directions with holding of joint «round tables» of journalists and ecologists; • improvement of national ecological service on public relationships with the direct participation of national Secretariats on the CBD, FCCC and CCD; • creation of nationwide information-coordination center on scientific-technical information exchange, with the introduction of global mechanisms of intermediation; • development of the unified information network on the FCCC, CBD and CCD; • organization of specialized service for information distribution in key responsible organizations for data exchange, technology transfer and partnership development amongst participants; • creation of journalist-ecologists resource center on centralized collection, study and operative distribution of information for public; • support of local initiatives and development of ecological training programs for all classes of the population, with creation of local experts permanent groups; • organization of regular educative campaigns, competitions and training for different classes of population in mass media, radio, television, museums and other public-educative organizations; • improvement and modernization of the technical facilities of the institutions, which are responsible for information distribution and personnel training.
Public Participation Public participation and its contribution into the solution of ecological problems and global commitments execution is the first high-priority of environmental policy of the Republic. Special role in the advocacy of ecological knowledge, public awareness and involvement of all the Parties concerned into the solution of ecological problems, related to desertification and drought, climate change and loss of biological diversity, belongs to NGOs, which provide interaction amongst all participants.
16 A. Shtakovsky (2003) School Ecological Monitoring and Water Bodies Enhancement, the Republic of Belarus, Minsk
68 The analysis of NGO and local bodies of self administration capacity and possibilities, carried out in the process of thematic and cross-cutting assessmentи (Chapter 3) shows, that the Republic possesses big enough NGO network, covering almost all regions of the country, but public participation in practical activities on environment protection remains rather insufficient. Low activity of local population participation (especially the women and youth) in the measures on environment enhancement and execution of the global commitments, is caused by the lack of ecological knowledge and ideology forming careful attitude towards nature. Insufficient incentives of public civil sector to the collaboration with local self – administration bodies aggravating this problem. The corresponding practice in Uzbekistan has not been formed yet, rare separate examples of activities still remains as acts of goodwill. In spite of the efforts undertaken on the population awareness about disaster consequences and processes of environment degradation, the level of knowledge and public awareness on Uzbekistan global commitments remains insufficient.
The main constraint in the energization of public participation in the environment protection still remains present legislation, especially in the part of bylaw acts. Insufficient coordination of the activities between organizational structures and NGOs, the lack of plans of measures and training programs on experience transfer and public awareness impede the process of capacity development and public involvement in the execution of the FCCC, CBD and CCD requirements. Rather complicated remains the problem of NGO funding. Still local authorities continue to feel distrust to the institutions of civil society, due to not complete understanding of their role in the present state. On the other hand, many public organizations are not familiar with the mechanisms of state management and participation of public institutions in the process for adoption of those or another decisions at the republican and local levels.
Creation of the extension courses system for NGO members, liberalization of legislation on public organizations activities regulation, especially in the zones of ecological disaster and distant oblasts, development of joint project activities with state structures will facilitate local population involvement, especially the women and youth, into the process of the environment enhancement and population living standards increase.
With the support of international organizations (UNDP, FAO, GEF, ADB, WB) and development agencies (USAID, SIDA, GTZ , JICA) the broad program of training on ecological, environmental items and the issues of rational nature management is carried out in Uzbekistan. These programs are implemented within frameworks of technical assistance and aid to the country, and make great contribution in the extension of awareness and sustainable management at the local, national and regional levels. At the same time, there is no synergism between training programs, the majority of workshops is held in the capital or big cities of the country, and not always funds are allocated for the support of provincial representatives participation, and that significantly reduces the range of information distribution.
The approaches of training and extension of awareness, implemented within FAO program framework “Field Farmer Schools” (Box 8.2), deserve attention for introduction into wide-ranging programs of the country.
Box 8.2 FAO Program “Field Farmer Schools” 17 Project FAO/TCP/UZB/2901 «Integrated management for sustainable use of saline and gypsiferous soils» (2002-2004) Component: FAO Program «Field Farmer Schools» (FFS), 2004-2005 Component objectives: technology transfer and evident demonstration of the integrated management methods to the farmers and dekhcans for improvement of their level of knowledge, skills, awareness and experience distribution at the local and national levels. Major principles of FFS approach: (a) Field – first place for training; (b) FFS infrastructure – more than teachers; (c) Farmers – experts; (d) Training during the whole season of crop growing; (e) Regular meetings and opinion exchange of trained groups. Achievements and lessons learned: Within frameworks of FFS 15 instructors and more than 190 farmers (6 groups per 20-25 persons) had been trained and certified. Practical in field lessons were 2/3 of the whole period of training. During the process of training farmer-leaders had been detected, they had been recommended as instructors for FFS extension.
17 FAO program FFS is distributed in the countries of the South – East Asia, Africa, South America, and presently in Uzbekistan.
69 FFS gave farmers good chance to learn how to improve their capacities without involvement of any additional funds, but being based on the extension of their knowledge and experience. Being focused on degraded land rehabilitation, water saving and soil health, FFS provide crop yield and farmer incomes increase, and also obtaining of ecological benefits. Sociological studies during the process of FFS work had detected common rural problems at sites: (i) low income of farmers and discrepant access to adequate and healthy food; (ii) poverty and unemployment; (iii) low level of medical services; (iv) low level of awareness in the sphere of environment protection; (v) shortage of experience and skills with farmers. From the total number of trained farmers: 45% do not have agricultural education and 25% have no experience of work in agriculture at all. Discussions and interviews in the focus groups allowed to identify the priority farmer strategies and proposals on overcoming of the existing problems. Former FFS trainees assess their participation in the following way: i) 26,3% - as very important for their activities; ii) 52,1% - as important, iii) 19,4% - as necessary, and only 2,2% are not satisfied with the participation in FSS. These results indicates on high need in FFS for the increase of incomes and life quality in the village, and human capacity development.
Being based on GEF Manual18, within frameworks of the present project NCSA carried out regional (territorial) consultations, discussions at the round table and in the working groups, interview and country social survey. The NCSA approach allowed to cover scientific institutions, agricultural, water and industrial sectors of economy, universities, public organizations, local communities, mass media and decision making officials. With the help of those discussions and interviews of participants by the project team, the wide range of needs had been identified and recommendations on capacity development for the requirements of the Global Conventions execution.
One of the important results of the workshops in the oblasts had been the participants recognition, that the discussion of the raised problems made them to look at their own role in the solution of ecological problems in a new way. Increase of recognition of the role of everybody and each one in the issues of the environment protection and global commitments execution is one of the most important results of the workshops held. General results of multilevel assessment of the capacity by the regions of the country are described in details in Chapter 3 of the present report.
Taking into account, that NCSA is the first step to long-term objective for creation of sustainable institutes and tools on safe environment management, the recommendations of regional public of the country are also important contribution into long-term programs and national development plans. The results of the consultations will also be used for public awareness concerning current problems and needs at the sites.
As a whole, holding of the workshop is important component for public awareness increase, it bears educational function and , eventually, increases the capacity at individual level.
18 GEF Manual on the Assessment of Capacity Development Needs for Implementation of Measures on Global Environment Protection and Rational Use, ACNDIMGEP (GEF with the assistance of UNITAR, 2001).
70 9. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND EXTERNAL COOPERATION
Background Provision of access to technologies and their transfer to the other Parties on the basis of equitable and the most favorable conditions, by mutual agreement, with protection of intellectual property rights and sharing of benefits, and with the top-priority attention to the social, economic, and ecological impact of such technologies, are the important elements of achievement of the global conventions objectives. These conditions are specified in the Article 4 (g, h) of the FCCC, Article 16 of the CBD, and in Annex 5, Article 7 of the CCD.
Interrelation amongst the three conventions and their synergetic capabilities allow for more rational and efficient use of ecologically clear technologies. For example, the activities within framework of the project “Development of technologies for growing of ameliorative forests on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea, and creation of cultivated areas in desert and highland zones, and forests for commercial timber production, in order to improve productivity of these territories in the conditions of environment deterioration” implemented by GTZ in cooperation with the Academy of Science (The Scientific and Research Institute of Forestry of the Republic of Uzbekistan). This project will allow to use these technologies not only to combat desertification and drought, but also to control climate change impact, and the protection and extension of biological diversity. Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths Uzbekistan is paid due attention to the implementation of the legislative and administrative measures, which facilitate development and adaptation of technologies and knowledge, and protection of intellectual property rights by the use of wide range of economic instruments. Over the recent years a number of technologies had been developed in the Republic. The use of these technologies in agriculture, forestry and water sector, with taking into account the natural features of the country, has tangible effect on environment and implementation of the convention provisions. Fundamental and applied studies in many areas of modern science, including studies in the area of molecular genetics, genetic cellular engineering, biological technology are the necessary basis for scientific progress in agriculture, microbiological industry and the environment protection.
The short-term perspective of the governmental scientific and technical policy is aimed at selective support of scientific researches, developments, and innovation projects in different areas in order to: harmonize social and economic development; protect environment and develop biosphere (ecologically acceptable increase of fuel and energy and mineral/raw materials reserves); develop the competitive technologies, techniques and resource saving; select/breed highly productive variety of crops and breeds of livestock; develop the new ecologically safe technologies for production of agricultural products and foodstuff, means to control plants and animal diseases, efficient methods of irrigation in agriculture, etc. (Box 9.1). The scientists in the areas of plant substance chemistry, biology, genetics and biotechnologies had developed the theoretical basis and technologies for production of new types of highly efficient ecologically clear fertilizers, low toxicity defoliants, new drugs/chemicals, plant growth stimulants, and means for their protection.
Box 9.1 Priorities of Scientific and Technical Policy for Short-Term Perspective • Intersectoral activities on the development, assimilation and introduction of the new techniques and technologies leading to cardinal changes of technological basis of the country and reducing technological environmental impact; • Activities on large intersectoral scientific and technical projects, which require large-scale concentration of resources; • Scientific and technical support to the measures aimed at achievement of the social objectives of the society (through development of health services, education, culture, environment protection and relevant infrastructures); • Studies, related to the formation of the democratic state with strong social security, economic reforms, joining of Uzbekistan to the world economic community, and establishment of real market economy; • Activities related to the protection and development of flora and fauna gene pool by using for this purpose museums, which are conducting scientific and research works, as well as the state fund of scientific and technical information.
71 The small innovation enterprises implementing new technologies, including the area of environment protection, are the basis for economic development. These enterprises define priorities of short-term science development in the industrial countries of the world.
In Uzbekistan, this process is accompanied by the development of the basis for innovation business in two directions: (i) development of state and self sustained centers (oblast centers), and (ii) creation of joint risk funds for financing of the innovation projects, usually implemented by small companies. Peculiarity of venture capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the fact that risk fund includes both the state and the private sector money. These enterprises (at the republic and oblasts (centers) levels) develop pilot prototypes, assimilate new technologies, including technologies on the environment protection.
Significant attention is paid to the development of the alternative sources of energy and to the activities aimed at saving of natural resources. Technologies based upon the use of solar energy have big development potential in Uzbekistan. Economic potential of solar energy is assessed as equal to 176.8 million tons of oil equivalent (the total fuel consumption of the country is approximately 70 million tons of reference fuel).
