Past Experience and Future Challenges Cooperation in Shared Water Resources in Central Asia
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Cooperation in Shared Water Resources in Central Asia1212 S E R I S E R I S E R I S E R I S E R I Past Experience and Future Challenges Cooperation in Shared Water Resources in Central Asia Cooperation in Shared Water Resources in Central Asia Past Experience and Future Challenges Cooperation in Shared Water Resources in Central Asia Papers Presented at an Asian Development Bank Workshop in Almaty, Kazakhstan, 26–28 September 2002 Compiled and edited by T. Bayarsaihan and D. McKinney © Asian Development Bank 2004 All rights reserved The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this document do not necessarily represent the views of ADB or the views of its member governments. This working document was prepared for the 3rd World Water Forum held in Kyoto, Shiga, and Osaka, Japan, 16-23 March 2003. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in the publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank BVO river basin organization CAR Central Asian republic CEMAGREF Institut de Recherche pour L’ingénierie de L’agriculture et de L’environnement (Public Agricultural and Environmental Research Institute) CH Center of Hydro Research CIDA Canadian International Development Agency ECAFE Economic Commission for Asia and Far East EC IFAS Executive Committee of IFAS EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GEF Global Environment Facility GWP Global Water Partnership HEPS hydroelectric power station ICAS Interstate Council on the Aral Sea ICARDA International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas ICID International Commission of Irrigation and Drainage ICWC Interstate Coordinating Water Commission IFAS International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea INBO International Net of Basin Organizations IWMI International Water Management Institute IWRA International Water Resources Association IWRM integrated water resources management MASHAV Israel Center for International Cooperation MRC Mekong River Commission NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NBI Nile Basin Initiative NMC National Mekong Committee SANIGMI Central Asian Regional Science-Research Hydrometeorological Institute SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SIC ICWC Scientific Information Center ICWC SVP-ECP Shared Vision Program-Execution and Coordination Project TACIS Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UN ESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization USAID United States Agency for International Development WARMAP Water Resources Management and Agricultural Production WARMIS Water Resources Management Information System WMO World Meteorological Organization WUA water users association WUFMAS Water Use and Farm Management Survey WWC World Water Council WWF World Water Forum Cooperation in Shared Water Resources in Central Asia Contents Foreword Keynote Address: Shared Water Resources Management in the Aral Sea Basin: Issues and Opportunities G. Le Moigne ................................................................................................. 1 Country Perspectives on Regional Cooperation in Shared Water Resources 11 Water Resources of Kazakhstan A. D. Ryabtsev ............................................................................................. 12 Water Resources Management in the Kyrgyz Republic: Legal Base and Directions of Improvement B. T. Koshmatov ........................................................................................... 20 Development of the Water Management System in Tajikistan A. A. Nazirov ................................................................................................ 26 Water Resources of Turkmenistan: Potential, Technology, and Ecology K. M. Volmuradov ........................................................................................ 32 Water Resources Management in Uzbekistan: Legal Aspects and Directions of Improvement A. A. Jalalov ................................................................................................. 37 Institutional Capacity Building for Regional Water Management in Central Asia 43 Strengthening the Role of Regional IFAS Bodies and Refining the Priorities of the Aral Sea Basin Program S. M. Aslov ................................................................................................... 44 Strengthening the Organizational and Technical Potential of Regional Organizations in the Aral Sea Basin: ICWC Scientific Information Center P. D. Umarov ................................................................................................. 50 Experience and Problems of Water Resources Management in the Syr Darya River Basin M. Kh. Khamidov .......................................................................................... 60 The BVO Role in the Amu Darya Basin Water Resources Management Yu. Khudaiberganov ..................................................................................... 68 Recent Experience in Promoting Regional Collaboration in Water Resources Management 75 Incentives and Benefits of Cooperation Between Riparian States in the Mekong and Nile Basins G. Le Moigne ............................................................................................... 76 Developing IWRM Collaboration in Central Asia V. Horinkova ................................................................................................. 90 Exchange of Hydrologic Data and Information Among Aral Sea Basin States V. E. Chub ..................................................................................................... 95 Future Issues Related to Long-Term Agreements Between States in the Aral Sea Basin V. A. Dukhovny ............................................................................................. 98 The Water and Energy Nexus in Central Asia J. M. Biddison .............................................................................................106 Ten Years of Donors’ Support for the Aral Sea Basin Program V. A. Dukhovny ............................................................................................109 Recommendations of National Focal Points and NGO Representatives on Cooperation in Shared Water Resources in Central Asia 118 Regional Cooperation of Central Asian States on Water issues:Experiences and Current Realities N. K. Kipshakbaev .......................................................................................120 Cooperation Between Central Asian Countries on Water Flow Formation Zones Issues A. Sh. Djailoobaev .......................................................................................125 Water Conservation – The Most Important Component in Strategic Water Resources Planning in Central Asia N. K. Nosirov ...............................................................................................131 Socioeconomic Development of Turkmenistan on the Basis of Water-Energy Resources Use A. A. Hatamov ............................................................................................ 140 The Socioeconomic Situation and the Action Plan for Sustainable Agricultural and Industrial Development in the Downstream Areas of the Aral Sea Basin M. Mirkhodjiev ......................................................................................... ..149 Sustainable Development and Some Issues of Water Resources Management in Central Asia B. Annaev ....................................................................................................155 Role of NGOs and Other Stakeholders in Interstate Water Resources Management Å. Ì. Rodina ..................................................................................................160 Role of NGOs and Other Concerned Parties in Interstate Joint Water Use S. Aknazarov ................................................................................................165 Role of NGOs in Solving Water Management Problems in Central Asia Y. Kurbanbayev.............................................................................................169 Foreword s the republics of Central Asia celebrate a decade of independence from the Soviet Union, they continue to confront a range of difficulties that can only be Amet effectively through regional cooperation. Of these challenges, none is more important than the wise management of the two great rivers that bind together these states: the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya. While coping with the transition to market- based economies and social reforms, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have struggled to establish new governance systems to support poverty reduction and sustain economic growth. Water and environmental management problems in Central Asia first gained international notice as a result of the ecological crisis brought on by the shrinking of the Aral Sea. The catchments of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, which both exit to the sea, together form the Aral Sea basin. From 1960 to 1990, the Aral Sea’s area was halved when inflows were diverted to support cotton and rice production in downstream deserts. An ecological disaster resulted as a vibrant fishery was destroyed, surrounding ecosystems devastated, and the health and livelihood of a million people irrevocably damaged. The challenge of regional water management for these semi-arid lands is no less acute today. Attention