Some directions of the study in the area of environment protection are presented in Box 9.2. The main directions of studies and complete list of projects, including introduction of the new technologies, are presented in the thematic reports on the CBD, CCD, and FCCC.
Box 9.2 Scientific Studies on the Development of New Environment Protection Technologies In 2000 the Agency on technologies transfer had accomplished the project on establishment in the republic the production of solar batteries with capacity 500 watt, that became the key element of the designed photoelectrical power stations of small capacity. These stations successfully operate at remote pastures and settlements. 19 Institute TashNII “Vodgeo” had conducted the following works: • Development of technology for purification of sulfate containing sewage water by reagents made of local raw materials; • Development of efficient purification of sewage water from enterprises for primary wool processing by reagents made of local raw materials; • Development of method for biodegradation of ammonia nitrogen containing sewage water at purification plant with natural aeration; • Development of technology for purification of nitrate containing sewage water by hydrogenous denitrification. NIPTI “Atmosphere” is conducting “Study of heat transformation process and development of heat pump equipment free from ozone layer depleting substances”. NPUP “Ecology of Water Management” is conducting works in the following areas: (i) “Impact of plant protection chemicals on ecological conditions of the territory of Uzbekistan” and (ii) jointly with the Center of Science and Technology and nature protection fund of the Republic “Implementation of technology for cultivated pasture development at dried bottom of the Aral Sea with the use of mineralized water”. The Institute of Geological Engineering “INGEO” is conducting the study on creation of adsorbents made of local raw materials and industrial waste. The tested adsorbents along with the heavy metals can adsorb gold, lanthanum, calcium, barium, and scandium. Team of the scientists from the Tashkent State Technical University named after Biruni and other institutions are conducting the similar studies.
Some directions of capacity support and training are illustrated in Box 9.3. More detailed information is presented in the thematic reports on the three conventions.
Box 9.3 Support and Training Centers 1. The Center for Development of Market Skill had been established by the initiative of European Union Commission within the framework of TACIS program more than 10 years ago. It helps to learn the secrets of the Successful Entrepreneurship. 20 The Center cooperates with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the International Labour Organization (ILO). 2. The Center of Corporate Training established 5 years ago, conducts training of the managers for joint stock companies. Knowledge of business management, ability to work in competitive world, market skill acquired by the entrepreneurs in the modern training centers allow them successfully overcome difficulties, which they encounter every day. For the training of future and operating entrepreneurs the center uses modern training methods, and training programs developed by the international organizations, such as the training courses “Start and Improve Your Business”, “Introduction to Business”. 3. Jointly with the donor countries, the programs on poverty eradication, improvement of education and living standards of the population, rational use of land resources, sand fixation, vegetation planting are now under development. These programs are implemented by such local NGOs as: Farmers Center, Dekhkan and Farmers Association, Persent Center, SZAA, Eco Union,
19 PV No 219, 16.11.2004, “The Alternative Technique is the Future”. 20 PV No 31, 12.02.2005, “The Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurship”
72 Eco Priaralie (Eco Aral Sea Littoral Zone), Association of Business Women “Tadbirkor Ael”, Society of Disabled Persons, Center “Wild Life of the Aral Sea Littoral Zone”, and other centers. For example, the Center Persent is actively implementing the organic farming system, the Farmers Center is holding seminars on environment protection in rural areas, SZAA and Eco- Union had participated in the project “Green Circle of Nukus”. In the recent years the capacity for the development of small innovation business is more widely used in ecological area. For example, benefits and support to the development of small business and private entrepreneurship are used for the creation of alternative energy sources, waste treatment plants, extension services for agriculture, development of highland area, etc.
Shortfalls and Factors that Limit Capacity Development
Shortfalls of the management structure and coordination, exchange of information and relations worsening by economic problems, limit the capabilities for the implementation of available scientific achievements, and development and adaptation of highly efficient clear technologies in the most vulnerable sectors of economy. Low energy efficiency of a number of enterprises remains the main problem of energy, oil and gas, and industrial sectors of economy. Limited use of energy saving technologies, including the renewable sources of energy and equipment, causes high energy consumption rate, that is significantly higher than the similar indices in the developed countries.
The main limiting factors are the poor financial situation, high costs of operation, low purchasing capacity of the potential consumers, and the lack of demand for ecologically clear technologies, as well as shortfalls of institutional basis, low level of awareness of the Parties concerned, etc. Insufficient motivation for professional growth and access to the new technologies restrain improvement of qualification level and experience of specialists in this area.
The main constraints to the technology transfer can be summarized as follows: • lack of state resources and limited fund for procurement of foreign equipment; low paying capacity of the enterprises and population; • insufficient participation of the national banks in the process of technology transfer, high bank interest rates; • insufficient legal support of institutional basis in regard to the technology transfer; • insufficient coordination of access to information about technologies, assessment of requirements in technologies and technology transfer; • lack of qualified specialists in the area of the new technologies development, especially in the area of energy saving and energy efficiency; • insufficient awareness of the potential investors about current market for technologies in the country; • insufficient awareness of the government institutions, private companies, and public about the conventions and their financial mechanisms and lack of private sector awareness about ecologically clear technologies and measures for their implementation. External Cooperation
To attract resources, capabilities, and investments from the international institutions and agencies for the solution of these problems, is the top priority task21.
Since adoption of the Nukus Declaration, Concept and Program of Specific Actions on improvement of ecological situation in the Aral Sea basin, the international community had begun active financial and technical assistance to the Central Asian countries and, in particular, to Uzbekistan.
International financing is provided within the framework of nature protection strategies and programs on general assistance to Uzbekistan as developing country and the member the GEC, in order to eradicate poverty and facilitate possibilities for sustainable development, with special attention to the integration of the national and intersectoral plans and actions into the global environment issues.
21 Karimov I.A. vol. 6 “ On the Road to Security and Development Stability”, “Uzbekistan at the Verge of ХХI Century: Security, Progress Conditions and Guarantees”, 1998, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, pages 98-115
73 Due to this financial support the packages of programs and projects are being implemented. These activities are of the strategic importance for the environment protection, both at the national and regional levels and are in line with the objectives and provisions of the conventions.
International institutions provide the substantial contribution to financing of the nature protection activities. Inputs of the international institutions (WB, ADB, EU, GEF, UNDP, TACIS, UNEP, etc.), development agencies (USAID, LSA, GTZ, SIDA), and the donor countries, especially, in the solution of the Aral Sea disaster, facilitate introduction of the international approaches, norms, and procedures on protection of nature components, implementation of traditional and new highly efficient technologies, improvement of knowledge level, skills and experience at the local, national, and international levels. With their support and assistance during the recent years, the human resources capacity and capacity of the different institutions, agencies and management structures had been significantly strengthened.
Assessment of the international organizations input in the environmental capacity building, as well as the achievements and lessons learned within the framework of the international programs and projects are presented in the thematic reports on the three conventions. Recommendations for Capacity Development
For realization of the sustainable development principles and successful implementation of the global commitments, the county capacity urgently requires the development and adaptation of the wide range of technologies on the common sectors and directions, including: • Technologies for the development of seeds and seedlings production, prophylaxis of the diseases and epidemics, and sustainable use of forestry resources; • Soil protection technologies of cultivation and management, and water saving irrigation application technologies; • Technologies of natural pastures restoration and their sustainable use; • Efficient energy technologies for generation of electric and thermal power and technologies of renewable energy sources; • Modern technologies of urban solid waste management along with the energy generation and technologies of urban sewage water treatment along with the production of organic compost; • Modern technologies and equipment for assessment and monitoring of environment conditions and ecosystem methods of wide scale planning, etc.
The analysis conducted within the framework of cross-cutting and thematic assessments, shows, that within the framework of the national scientific and technological and investment TA programs and projects with the assistance and support from the international development funds and agencies, the new technically and ecologically safe solutions, methods and technologies, which, however, are insufficiently adopted and implemented at the regional and national levels.
In order to support development of new highly efficient technologies and methods as well as their intensive implementation in the natural resources use practice, it is recommended to: • elaborate the concept for the development of intersectoral cooperation on the creation and use of technologies, including local and traditional ones, especially biotechnologies and protection of genetic resources in compliance with the objectives of the three conventions; • strengthen the adequate and efficient protection of intellectual property rights for technologies (the biotechnologies in particular), knowledge and know-how; • simplify the access to technologies and their transfer taking into account the convention principles and instruments and with the support of the institutions, responsible for the national coordination of the CBD, FCCC, and CCD; • create the coordination group on scientific and informational support, applied studies and technologies with the support from the responsible structures, or to establish coordination and information group/center to promote the use of the traditional technologies, knowledge, know-how and their transfer; • establish National Advisory Council on intersectoral management and coordination of the technology transfer process; • prepare the list of the available technologies, discoveries, know-how, and the accomplished studies, which might be useful for the global objectives, taking into account the synergetic effect of the conventions; • provide the target financing for the available technologies, know-how, and applied studies, which require the urgent implementation through provision of grants and lax credits, and expansion of operating programs of multilateral financing institutions, and development of joint industrial enterprises;
74 • develop the standards and norms on energy resources consumption and efficiency of technological equipment, with the inclusion of the actual cost of energy resources in the national financial turnover and development of pricing policy reflecting actual cost of energy supply with introduction of the taxes on greenhouse gases emission; • strengthen evaluation of the country technological requirements for technology transfer, and development of activities on the projects, selected for specific investors; • develop the national mechanisms for dissemination of information on the progress on the implementation of the conventions, advocacy, training and implementation of measures on resources saving, technologies and their transfer within the framework of the three convention objectives; • facilitate the development of informational technologies in private sector; • enhance target training of the specialists in higher and secondary schools; • create training center for the support of adaptation and implementation of traditional and non-traditional methods, and transfer of the existing and new ecologically acceptable technologies; • develop the system of specialized informational services in the area of entrepreneurial activities consulting, and purposeful development of human resources capacity and training of the specialists for the state and private sectors.
Efforts of the country capacity should be aimed at the improvement and development of technologies in all sectors of economy, in order to enable income increase for rural population, creation of new workplaces and protection of healthy habitat, including: • concentration of the scientists efforts on the studies for creation of improved innovation technologies for production of cotton, food crops in crop rotation, increase productive capacity of irrigated and rainfed lands, mitigate degradation and improve quality of lands, cropping pattern, increase of the area under alfalfa, optimum rate of fertilizers application, and soil protection systems of agricultural land tillage, etc. • concentration of the scientists efforts on the studies for the development of fundamentally new methods of amelioration, including forestry and biological ones, creation of efficient energy saving technologies and advanced renewable energy technologies, new highly efficient technical means allowing for more efficient use of land and water resources. The activities of breeders, geneticists, physiologists, entomologists should be aimed at the creation of cotton varieties, which along with high yields possess all complex of economic-valuable characteristics and highly technological properties of a fiber.22; • turning of the highlands into reserved areas in the form of national parks. Part of the highland area can be considered as the protected reserves, and the other parts can be use for the country economy with the account of natural territories specifics, as it had been envisaged towards Chimgan-Charvak zone, that had been referred to the natural zone of resort and recreation value.
22 PV No 248, of 28.12.04
75 10. STRENGTHENING/BUILDING CAPACITY STRATEGY TO BETTER MEET GENERAL COMMITMENTS UNDER THE THREE CONVENTIONS
Capacity needs that are common for the three Conventions
Having conducted an assessment of cross-cutting capacity needs of common and crossed areas of the global Conventions, the key reasons that hinder the adequate implementation of the Conventions on CBD, CCD and FCCC are identified:
• weak governmental intuitional network focused on implementation of the commitments under conventions, lack of clear inter-institutional and inter-sectoral mechanisms of coordination; • nature protection activities, identified by the global commitments, are not systematized and do not adequately meet the requirements of CBD, CCD and FCCC; • local authorities, commercial structures, NGOs and the public are not well aware of and are not interested in meeting the requirements of the three Conventions; • synergetic principles, policies and measures of the Conventions are insufficiently used while developing the main branches of economics though they can provide significant ecological and economic benefits at the local, national and global levels.
The analysis of cause-effect relations of the identified problems in the political, economic and legal context between the Conventions provides a number of the key areas for capacity building. - forming the system of the general continuous environmental education; education for children; developing the education and enlightenment of public; strengthening the environmental components in the training programs (using the best local and global experiences) and developing the in-service training system (training/centers); - raising awareness and forming the people's sense of ownership and responsibilities for the environment; - improvement and strengthening of the coordination and cooperation (intersectional, regional, and local interactions); - assessment of the environmental awareness level, developing the monitoring system and overcoming the information barriers; - developing the economic mechanisms and the issues of integrated planning; - perfecting the legislation and procedures to enforce laws; - developing the international cooperation, supporting the international initiatives with focusing on the national interests in the area of using the global environmental capacity.
To get economic and environmental benefits for a short period, it is necessary to focus on broadening the awareness and involvement of the public, NGOs and local self-governance bodies in the process of meeting the global commitments. Their contribution plays a decisive role in conserving and improving the habitat, and in developing the sustainable nature management. This will result in creating the feedback, and the intended benefits will become real for all interested participants. Focusing in solving these problems, Uzbekistan will create the prerequisites for improving the approaches, mechanisms and measures that will ensure the harmonious and sustainable participatory fulfillment of commitments related to the three global environmental Conventions.
Key principles and approaches of the strategy
Building capacity strategy is based on the general provisions and founded on the following principles: i) Activities and measures to implement one Convention should also favor the implementation of the others due to their common ground. ii) Activities and measures to implement one Convention should not undermine the implementation of the others.
76 iii) Implementation of Conventions should take into consideration national and global development priorities iv) Activities related to strengthening and building capacity for implementation of the Rio Conventions should be approved as a country strategic priority. v) Activities and measures should be mainstreamed into national development and planning processes whenever it is possible vi) Measures to implement the Conventions should be intersectoral whenever it is possible. Such approach will enable to ensure the viability of the building capacity strategy, and it will be real to implement it at all the levels and development stages.
Intended and Specific Objectives of Strategy
The analysis of findings of general and specific needs identified during the stage-by-stage cross-cutting assessment process has been made regarding the GEF guideline. The materials are attached in the Appendices 2-4, and they enable to formulate generic key objectives to build and develop the capacity in order to meet the general commitments related to the three Conventions.
The first set of intended tasks is related to improving knowledge, skills, and strengthening of environmental education to manage the global environment. These tasks constitute two specific objectives relevant to one strategic goal: Improving knowledge, skills, and development of educational issues relevant to the objectives of the Rio Conventions
The second set of intended tasks is aimed at increasing awareness and involving the public into activities undertaken in order to achieve the Conventions' goals. These tasks constitute three specific objectives relevant to one strategic goal: Increasing the awareness and involving the public in order to effectively contribute to meeting commitments related to the three Conventions at the local, national and global levels
The third set of intended tasks is related to developing and implementing program documentation, legislative and institutional base, financial and economic measures to fulfill the commitments at the local, regional and national levels. All these tasks constitute four specific objectives relevant to one strategic goal: Increasing the efficiency of the joint activities to fulfill the general commitments related to the three Conventions.
The forth set concerns the issues on improving the mechanisms for the coordination and intersectoral relationships, monitoring and managing natural resources, providing the information for all involved participants at all levels. These intended tasks constitute four specific objectives relevant to one strategic goal: Ensuring the coordination of the intersectoral activities and interaction among all involved participants at all levels to meet the commitments under the Conventions.
The strategy is focused on common priority needs to effectively meet the requirements of the global Conventions and the attainment of strategic objectives is not restricted by the availability of financial resources. Though the capacity of executive agencies plays an essential role to achieve the set objectives, scientific organizations, NGOs, business, local authorities and mass media can and should also contribute significantly to fulfillment of commitments under the Conventions. Thus, this strategy serves as the basis for developing action plan for all interested and responsible stakeholders.
1 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE OBJECTIVES OF THE RIO CONVENTIONS
Section objectives: formation of general continuous environmental education and training system, improving knowledge and skills of those participating in Convention’s implementation, and developing the environment care attitude at the local, national and global levels.
77
Responsible Agencies: Goscompriroda and Uzhydromet (executive agencies of the three Conventions), Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialist Education; Ministry of People's Education; Minfin and Mineconomy, Minselvodkhoz , NGOs, mass-media, Academy of Science, Technology Transfer agency, STC, local autonomous bodies and other interested parties.
Mid-term and long-term objectives
1.1 Specific Objective: Improving the existing environmental education system and professional development in the following areas: − principles, approaches and measures for sustainable environmental management in relation to common sectors and areas of the global Conventions; − using the eco-system approach to natural resources management; − economic value of natural resources and eco-system functioning; − economic and financial tools and mechanisms for implementing the general principles of the Conventions; − transition to market mechanisms of the nature management; − advanced technologies and renewable energy sources; − integrated methods for water and land resources management.
1.1.1 To develop the environmental education and/or advanced training programs in the context of ecosystem approach specifically aimed at the following target audience: • university, college and high school students; • specialists related to the subject matters of the Conventions focusing on eco-system approach in industries, nature protection, monitoring and information management, environmental examination and audit; • nature protection specialists to enable them to participate in international agreement and negotiation procedures; • NGOs, mass-media, and local communities, and focusing on public awareness and involvement to the Conventions implementation.
Measures: • to design the environmental education programs in accordance with provisions and requirements of the global Conventions; • to include the environmental education programs related to the three Conventions into financial and study plans of the relevant institutional units; • to ensure the strengthening and upgrading logistics of educational facilities and research institutions, including manuals, textbooks, state-of-the-arts communication means, computerization, Internet, etc.; • to include the results of the applied and basic research into educational programs; • to develop an incentive system for recruiting specialists to work with methodical literature for institutes of higher education, colleges, and schools; • to improve library work and base on normative literature and organize literature exchange among institutes of higher education research institutes and other organizations in CIS and foreign countries.
1.1.2 To provide in-service training for nature protection specialists on cross-cutting issues to support the synergistic implementation of the Conventions.
Measures:
78 • to create study plan taking into account current needs and synergistic potential for Convention’s implementation; • to establish Training and Scientific Environmental Center (TSEC) on the basis of the National University for in-service training at the national and local levels in compliance with the requirements of the global Conventions; • to provide information regarding current status and problems related to the implementation of the Conventions on global and national levels by executive agencies for conducting trainings; • to support the existing educational centers.
1.1.3 To raise the awareness and deepen the understanding of decision makers as well as specialists (journalists, teachers, lawyers, and etc.) influencing the public opinion
Measures: • to involve independent researchers, journalists and volunteers at all levels into teaching processes on the Convention’s issues using available educational means including mass media communications and Internet; • to organize the series of public accessible lectures on the Convention’s implementation with participation of all executive, independent and interested parties, organizations and individuals; • to design the training program for journalists on intersectoral objectives of the global Conventions and role playing by executive bodies and public in environment protection and conservation; • Goscompriroda in collaboration with Gosteleradio and the editors of leading mass-media should assist NGOs Ecoforum in developing the ecological periodical press;
1.2 Specific Objective: Development of a knowledge and skills distribution system complementary to the formal education that is specifically aimed at supporting and implementation of the Rio Conventions
1.2.1 To develop certificate programs and other knowledge building initiatives for key stakeholder groups (i.e. farmers, dekhkans and AWU members, social groups from regions under ecological risks and with a high population density) that are directly or indirectly involved into the Conventions implementation.
Measures: • to design the appropriate programs on subject matters of the Conventions for NGOs, local communities and village communities; • to involve Ecoforum NGOs of Uzbekistan in the development and introduction of such programs; • to create the training modules for senior management, teachers, trainers/coaches and groups of farmers /dekhkans/AWU with elements of the local and international land and water best management practices; • to include them in the short and long-term development and financial plans.
1.2.2 To introduce new and effective technologies, environment friendly methods of the land use by implementing pilot projects at the local level.
Measures: • to develop and implement a set of pilot projects using best management practice (BMP) elements and aimed at critical environmental tasks such as: drought mitigation and land degradation, forestry conservation and agriculture biodiversity, developing soil-friendly farming, energy- conservation to reduce green-house gases emissions, effective use (processing) of agriculture products, renewable energy sources for rural communities;
79 • to include the target support for those pilot projects in the national investment programs and plans; • to carry out monitoring and evaluate the pilot measures implementation, analyze approaches and impacts; • to define and document advanced experience; • to promote the transfer of the advanced experience among resources users and professionals engaged in projects.
1.2.3 To promote the implementation and development of «nature-friendly» handicrafts and agriculture management practices.
Measures: • to design the criteria and methodological approaches to classifying handicrafts and practices as “nature-friendly”; • to create the regulatory basis for their promotion and protection; • to work out certification procedure with designation of responsible body or commission.
2 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND STRENGTHENING THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO MEET THE COMMITMENTS UNDER THE CONVENTIONS AT LOCAL, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL LEVELS.
Section objectives: increasing awareness and adequate understanding and recognition of the essential importance of nature protection at the local, national and global levels, ensuring the sustainable access of the public to regular information, and widespread support for their efforts in implementing global commitments and achieving sustainable development.
Responsible Agencies: Executive agencies of the conventions (Goskompriroda, Uzhydromet) and other relevant ministries, departments, mass-media, NGOs, institutions of local governing, and etc.
Short-term and mid-term objectives
2.1 Specific Objective: Creating and improving mechanisms for sharing information on the Conventions and public participation in meeting the global Convention’s requirements.
2.1.1 To integrate the activities related to the global Conventions into the regular information programs, educational campaigns, discussions and public hearings through mass media (radio, TV, internet- technologies, printing works).
Measures: • to develop the concept, working plan and implementation mechanisms on providing informational support basing on common requirements of the conventions and their mechanism of realization that are adjusted to the active and planed by the Government programs for the short-term and mid-term periods; • Goscompriroda and responsible agencies with the immediate participation of the National Secretariats of UN FCCC, UNCBD, and UNCCD are to improve the public relation activities of the national environmental service by strengthening staff capacity, training and fostering.
2.1.2 To involve NGOs and public organizations in discussions and decision-making processes at the institutional level, and to promote their participation in the joint programs and action plans.
80
Measures: • to develop public relations sector within governmental structures to ensure an interaction and feedback from publics. • to create the program for informing the public about the activities related to implementing the commitments under the global Conventions and Clean Development Mechanism and to submit it to the relevant management bodies for consideration and approving.
2.1.3 To enhance the contribution of the local communities, NGOs, and public organizations to implementation of the Conventions. Responsible Agencies: National Secretariats of the three Conventions, executive agencies
Measures: • to identify the specific activity areas and functions of NGOs and their responsibilities for implementing the common requirements of the three Conventions; • to create the framework and mechanisms of collaboration between public organizations and executive bodies; • to ensure the participation of local communities in distribution of benefits from natural resources use; • to include NGOs representatives into working groups.
2.1.4. To enlarge the contribution of the civil society and to mobilize the alternative income generation sources and new jobs creation.
2.2 Specific Objective: To enhance transparency and public access to the regular information and information exchange on the global Conventions
2.2.1. To strengthen the contribution of the governmental mass media into informing the society about the provisions and objectives of the Conventions and the activities to implement the global commitments.
Measures: • to strengthen staff capacity, material and technical basis, and specialized service in key responsible agencies focused on information sharing, data exchange, technology transfer and partnership development among parties concerned; • to include the propagation of educational and instructive programmes through mass-media, exhibitions, and other informational sources into action plans of the key institutions and executive agencies of the conventions; • to submit the information on current and planned activities related to the three Conventions by all the institutions in charge, including NGOs, scientific and public organisations and local community to the mass media; • to support the Resource Centre of journalists-ecologists in the area of centralized collection, examination and quick dissemination of the information among the public; • to create a column focused on global environmental conventions in regional and national newspapers, and in journal “Ecological Herald”; • to introduce fostering system for using/applying information so as to make contribution to the use of established centres and investments.
2.2.2. To develop the practice of public reports made by executive agencies before the public.
Measures: • To define focal areas for certain reports; • to develop the working plan and public reports schedule by the oblasts;
81 • to determine areas of responsibility and people in charge for implementing public report’s practice; • to build up a mailing list for sending reports through Internet.
2.2.3. To continue efforts focused on joining Uzbekistan to Orhuskay Convention, access to information, decision making and legislation on environmental issues.
Long-term objectives
2.3 Specific Objectives: Building capacities of local communities to develop awareness and public participation (in the context of the three Conventions and sustainable development)
2.3.1. To develop the mechanism for active involvement of all the parties concerned, particularly women and low income’s population in decision-making process at the local level (including the establishment of the mechanism for collective monitoring and agreement) which enables coordinated decisions without negative side effects on the population.
2.3.2. To support and develop the human and technical capacities of local communities by training for the best nature resources management practice, explanation of the legal dimensions of nature use and owners' and lessees' rights at the local level, development of infrastructure.
2.3.3. To design a set of projects aimed to reducing eco-system degradation effects (land, biological resources) in order to help the population in ecological risk areas, particularly low income’s part of population.
2.1.1 To support and develop entrepreneurship, and job creation through giving loans to environmental- friendly commercial enterprises at the local level.
3 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE JOINT ACTIVITIES TO IMPLEMENT THE COMMON OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE THREE CONVENTIONS.
Section objectives: improving the legislative and institutional base on the basis of synergy objectives of the three Conventions; the creation of new opportunities, mechanisms and measures that are important for joint and coordinated implementation of global commitments and achieving harmonized sustainable development.
Responsible Agencies: Goskompriroda, Uzhydromet, Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Economics, relevant ministers and departments, NGOs, mass-media and etc.
Mid-term and long-term objectives
3.1. Specific Objectives: To improve environmental policies, strategies, programs and action plans to strengthen and build capacity for implementing the global commitments under conventions taking into account the synergy of their objectives.
3.1.1 To develop and increase the effectiveness of inter-state and regional relations and responsibility for conserving and sustainable nature resources use (particularly, in transboundary aspect).
82 Measures: • To provide the support of regional projects especially in the field of biological diversity conservation and water management; • To monitor and assess regional projects implementation, to learn lessons; • To promote exchange of the positive experience received while implementing regional projects.
3.1.2 To integrate objectives, tasks and relevant measures for building capacity into updating national action plans and development strategies, applying general principles, approaches, policies and measures recommended by the Conventions, such as:
• Prevention, protection and conservation of environment • Policies and measures relevant to sustainable development • Economic and market mechanisms (including prices, taxes, fees, certificates and regimes), and effective measures and events promoting the access and transfer of environment-friendly technologies • Promotion of sustainable nature resources use • Complex and integrated approaches • Applying eco-system approach.
Measures: • to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing policies and measures for building capacity to achieve the objectives of the three Conventions using the set of indicators, integrated measures, recommendations and reporting formats implied by the three Conventions; • to ensure integrating the adapted approaches, plans and projects related to the three Conventions into the joint action plan for building capacity that is adequate to requirements and commitments under the global Conventions; • for this purpose, to carry out inventory of intersectoral programs for building up synergism of projects and their integrations in joint intersectoral action plan in following areas: - an adaptation of low-cost, safe and soil-protective technologies and methods in agriculture, forestry, with activities inclusion on afforestation and reforestation into the Clean Development Mechanism; - a development and introduction of technologies to mitigate drought and climate change adverse impacts; - an adaptation of the efficient technologies for recovering natural pastures and their sustainable management; - a development and introduction of the efficient energy and energy-saving technologies, and technologies of the renewable energy sources; - a development of the modern technologies for processing wastes and discharges with the production of the organic compost; - a development of the modern technologies, equipments and instruments for assessing and monitoring of the condition surrounding ambiences; • to approve activity on strengthening and building capacity for joint implementing objectives of the three Rio conventions as a strategic priority of the Country.
3.1.3 To develop the feasible program and mechanisms of the Convention’s implementation taking into consideration the synergy of the three Conventions objectives.
Measures: • to specify the enforcement mechanisms with approving target tasks oriented towards achieving specific outputs; • to identify the priority of events according to general approaches mentioned above;
83 • to work out the short-term and middle-term plan for building national capacity according to the three Conventions, including ways, means and events that are necessary to achieve harmonized management and conservation of environmental components; • to integrate measures and actions of the given plan into national environmental action plans before 2010, CACILM, sectoral plans and programs; • to develop the mechanism for reporting and interactions, producing and submitting national reports on the three Conventions to Secretariats; • to ensure the target financing of the mentioned above activities and foster raising external technical and financial resources.
3.2. Specific Objectives: Impoving the legislative base and its enforcement mechanisms for harmonized capacity building to implement the objectives of the three Conventions (This is an excellent potential area of focus for the GEF project.)
3.2.1. To improve and develop the legislative base relevant to economic activities, general economy sectors and areas regarding the interests and capacity needs in relation to the three Global Conventions, particularly for forestry, agriculture, water economy, and energy sectors. New regulatory base should reflect eco-system approach and foster more active participation of energy users, market enterprises and nature users, in particular, private farmers and WUA, in implementing global commitments.
Measures: • to develop legal mechanisms for exercising parliamentarian, governmental, state and public control over implementing commitments under international agreements; • to establish and implement the program for improving legal and juridical norms, standards and methodology of guiding documents in the environmental legislation; • to carry out the analysis of the existing legislative base in the field of ecology and environmental management with a view to assessing their harmony with the global environmental conventions; • to create and execute the program for improving and developing legal norms, standards, and a methodology for management directives on environmental legislation; • to ensure the adoption of the legislative act regulating the activity of the National GHG Inventory System; • to approve stepwise development and to pass laws using the international experience and similar enactments that have been passed in the other countries to avoid possible contradictions and duplication of the working laws.
3.2.2. To improve the current normative documents and to develop required standards.
Measures: • to regulate the role, responsibility and relations among different participants of the process and sectors that influence the implementation of the Conventions; • to formulate more precise procedures, mitigate the influence of subjective factors and set better conditions for enforcing the current legislation through passing relevant laws («On Water Users’ Associations», «Forestry Code» and others) and enactments (on «Land Code», on delegating water management, on protecting biological objects that belong to the wild life, and their environment, evaluation ad monitoring, etc.); • to determine exactly the rights and obligations of all participants concerned and parties in charge, particularly in the area of prevention/adaptation for climate change, drought and desertification prevention;
84 • to use flexible mechanisms to achieve common objectives of the three Conventions and to develop measures for stimulating and mechanisms for promoting and sponsoring these activities.
3.2.3. To improve the capacities of the specific units and key institutional agencies to further strengthen the legislation, to develop policies and laws to implement the global commitments, use the capacities of the ecological NGOs to harmonize the environmental legislation with the requirements of the global conventions.
Measures: • to recruit skilled staff for executive agencies, who would develop and adapt a unified approach, tools on evaluation and implementation of nature protection law policy, in particular, the ratification of the international agreements; • to distribute available and advanced legislative knowledge and experience among working professionals; • to enhance the appropriate control over effective adhering to environmental legislation using the capacity of the environmental NGOs.
3.3. Specific objective: Institutional improvements, including regional, national and local relations, development of partnership and collaboration between sectors and institutions
3.3.1. To strengthen intersectoral collaboration, aimed at enhancing effectiveness of the joint activities of the structures in charge and the parties concerned.
Measures: • to create a unified coordination mechanism; • to strengthen interrelationships between individual sub-units; • to establish new institutional structures/groups which are necessary for sustainable implementing the global requirements, such as: o National Agency on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for the Republic of Uzbekistan to fully participate in the financial mechanisms of Kyoto Protocol; o Advisory center on rendering assistance to farmers and dekhkans (Israel approach) working in zones with the adverse ecological conditions; o Training and Scientific Environmental Center (TSEC) for training and retraining and in- service training of the participants concerned; o Institutions for developing mediation on UNCCD; o Multisectoral working groups for designing intersectional projects and programs. • to train working staff in the area of practical approach to using policies and measures recommended by the Conventions and negotiating.
3.3.2. To improve and strengthen the capacities of the agencies responsible for environmental monitoring, information management, examination and evaluation of the impacts on the environment with introducing new approaches, GIS/DM methods, technologies and training programs widely used in the international practice.
Measures: • to strengthen legal base for the governmental system of environmental monitoring; • to render logistical support to the Information Analytical Center within Goscompriroda as a basic ecological data center; • to train and educate working staff responsible for monitoring, analytical control, environmental impact assessments;
85 • to enhance the system of the state control over using the environmental components and eco- systems management approaches; • to produce National Experts' Register engaged in implementing the global Conventions. 3.3.3. To strengthen the capacities of scientific units, local governing bodies, NGOs and business for applying general approaches, policies, best practices and mechanisms for implementing the Conventions regarding the needs, functions and responsibilities.
Measures: • to extend the participation of local authorities in making decisions on nature protection issues, including their empowerment and supervision over the implementation of those decisions; • to support the existing structure on providing public environmental impact assessment at the local community level and to establish new ones; • to provide targeted assistance and promotion in establishing new structures of the local governing; • to implement competitive projects focused on a technical maintenance of communities as well as on in-service training for specialists (framers, АВП, etc.) to support an institutional development of the local communities.
3.4. Specific Objective: Securing sustainable financing for any activities that are consistent with Convention implementation.
3.4.1. To provide the target support for developing priority national projects and introduce stimulating mechanisms common in the international practice.
Measures: • to mobilize financial resources and provide the sustainable funding of the activities undertaken by agencies in charge of the three Conventions from the state budget through supporting programs; • to introduce the intersectoral activities related to supporting the Conventions into the operational programs to be financed by the branch funds and external funding sources; • to collaborate with GEF for effective use financial mechanisms of the three Conventions, in particular, in the projects on capacity building; • to collaborate with prospect donors and international organizations with a view to obtaining funds and implementing commitments under conventions; • to improve legislation that regulates activities of the interdepartmental organizations in Uzbekistan with a view to receiving grants for Global Conventions implementation.
3.4.2. To identify additional mechanisms and funding sources, including opportunities for supporting through implementing investment projects and programs;
Measures: • to develop the economic mechanisms for multisectoral interaction between key users and the parties concerned; • to liberalize the grant policy promoting sustainable capacity building to implement requirements of the Conventions; • to develop the system of charges and payments in environmental protection and accumulating those funds in the state budget;
86 • to develop insurance mechanisms on natural resources restoration and mitigation of the consequences of the nature disasters and catastrophes, and environment pollution; • to create legislation and mechanisms of implementation of sponsorship, grace and differentiated taxation of the activities that foster the sustainable environmental components management (in particular, in regions of ecological risks); • to extend the national environmental services market, including environmental consultancy.
4 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE. INSURING THE COORDINATION OF INTERSECTORAL ACTIVITIES AND INTERACTION OF STAKEHOLDERS AT ALL LEVELS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONVENTIONS
Section objectives: strengthening coordination, collaboration and nature resources management by general economic sectors and areas, enhancing the nature protection monitoring system, information management and transferring clean technologies at the local, regional and national levels that meet the requirements of the three Conventions
Responsible Agencies: Minselvodkhoz, Goscomriroda, Uzhydromet with support of STC, NGOs, Minfin, Mineconomy, Gosstandart, transfer technologies agency.
4.1. Specific Objective: Ensuring joint activities of the executive agencies (Goscomriroda, Uzhydromet), inhancing the procedure transparency for more effective implementation of the common requirements of the environmental conventions
4.1.1. To improve the staff interaction between central and regional units of Uzhydromet and Goscomproroda for executing activities under conventions
1. To carry out regular meetings among coordinators of the three conventions. These meetings are necessary to find possibilities for meeting common objectives, sharing responsibilities among coordinators and relevant national secretaries (working groups) to the conventions. The strengthening of the interaction between coordinators of the Conventions under the direction of the GEF coordinator is a recommendation of the Parties to the Conventions. 2. To establish auxiliary structures focused on the joint implementation of the objectives of the conventions such as advisory group/coordinating board/fund for joint implementation of the conventions; information analytical group; group focused on assistance in preparation of the project proposals. 3. To use information technologies for improving interaction between coordinators of the conventions, in particular while preparing final documents (reports to the Parties to the conventions). 4. To ensure the joint implementation of projects in case they solve problems common for the three conventions
4.1.2. To ensure the transparency and efficiency of the financial funds and resources usage.
1. To work out criteria and procedure for the national selection of projects with the aim to receiving the international funding. 2. To provide information on approved projects and their budgets on web sites of coordinators or executive agencies and on other information editions. 3. To provide information on procedures, forms, and terms of the project proposals submission for receiving funding through mechanisms of the conventions. 4. Ensure access to the information on current projects with international funding (executors, outcomes, experience and lessons).
87 4.1.3. To enhance knowledge and qualification of the staff that is responsible for the implementation of the conventions (members of the National Secretariats/ working groups).
1. To strengthen personnel capacity by training personnel on the conventions content, process, and current issues relevant to the global environment. 2. To organize preparatory meetings and carry out trainings for the personnel taking part in negotiation processes (including personnel of the Parties to the Conventions. 3. To include highly qualified specialists in delegations representing country in the international and interstate negotiations.
4.1.4. To raise the level of accountability on meeting the commitments under conventions before steering and controlling bodies.
Measures: • to develop guidelines and regulating documents for the preparation of reports, registers and other documentations; • to oblige responsible agencies to carry out stock-taking of the activities focused on the implementation of the Conventions; • to submit information to the Government which is necessary to adequately formulate a policy and take measures • to ensure the participation of financial structures in activities focused on the implementation of the Conventions.
4.2. Specific objective: Developing the coordination, interaction and communication management among general economic sectors and areas
4.2.1. To develop concepts and mechanisms of coordination focusing on the most vulnerable sectors (forestry, agriculture, water economy and pastures) that should be integrated into joint intersectional Action Plan for capacity building. Carrying out the joint plan will enable to achieve stronger nature protection effects and to get global benefit.
Measures: to promulgate administrative decree or special legislative act regulating the relations between some ministries and institutions participating in implementing Uzbekistan’s commitments under the three Conventions that could exactly distinguish and identify their rights, duties and responsibilities for implementing these commitments; to ensure joint participants' intersectoral activities and responsibilities by target priority areas paying particular attention to mitigating unemployment, introducing multifunctional forest resources management and conservation practices, preserving resources and agro biodiversity, and applying market nature use mechanisms, standards, etc.; to develop a National Forest Program that will define the ways of the forestry development for a long-range outlook and ensure the improvement in the ecological situation of the Republic; to follow guiding principles, norms and procedures for collecting and storing data, inventory, examination, impact assessment, adaptation and technology transfer determined by all the three Conventions.
4.2.2. To increase the reliability of the information and data necessary for implementing all the three Conventions
Measures: to create the system of indicators for the global Conventions and their building into the system of sustainable development indicators;
88 to create the integrated system of collection, inventory and processing data and their dissemination; to improve qualitatively the existing system of experts' evaluation and impact assessment, using approaches, technologies and tools of the Conventions.
4.3. Specific Objective: Improving environmental monitoring, evaluation and information management systems to strengthen the coordination, relations and to enable stakeholders’ access to information necessary to implement the requirements of the global Conventions.
4.3.1. To harmonize the national environment regulatory system with international system of ecological standards and monitoring indicators adequate to the requirements of the three Conventions.
Measures: to provide the information and propagate knowledge about international environmental legislation and standards to the stakeholders and decision makers; to analyze the compatibility between current national regulatory system and international ecological standards, to identify the gaps and discrepancies; to identify the mechanisms of harmonization and application (where it is possible) of the international standards.
4.3.2. To strengthen capacities and possibilities of the State Environmental monitoring System, information base and databases through introducing state-of-the-arts GIS/DM technologies, methods for forecasting and modeling
Measures: to develop educational programs for working professionals on state-of-the-arts GIS/DM technologies, equipment and tools for monitoring and evaluation of the environment provide extensional training and to create the integrated system of collecting, processing and disseminating data.
4.3.3. To develop the state program for capacity building in the system of nature protection monitoring, inventory and information management at the local, regional and national levels.
to support and finance the activities on strengthening capacities of the current observation network; to provide technical and logistic support for the agencies and organizations involved into system of monitoring and control, including GG, RPZ, GMO, etc. inventory.
4.4. Specific Objective: Adaptation and technology transfer
4.4.1. To support the development of new highly effective technologies and methods focusing on the adaptation:
cost-effective, safe and nature-friendly technologies and methods in agriculture and forestry including the activities on afforestation and reforestation into Clean Development Mechanism; technologies for mitigating the drought and climate change consequences; effective technologies to renovate natural pastures and their sustainable use; effective energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources technology; state-of-the-arts technologies for processing disposal and waste water;
89 state-of-the-arts technologies, equipment and tools for monitoring and evaluation of the environment.
Measures: to make a review of existing technologies, inventions know-how, researches conducted which may be useful for achieving global objectives taking into account the synergy of the Conventions; to establish the coordination group on scientific information support, applied researches and technologies, or to organize coordination and information group /centre for enabling the use of conventional technologies, knowledge, know-how and their transfer; to financially facilitate the existing technologies, know-how and applied researches that require the urgent implementation through giving grants and favorable credits, and also the extension of operational programs of the multilateral funding organizations, and the development of joint industrial enterprises; to revise and adopt the National Program on the solar energy use; to ensure the development of the draft law on the solar energy use basing on the regulatory document “Rules for production and use of the alternative kinds of fuel, use of the alternative and renewable energy sources” and legislation in the area of solar energy; to ensure the preparation and adoption of a Cabinet of Ministers’ decree of RUz stimulating the development, production and use of the renewable energy systems and facilities providing for customs, tax, and financial concessions for domestic producers.
4.4.2. To provide an access to the technologies and the technology transfer using the principles and tools of the Conventions.
Measures: to develop the national concept of the intersectoral coordination in technology design, transfer and use, in particular biotechnologies and genetic resources conservation according the objectives and requirements of the three Conventions; to emphasize the development and introduction of the local and conventional technologies; to organize standing practical trainings on energy- and water-saving technologies on the basis of Scientific and Research Center on Biotechnology within Tashkent Agrarian University;
4.4.3. To strengthen the adequate and effective copyright protection on technology, in particular, biotechnology, knowledge, and know-how.
90 11. REFERENCES 1. Uzbekistan, Country Profile, 2003. UNO, 2004. 2. World Bank, 2001, Rehabilitation of Karshi Cascade of Pumping Stations Project, Final Report 3. PV No 244, 22.12.04, The article “Priorities in 2005” 4. PV, 29.01.05 "Our Main Goal is Democratization and Renewal of the Society". Report of I. Karimov in Oliy Majlis, 29.01.2005 5. PV No 22, 1.02.2005, “Farmer Becomes Key Man” 6. World Bank Report 2000/2001. According to another reports the unemployment level is between 12 and 14% 7. World Bank Report, 2001, Strategy of Uzbekistan Irrigation and Drainage Development 8. UNDP, 2001, 2003, General Review of the Republic of Uzbekistan 9. Mellor, J, 2000, II Discussion Paper No 70, The Harvard Institute on International Development, Cambridge 10. UNDP (2000) National Report on Human Development, Uzbekistan 11. ADB (2004) Analysis of the Environmental Situation in Uzbekistan, David McColy , 2004 12. EC-Tacis WUFMAS, 1999 13. WB, 2000. Uzbekistan – Strategic Study of Irrigation and Drainage Sector. Part 1, Final Report. The strategy is based on Governmental Decrees (No 398 and 357) and National Program of Irrigation Development for 2000-2005 14. GEF, 2001. Water Resources and Environment Management. Subcomponent A1 15. Water Resources and Salt Management at Regional and National Levels. Interim Report of Uzbekistan NWG 16. National Report About Environment Condition and Natural Resources Use in the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2001, State Committee for Nature Protection, Tashkent, 2002 17. National Review of the Republic of Uzbekistan Progress Assessment, 2002 18. Electronic Journal of the USA State Department, 2000, volume 5, No 3 19. Millennium Report 20. A. Shtakovsky (2003) School Ecological Monitoring and Water Bodies Enhancement, the Republic of Belarus, Minsk 21. FAO program FFS is distributed in the countries of the South – East Asia, Africa, South America, and presently in Uzbekistan 22. GEF Manual on the Assessment of Capacity Development Needs for Implementation of Measures on Global Environment Protection and Rational Use, ACNDIMGEP (GEF with the assistance of UNITAR, 2001) 23. PV No 219, 16.11.2004, “The Alternative Technique is the Future” 24. PV No 31, 12.02.2005, “The Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurship” 25. Karimov I.A. vol. 6 “ On the Road to Security and Development Stability”, “Uzbekistan at the Verge of ХХI Century: Security, Progress Conditions and Guarantees”, 1998, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, pages 98-115 26. PV (Pravda Vostoka newspaper) No 248, of 28.12.04 27. “Guide for Self-Assessment of Country Capacity Needs for Global Environmental Management”, prepared by GEF Secretariat with UNITAR assistance and in the cooperation with UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, FAO, UNIDO, Secretariats of CBD, CCD, FCCC. GEF, September 2001 28. D. Fenton, A. Garcia-Costas. National Capacity Self-Assessments: A Companion Implementation Manual And Resource Kit. United Nations Development Programme, Global Environment Facility. Updated: October 2003. 87 pp.
12. ANNEXES Annex 1.1 Identification of Cross-cutting Capacity Needs
№ Code Cross-cutting capacity needs UNCCD UNFCCC UNCBD ranking
1 B1 Insufficiently developed legal and institutional base for the biodiversity monitoring system; lack of the integrated 3 national biodiversity monitoring programs; lack of the uniform procedure for organizing and conducting monitoring;
2 B2 Weak coordination and cooperation among organizations, programs and projects, predominance of departmental 3 interests;
3 B3 Lack of an open access to the information; 3
4 B4 Lack of personnel, material and financial resources; 1
5 B5 Insufficient public awareness on political and ecological significance of the biodiversity for the country economy; 3 Insufficient information exchange in the field biodiversity;
6 B6 Insufficient stimuli and professional skills, the incentive system for sustainable biological resources use is absent; 2
7 B7 Lack of scientifically-proved norms and rules for biological resources use; and Insufficient study and introduction 3 of international experience on equitable distribution of benefits;
8 B8 Imperfect institutional management structure of the nature reserves (State reserves are supervised by different 2 departments);
9 B9 Difficulties with receiving grants: weak experience in preparing project proposals and in attracting foreign 3 financial and technical resources.
10 CC-1 1. Institutional structure for effective participation of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Clean Development 2 Mechanism to the Kyoto protocol is not formed;
11 CC-2 2. Lack of the national GHG inventory system; 3
12 CC-3 3. Poor level of researches in the field of climate change issues, reduction of abilities for adequate vulnerability 3 assessment and development of adaptation measures to climate change and their integration into international programs and projects.
13 CC-4 4. Insufficient organizational, institutional, and legal capacity for carrying out an internal and foreign policy aimed 1 at the reduction of the GHG emissions.
14 CC-5 5. Insufficient level of education, teaching, participation and awareness of public in the implementation process 3 of the UNFCCC and Kyoto protocol, development and introduction of educational programs on the UNFCCC and Kyoto protocol for all groups of the population. 15 LD-1 Inadequate legal base for integration of combating desertification issues into sectorial development plans; 2
16 LD-2 lack of the effective integrated desertification monitoring system; 3
17 LD-3 Lack of state early warning system; 2
18 LD-4 Insufficient public awareness in the field of ecological concerns; 3
19 LD-5 Insufficient coordination of the scientific activity in the area of ecology and nature protection; 3
20 LD-6 Inadequate legal base in the field of nature protection for nature management; 3
21 LD-7 Lack of the special institute engaged in coordination of activities in the field of desertification prevention; 1
22 LD-8 Ineffective control mechanisms of implementing legislative acts and resolutions in the field of drought and 1 desertification combating;
23 LD-9 Insufficient understanding of the necessity of the financial resources mobilization for meeting the commitments 3 under the Convention by Uzbekistan through strengthening the inter-branch relations, collaboration and coordination;
24 LD-10 Insufficient role of the abstract science in studying and popularizing the necessity of the sustainable development. 3
93
Annex 1.2. Matrix of Cross-cutting Priorities
Code Cross-cutting problems and needs Scale of problems Level Capabilities adequate addressed to Ranking of Priority ranking problems relevancy a b a b a b Specific Ind. 0,2 0,3 0,5 B3 Lack of an open access to the information 7 1,4 7 2,1 10 5 8,5 II B5 Insufficient public awareness on political and ecological 7 1,4 10 3 7 3,5 7,9 II significance of the biodiversity for the country economy; Insufficient information exchange in the field biodiversity
B2 Weak coordination and cooperation among organizations, 7 1,4 7 2,1 10 5 8,5 II programs and projects, predominance of departmental interests B1 Insufficiently developed legal and institutional base for the 7 1,4 5 1,5 7 3,5 6,4 II biodiversity monitoring system; lack of the integrated national biodiversity monitoring programs; lack of the uniform procedure for organizing and conducting monitoring B9 Difficulties with receiving grants: weak experience in 7 1,4 5 1,5 7 3,5 6,4 II preparing project proposals and in attracting foreign financial and technical resources
B6 Insufficient stimuli and professional skills, the incentive 7 1,4 7 2,1 7 3,5 7 II system for sustainable biological resources use is absent
B7 Lack of scientifically-proved norms and rules for biological 7 1,4 7 2,1 7 3,5 7 II resources use; and Insufficient study and introduction of international experience on equitable distribution of benefits
94
CC-5 5. Insufficient level of public awareness and in participation 10 2 10 3 10 5 10 III the implementation process of the UNFCCC and Kyoto protocol, development and introduction of educational programs on the UNFCCC and Kyoto protocol for all groups of the population.
CC-1 Institutional structure for effective participation of the 7 1,4 7 2,1 10 5 8,5 II Republic of Uzbekistan in the Clean Development Mechanism to the Kyoto protocol is not formed
CC-3 Poor level of researches in the field of climate change 7 1,4 5 1,5 5 2,5 5,4 II issues, reduction of abilities for adequate vulnerability assessment and development of adaptation measures to climate change and their integration into international programs and projects CC-2 Lack of the national GHG inventory system 10 2 7 2,1 7 3,5 7,6 II
LD-4 Insufficient public awareness in the field of ecological 10 2 10 3 10 5 10 II concerns LD-2 lack of the effective integrated system for desertification 7 1,4 10 3 10 5 9,4 II monitoring LD-5 Insufficient coordination of the scientific activity in the area 7 1,4 7 2,1 10 5 8,5 I of ecology and nature protection
LD-1 Inadequate legal base for integration of combating 7 1,4 7 2,1 9 4,5 8 II desertification issues into sectorial development plans
LD-3 Lack of state early warning system 7 1,4 10 3 7 3,5 7,9 II
LD-9 Insufficient understanding of the necessity of the financial 7 1,4 10 3 7 3,5 7,9 II resources mobilization for meeting the commitments under the Convention by Uzbekistan through strengthening the inter-branch relations, collaboration and coordination
LD-6 Inadequate legal base in the field of nature protection for 7 1,4 7 2,1 7 3,5 7 II nature management
95 LD-10 Insufficient role of the abstract science in studying and 10 2 7 2,1 5 2,5 6,6 II popularizing the necessity of the sustainable development
Annex 1.3 Matrix of priorities and strategic objectives identified in the process of thematic assessment and cross-cutting on three conventions.
№ Code Priority Strategic objective Specific objective UNCBD UNFCCC UNCCD Ranking
1 LD12 Enhancement of an Improve the system of education, 1 Developing a system of continual ecological education in 3 educational level and training and knowledge compliance with tasks and objectives of the UN CCD, the UN public awareness, dissemination. CBD and the UN FCCC. cultivating a careful 2 LD13 attitude towards the 2 Organizing workshops and trainings on ecological and 3 nature and environment. desertification issues. 3 LD18 3. Preparing personnel and involving young specialists in the work 3 on development of new technologies.
4 В54 2. Enhancing the qualification of managerial personnel. 3
5 В55 3. Introducing a course of ecology in school curriculum; improve a 3 system of school education.
6 В58 6. Setting up a teaching system in the field of biological resources 2 management intended for managers and inspectors (special courses and/or training centers)
7 В9 З-4. Arranging conditions for preparing specialists in the field of 2 environmental regulations 8 СС12 Creating expert capacity on climate change in local authorities, 3 NGOs and scientific community
9 СС11 Integrating climate change themes into programs for all 2 educational levels
96 10 В57 5. Improving incentive system for scientific and teaching cadres 3 and enhance the level of their qualification
11 В48 5. Introducing educational programs with a view to enlighten local 3 population, publish books and booklets, transferring of world experience, television and radio broadcast
12 В53 1. Modernizing and equipping the material and technical basis of 3 institutes of higher education and scientific institutions (including supplying with teaching and methodological literature, modern communications facilities, computerization, internet, etc.)
13 LD14 3 Attracting the mass-media attention to the environmental issues 3 and to the desertification processes. 14 LD15 4. Increasing the awareness of all groups of population on 3 desertification and degradation issues, objectives and tasks of the UNCCD 15 В60 8. Public support of programs for educating and enlightening 3 society on matters of environmental protection;
16 В56 4. Introducing educational programs with a view to enlighten local 3 population 17 В61 9. Motivate mass-media and journalists working in field of 3 ecological education 18 В59 7. Motivating popular ecological edition and issuing illustrated 3 commercial edition on biological diversity protection
19 LD22 Public participation in Improve public access to 1. Creating favorable conditions 3 20 СС10 making ecologically conventions’ objectives and their Arranging conditions for public access to information and raise 3 significant decisions joint implementation awareness on international and national policy on climate change issues
21 В62 Involve all interested parties, 1. Public participation in legal initiatives in the field of biological 3 especially local population into diversity through public hearings and establishing initiative the process of decision making groups
97 22 В63 and implementation of 2. Strengthening public ecological expertise and public ecological 3 conventions’ requirements monitoring institutions
23 В64 3. Ensuring public participation, awareness and education on 3 biological safety
24 В65 4. Equitable public participation (local communities) in 3 distribution of benefits from biological diversity use
25 LD10 3. Increasing public awareness on possibilities and benefits of 3 Early Warning System 26 В1 Improve the system of Improve the system of П-1.Developing and enhancing the efficiency of 3 coordination, coordination (global and national intergovernmental and regional links and responsibility for cooperation, resources levels), representatives, conservation and sustainable use of the natural resources support and incentive management and communication (especially in transboundary aspect) measures management
27 В2 П-2. Developing the process of joining (ratification) the current 3 international treaties, promoting sustainable environmental management.
28 LD4 4.Improving the system of coordination and links among 3 governmental and public structures in regard to common sectors with the particular attention to agriculture and water management
29 LD24 3. Developing collaboration and partnerships among all parties 3 concerned 30 В26 Representatives and 1. Supporting the activities of steering committee and subsidiary 3 Management bodies of MM (subsidiary body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Consultations, groups of Technical and Legal Experts, etc) on UNCBD
31 В27 2. Developing a special program for personnel training on issues 3 of representatives in international affairs
32 В28 3. Strengthening personnel and resource capacity of the 3 coordinating board
98 33 LD23 Institutional development and 2. Developing state and public institutes with a view to improve 2 communication management environmental activities in accordance with national ecological safety requirements and obligations and objectives of the global Conventions
34 LD24a 4. Developing mediatorial mechanism (MM) for scientific and 3 technical collaboration by means of establishing a national center/group of MM on UNFCCC, UN CCD, UN CBD and its amalgamating with the operating MM on UN CCD 35 В3 Development of the system of Э-1. Liberalizing grant policy promoting sustainable 2 economic incentive measures environmental management
36 В4 Э-2. Developing mechanisms and adopting legal documents on 3 sponsorship, preferential and classified activity taxation promoting sustainable environmental (especially in the areas of ecological disaster)
37 В5 Э-3. Developing national market of ecological services including 3 ecological consulting 38 LD5 Development the system Development the system of Improving and developing methodology for monitoring in 3 of monitoring and determination, inventory and compliance with international Conventions, Protocols, and ISO influence assessment; monitoring standards improvement of the 39 LD7 Developing monitoring and assessment system of desertification 3 system of collecting, processes and information exchange control and information 40 В37 exchange 1. Shaping State policy and government contractual work on 2 conducting ecological biodiversity monitoring on the basis of existing institutional structures; assembling and publishing cadastre of the animal and plant kingdom of Uzbekistan
41 В38 2. Defining financial sources for organizing and conducting 2 coordinated monitoring and collecting cadastral data through developing institutional programs and priority budgetary financing of these lines of activities by leading institutes of the Republic
42 В39 Systems of data collection and 3. Developing and introducing uniform system for collecting 2 processing, assessment and information on biodiversity at Protected Nature Territories cadastres
99 43 В40 4. Centralized data collection and analysis by structures 1 responsible for UN CBD implementation 44 В41 5. Developing and improving Unified Service of State Cadastres 2 identifying biological indicators of environmental changes 45 СС3 Developing integrated database controlling system 3 46 СС4 Adopting legislative act regulating a system of collecting, 2 processing, and submitting information for carrying out GHG inventory 47 В42 6. Building a system of GIS- mapping of the biodiversity and the 3 environment 48 В43 7. Raising the level of personnel's skill, setting up centralized 2 courses for a staff of the Protected Nature Territories and institutes
49 В29 Development of the system of 1. Setting up monitoring service of objects affecting biodiversity 2 influence assessment, bio-safety and ecosystems and ecosystem management 50 В30 2. Proceeding with rehabilitation of water-bog ecosystems in the 3 Aral Sea region and restoration tugai forests
51 В31 3. Introducing strict ecological expertise of planning projects and 3 activities; 52 В32 4. Identifying, developing, testing and improving management 2 regimes of ecosystems aimed at biodiversity conservation and restoration;
53 В33 5. Compilation and dissemination of experience in using 2 biodiversity components for assessing impact on the environment
54 В34 6. Determining the tendency in changing biodiversity in various 2 thematic areas and major threats;
100 55 В35 7. Developing the system of state control over using biodiversity 2 components, transfer of genetically modified organisms, quarantine objects, weeds and ruderal vegetation. Developing systems of biological control and reducing pesticide load;
56 В36 8. Preventing negative consequences of invasion and influence of 1 alien species. 57 СС6 Development a system of Improving databases on climatic system and environment 2 observations and regular conditions. researches 58 LD19 4. Supporting specialized fundamental and applied scientific 3 researches 59 СС5 Developing the system of climatic observations, supporting 2 climatic researches. 60 В10 Development of Development of legislative and З-5. Harmonizing the national legislation regarding international 3 legislation and insensitive legal and standards basis treaties; measures 61 В6 З-1. Developing legal mechanisms of parliamentary, 3 governmental, state and public control over implementation of international treaties’ commitments;
62 В7 З-2. Developing legislation on protection of biological objects of 1 flora and fauna, and their natural environment;
63 В8 З-3. Creating a regulatory base for sound regulation of agro- 2 biodiversity; 64 В11 З-6. Developing and adopting legal documents regarding the 3 assessment and monitoring; 65 LD1 1 Developing a regulatory base accelerating realization of reforms 2 in agriculture and water management in compliance with international standards;
66 LD20 2 Adjusting the legislation in accordance with the international law 3 and sustainable development socially acceptable and practically feasible in respect to administration management
101 67 LD21 1 Developing legal, economic and organizational conditions of the 3 nature protective regulatory basis for the environment management.
68 СС1 Creating the National Body on Adopting the legal act on establishing the National Body on CDM. 3 Clean Development Mechanism 69 СС2 (CDM) and the GHG inventory Adopting the legal act regulating the National GHG inventory 2 system system activity.
70 СС8 Adopting regulatory acts in the field of energy saving and energy 3 efficiency. 71 В18 Development of the Integrating objectives and tasks 2. Creating and developing legal and economic mechanisms of 3 national planning system of the conventions into action sectoral cooperation between major users and stakeholders and monitoring of global plans and development strategies commitments adequate to global commitments implementation 72 В19 3. Formulating and approving specific tasks aimed at achieving 3 specific results and revealing priorities on each of measures taking into account the CP decisions, strategic plans of the conventions and the Plan for the World Sustainable Development Summit decisions implementation;
73 В20 4. Developing a short-term plan that includes ways and means of 2 assessment of processes and measures that affect the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity;
74 В21 5. Developing the national program on conservation of species ex- 2 situ. 75 В22 6. Creating a List of national experts 3 76 LD2 2 Developing the Planning System: 3 77 LD2a 2а. Providing synergism between components of programs and 3 projects on various sectors and areas
102 78 LD3 3. Developing programs on enhancing qualification and 2 exchanging experience in the field of combating desertification for specialists of water managements and agriculture
79 LD6 Developing a program on coordinating activities of ministries, 3 agencies and bodies of economic management in the field of environment monitoring and monitoring of desertification processes and information exchange
80 LD8 Establishing and developing an Developing a target program of using the AWS for needs of 3 early warning system and a agriculture, water management and the industry system for mitigating drought consequences 81 LD9 Testing a methodology of the AWS on a pilot area and 1 disseminating the experience within the territory of the Republic
82 LD11 4. Developing a number of measures for mitigating drought 3 consequences 83 В44 Providing sustainable 1. Applying guidelines of conducting operation assessment of 1 environment management biodiversity developed and adopted by the CBD;
84 В45 2. Creating a uniformed database of projects and using synergism 3 between components of projects
85 В46 3. Establishing an Information Center for collecting all 3 information on initiatives; 86 В47 4. Establishing an Association of users of biological resources; 1
87 В49 6. Developing a program of introducing “nature-friendly” 3 handicrafts and ways of running the agriculture;
88 В51 8. Improving a system for biodiversity resources management both 2 within Protected Nature Territories and outside them (problems of hunting grounds, fish industry, water and bog areas, etc.)
103 89 В52 9. Assessing the real cost of biodiversity (introducing market 2 mechanisms of nature management).
90 В23 Monitoring of execution and 1. Creating a clear mechanism of reporting and cooperation, 1 reporting. preparation and presentation of National Reports for the CBD;
91 В24 2. Preparing the National Report on the CBD (Second-Third); 1
92 В25 3. Preparing national thematic reviews, information support for 3 experts, technical specialists and personnel of the Clearing-huuse mechanism 93 В13 Developing a system of Developing a system of 1. Mobilizing financial resources and revealing additional 3 national sponsorship and financing and financial mechanisms of financing for implementing working programs, financial measures of mechanisms including creative mechanisms and means of financing the activity incentives on conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity.
94 В14 1. Supporting the development of priority national projects by 3 means of purpose budgetary financing coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers 95 В15 2. Wide introducing into the practice of local communities 3 additional mechanisms, e.g. funds of small grants, etc.
96 В16 3. Developing and introducing incentive mechanisms of sponsor 3 support. 97 В17 1. Including the tasks and corresponding measures into programs, 2 policy and the strategy. 98 LD16 Developing scientific and Reducing the risk and revealing Including ecological issues into the program on efficient and 3 technical cooperation, new capabilities for combating sustainable environmental management on the Center for Science clean technologies desertification and droughts and Technology with a view to reduce the risk and reveal new (transfer, receiving, capabilities of combating desertification and droughts, and adaptation) biodiversity conservation
104 99 СС7 Transfer of technologies and Adopting a strategy of adaptation to climate change, a full value 3 adaptation strategy of reduction greenhouse gases emissions, and creating conditions for their implementation. 100 СС9 Comprehensive covering all sectors of the economy, agriculture, 2 social sphere in the course of studying vulnerability matters and developing climate change mitigating measures
101 LD17 2 Developing novel and adapting traditional methods, means and 3 technologies for combating land degradation 102 В50 7. Introducing alternative energy sources 3
105 Annex 2.1 List of Legislative Acts in the Field of Nature Protection and Natural Resources Use of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Date of Adoption/ Law Number of Decree 1 2 1. The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan 8.12.1992. 2. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Leasehold” 19.11. 1991 No 427-XII 3. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On State Sanitary Inspection” 3.07.1992 No 657-XII 4. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Nature Protection” (with amendments) 9.12. 1992 No 754-XII 5. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Insurance” 6.05. 1993 No 833-XII 6. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Water and Water Use” 6.05. 93г. № 837-XII 7. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Specially Protected Nature Territories” 7.05. 1993 No 871-XII 8. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Local State Authority” 2.09. 1993г. No 9XX-XII 9. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Standardization” 28.12. 93г. 10. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Mineral Resources” 23.09. 1994 No 2018-XII 11. The Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Administrative Responsibility” (with amendments) 22.09.1994 12. “The Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan” 22.09.1994 13. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Concessions” 22.08. 1995 No XXX – I 14. The Labour Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan 21.12.95 15. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Architecture and Urban Development” 22.12. 1995 No 174-I 16. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Free Economic Zones” 25.04.1996 No 2 ХХ – I 17. The Civil Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan 29.09.1996 18. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Protection of Atmospheric Air” 27.12.1996 No 353 –I 19. The Tax Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan 24.04.1997 20. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Geodesy and Cartography” 25.04.1997 No 417-I 21. Economy Practice Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan 30.08.1997 22. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Protection and Usage of Vegetation” 26.12. 1997 No 543 –I 23. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Protection and Usage of the Animal World” 26.12. 1997 No 545-I 24. The Land Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan 1.07.1998 25. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Local Self-Administration Authorities” (new edition) 14.04. 1999 No 758 –I 26. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Forest” 14.04. 1999 No 770-I 27. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Protection of Population and Territory from Natural and 20.08.1999 Anthropogenic Emergency Situations” No 824-I 28. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Security of Waterworks” 20.08. 1999 No 826-I 29. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Foreign Investments and Guarantees to Protect Foreign 05.05.1994 Investor Rights” No 1052 –XII 30. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Ecological Expertise” 25.05.2000 No73-II 31. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Radiation Safety” 31.08.2000 32. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Protection of Agricultural Crops from Pests, Diseases and 31.08.2000 Weeds” 33. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On State Cadastres” 15.12.2000 34. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Normative and Legal Acts” 14.12.2000 35. The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Wastes” 05.04.2002
Annex 2.2 List of Legislative Acts in the Field of Nature Protection and Natural Resources Use of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Decrees Number/Date 1. “On Establishment in Tashkent Oblast the State National Ugam-Chatkal Nature Park” Decree of the Council of Ministers of the UzSSR 30.07.1990, No 270 2. “On Approval of Provision for the State National Ugam-Chatkal Nature Park” Decree of the CM of RUz, 22.04.1991 3. “On Red Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan“ Decree of the CM of RUz, 9.03.1992, No 109 4. “On Hydro-Meteorological Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan “ Decree of the CM of RUz, 9.03.1992, No 110 5. “On Approval of Provision for Conservation Zones around Reservoirs and the Other Water Bodies, Decree of the CM of RUz, Rivers, Main Canals and Collectors, and Sources of Municipal Water Supply, Curative and Recreation 7.04.1992, No 174 Springs in the Republic of Uzbekistan“ 6. “On Measures for Regulation of Underground Water Use and Enhancement of their Protection from Decree of the CM of RUz, Pollution and Depletion” 8.04.1992, No 179 7. “On Approval of Provision on the Main Administration of Hydro-meteorology under the Cabinet of Decree of the CM of RUz, Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan“ 7.05.1992, No 225 8. “ On Approval of Provision on Order of Land Disputes Resolutionin the Republic of Uzbekistan“ Decree of the CM of RUz, 25.05.1992, No 246 9. “On Approval of Provision on Order for Preparation of Papers for Allocation of Land Plots for Non- Decree of the CM of RUz, Agricultural Use in the Republic of Uzbekistan“ 27.05.1992, No 248 10. “ On Approval of Provision on Order for Estimation and Recovery of Agriculture and Forestry Losses Decree of the CM of RUz, Associated with Allocation of Lands for Non-Agricultural and Non-Forestry Use in the Republic of 15.06.1992, No 282 Uzbekistan” 11. “On Measures for Management of Hunting Farms within Forest Fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan” Decree of the CM of RUz, 12.10.1992, No 469 12. “On Improvement of Protection of Endangered Plant and Animal Species and Regulation of Their Use” Decree of the CM of RUz, 9 .03.1993, No 937-XII 13. “On Approval of Provision for Nature Protection Funds” Decree of the CM of RUz, 24 .05.1993, No 246 14. “On Acknowledgement as Lose Effect and Amendments to the Decrees of the Government of Decree of the CM of RUz, Uzbekistan in regard to Adoption of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Nature Protection” 8 .06. 1993, No 278 15. “On Limited Water Use ” Decree of the CM of RUz, 3 .08.1993, No 385 16. “On Measures for Protection of Wild Animals and Plants and Regulation of their Use ” Decree of the CM of RUz, 15 .12.1993, No 600 17. “On Measures for Further Deepening of Economic Reforms, Protection of Private Property and Decree of the President of Development of Entrepreneurship” the RUz, 21 .01.1994, No UP-745 18. “On Measure for Development of Poplar Plantations and the Other Fast Growing Tree Species for Decree of the CM of RUz, Commercial Timber Production” 8 .02.1994, No 62 19. “On State Support to International Fund on Ecology and Health “Ecosan” Decree of the CM of RUz, 17.11.1994, No 556 20. “On Improvement of Land Use Efficiency” Decree of the President of the RUz, 24.11.1994, No UP-1009 21. “On Measures Aimed at Improvement of Land Use Efficiency” Decree of the CM of RUz, 29 .11. 1994, No 575 22. “On Initiation and Stimulation of Private Entrepreneurship ” Decree of the President of the RUz, 5.01.1995, No UP- 1030 23. “On Approval of Penalty Rates for Recovery of Damages to Flora of the Republic of Uzbekistan” Decree of the CM of RUz, 27 .07.1995, No 293 24. “On Establishment of the Main Administration on Geodesy and Cartography and State Cadastre under Decree of the CM of RUz, the Cabinet of Ministries” 31.01.1996, No 44 25. Decree “ On Approval of Provision on the State Committee for Nature Protection of the Republic of Decree of the Oliy Majlis Uzbekistan” of the RUz, 26 .04.1996, No 232-I 26. “On Approval of Provision for Order of Creation and Maintenance of Unified State Cadastres System Decree of the CM of RUz,
107 of the Republic of Uzbekistan ” 17 .07.1996, No 255 27. “On Establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan” Decree of the President of the RUz, 1.11.1996, No UP–1617 28. “On Issues Associated with Organization of Activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Decree of the CM of RUz, Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan” 26 .11.1996, No 419 29. “On Approval of Normative Acts in Accordance with the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Decree of the CM of RUz, Mineral Resources” 13.01.1997, No 19 and No 20 30. “On Approval of Standard Provisions on Geological and Underground Survey Services” Decree of the CM of RUz, 1.04.1997, No 168 31. “On Approval of Provision on Discoverers of Mineral Resource Deposits” Decree of the CM of RUz, 2.06.1997, No 279 32. «On the National Commission on Sustainable Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan” Decree of the CM of RUz, 12.06.1997, No 510 33. “On Approval of Provision on Order for Maintenance of Water Cadastre of the Republic of Decree of the CM of RUz, Uzbekistan” 7 .01.1998, No 11 34. “On Approval of Provision on Protected Zones and Protection of Geodetic Point on the Territory of the Decree of the CM of RUz, Republic of Uzbekistan” 16 .02. 1998, No 69 35. “On Approval of Provision on Order for Maintenance of State Cadastre of Specially Protected Nature Decree of the CM of RUz, Territories of the Republic of Uzbekistan” 10.03.1998, No 104 36. “On Environmental Action Program of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 1999-2005” Decree of the CM of RUz, 20.10.1999, No 469 37. “On Prediction of the Main Macroeconomic Indices and Parameters of the State Budget of the Republic Decree of the CM of RUz, of Uzbekistan for 2000” in regard to introduction from 1 January, 2000, payment for emission of 31.12.1999, No 554 pollutants and disposal of wastes on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan” 38. “On Measures for Implementation of the International Commitments of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Decree of the CM of RUz, the Agreements on Protection of Ozone Layer” 24.01.2000, No 20 39. “On Measures for Conservation of Natural Resources and Introduction of Integrated and System Decree of the CM of RUz, Approach to Development of the Chimgan-Chrvak Zone” 10.03.2000, No 83 40. “On Regulation of Import and Export from the Republic of Uzbekistan the Ozone Depleting Substances Decree of the CM of RUz, and Products” 14 .03.2000, No 90 41. “ On Regulation of Import and Export from the Republic of Uzbekistan the Ecologically Dangerous Decree of the CM of RUz, Products and Wastes” 19 .04.2000, No 151 42. “On Approval of Provision for Maintenance of the Flora State Cadastre of the Republic of Uzbekistan Decree of the CM of RUz, and Provision for Maintenance of the Fauna State Cadastre of the Republic of Uzbekistan” 5 .09. 2000, No 343 43. “On Issues of Realization of Environmental Action Program of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 1999- Decree of the CM of RUz, 2005” 10 .08.2000, No 389 44. “On Regulation of Activities of Enterprises Dealing with Use and Disposal of Mercury Containing Decree of the CM of RUz, Lamps and Instruments” 23 .11.2000, No 405 45. “On Prediction of the Main Macroeconomic Indices and Parameters of the State Budget of the Republic Decree of the CM of RUz, of Uzbekistan for 2001” (in regard to payment for emission of pollutants and disposal of wastes on the 26 .12.2000, No 500 territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan) 46. “On Measures for Improvement of Nature Protection Activities in Chorkesar Settlement of Pap Rayon Decree of the CM of RUz, in Namangan Oblast” 29 .12. 2000, No 707 47. “On Approval of Provision on Ugam-Chatkal State National Nature Park and Chatkal State Biosphere Decree of the CM of RUz, Reserve, Statutes of Akhangaran and Burchmulla Forestry Enterprises” 22 .06.2001, No 262 48. “On Prediction of the Main Macroeconomic Indices and Parameters of the State Budget of the Republic Decree of the CM of RUz, of Uzbekistan for 2002” (in regard to payment for emission of pollutants and disposal of wastes on the 31.12.2001, No 490 territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan) 49. “Provision on State Ecological Expertise of the Republic of Uzbekistan” Decree of the CM of RUz, 31.12.2001, No 491 50. “On Improvement of Ecological, Sanitary and Epidemiological Situation in the Zerafshan River Basin” Decree of the CM of RUz, 4.10.2001, No 401 51. “On Awarding of Status of Specially Protected Nature Territories to the Zones of Underground Fresh Decree of the CM of RUz, Water Formation” 16.01.2002, No 23 52. “On Approval of Provision on State Monitoring of Environment of the Republic of Uzbekistan” Decree of the CM of RUz, 3.04.2002, No 111 53. “On Approval of List of Documents for Extrajudiciary Procedures of Debt Collection on the Basis of Decree of the CM of RUz, Notary Decisions” 18.01.2002, No 26 54. “On Establishment of Water Protection Belt along the Kashkadarya River in Kashkadarya Oblast” Decree of the CM of RUz, 6.03.2002, No 80 55. “On State Regulation and Control over Transit of Special Freights and Military Contingents through the Decree of the CM of RUz, Territory of Uzbekistan” 21.02.2002, No 62 56. “On Amount of Payments for Emission of Pollutants and Disposal of Wastes” Decree of the CM of RUz, 1.05. 2003, No 199
108 57. “On Measures for Accomplishment of Construction of “Charvak Oromgokhi” Recreation Center in Decree of the CM of RUz, Chimgan-Charvak recreation zone’ 10.01.2004, No 10 58. “On Establishment of Fresh Underground Water Formation Zones” (in Predgorny, and Sansar area in Decree of the CM of RUz, Djizak Oblast and North-Surkhandarya area in Surkhandarya Oblast) 12.01.2004, No 14 59. “On Establishment of Water Protection Belt along the Surkhandarya River in Surkhandarya Oblast” Decree of the CM of RUz, 12.01.2004, No 15 . 60. “On Establishment of Charitable Foundation for Protection of the Aral Sea Zone Genetic Fund” Decree of the CM of RUz, 3.04.2004, No 162 61. “On Establishment of Water Protection Belt along the Karadarya River in Andidjan and Namangan Decree of the CM of RUz, Oblasts” 13.04.2004, No 178 62. “On Establishment of Water Protection Belt along the Naryn River in Namangan Oblast” Decree of the CM of RUz, 13.04.2004, No 179 63. “On Improvement of Hydro-Meteorological Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan” Decree of the CM of RUz, 14.04.2004, No 183
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