Hierarchical Classification System of the Knowledge Base

List of headings is a hierarchical classification system, which is applied to systematize documents and represent them in databases and information publications.

Electronic Library

Large collection of publications - books, articles, legislative and normative legal documents for management and use of water and land resources and the environment.

Historical Documents, Books, Monographs, Papers

Magnificent collection of old books. Preservation of cultural and historic heritage by means of returning "a second life" to scientific publications of last years, which are very valuable for scientists and practitioners due to their accurate implementation gave possibility to increase the knowledge base's potential.

Historical Maps

Selection of old maps.

New publications

Section with information about newly released publications, which can be downloaded from the electronic library.

Reviews

Reviews contain most interesting information about international collaboration in water and land resources management and use (in Russian only).

Water Yearbook: Central Asia and around the Globe

Section includes water related highlights of year.

Central Asian newspapers and magazines

Catalogue of newspapers and magazines on water and environmental issues, produced by water management agencies and organizations in Central Asia

God has given Water to the World as the Holy sacrament gift and ordered not to tolerate spoiling water, for He has not done it. In our lifetime — our days filled with perpetual race for all kinds of benefits, wealth, the lifetime of the oil idol and the golden calf, — only belief in Water and devotion to Water, its miracle cure for securing health, for soil fertility, for saving the beautiful all can put the will of God into action!

The site posts popular articles, essays and other useful information about water as a unique natural resource.

Knowledge Base “Water and Land Resources Use in the Aral Sea Basin”

Knowledge Base includes the following sections:
- physical-geographical characteristics of the region;
- water resources;
- water resources use;
- desertification and monitoring;
- organizational and legal issues of water resources management and financing.

The knowledge base also includes the results of the past field studies on irrigation and drainage in the region. Inclusion of those studies proceeds from a need to ensure the intergenerational continuity. Recently, most graduates of higher education institutions have been coming to water-management organizations without knowledge of experience in irrigation and drainage as gained in Central Asia over the past 20-30 years. It is assumed also that earlier research works are unknown to most foreign specialists who try to assist the Central Asian states in solving water and environmental problems in the Aral Sea basin.

Desertification

Aral Sea and Prearalie

Knowledge Base “Integrated Water Resources Management: Central Asian Experience”

This knowledge base is aimed at a wide range of specialists–water management professionals, including policy-makers in the water sector who define trends and meaning of modern reforms of water governance and management.

At the same time, this knowledge base is also intended for a wide range of civil society’s representatives interested in proper implementing water management reforms.

A content of this knowledge base allows our users to be imbued with recognizing that civil society and nature face the serious problems related to water resources all over the world. At present, these challenges cannot be efficiently tackled using the customary, prevalent during last decades, traditions, governance structure, and methods of water management. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is here treated as a new promising approach to solving the abovementioned problems. First findings of introducing this new approach in Central Asia are generalized in the present knowledge base.

Knowledge Base “International and National Water Law”

International water law concerns the rights and obligations that exist, primarily between States, for the management of transboundary water resources. Such legal rules and principles are dedicated to preventing conflict and promoting cooperation of shared water resources.

International water law has evolved and crystallized through state practice and the codification and progressive development efforts undertaken by the United Nations and private institutions. The treaty practice in this area encompasses a broad range of instruments, from general agreements (which provide basic principles for water resource development) to specific ‘contractual’ type legal and technical arrangements (which set forth detailed operational schemes).

While water users compete for the same resource and struggle for increasing control, they also need to cooperate if they want to make effective use of water and sustain the water’s quantity and quality in the long run. This often occurs in ‘pluralistic’ legal contexts, where formal and informal normative systems sometimes clash.

The Knowledge base contains the generalized information about the international water law and national water laws of the Central Asian states.

Knowledge Base “Land Law”

Land law is the branch of law that governs social relations in the implementation of property rights and other interest in property related to the land and land surveying, the characteristics of civil turnover of land, restrictions on the use of land as a unique natural object, as well as activities of public authorities to ensure the rational use and protection of land.

Knowledge base “Land reclamation and irrigated agriculture”

Rural re-structuring and irrigated agriculture re-organization as observed in the last two decades in the Central Asian region, including the Aral Sea basin, have had a number of positive effects, but, at the same time, created a need for better water management to meet the present-day challenges since many water-related problems are related to “short management” rather than to short water.

Given knowledge base makes a specific contribution to the regional cooperation by providing information support for implementation of IWRM tools.

Of course, this knowledge base is not designed to be all-embracing and includes only main subjects from daily practices of water professionals.

In Russian only.

Knowledge Base “Waterworks Safety”

This knowledge base deals with the safe and reliable operation of hydraulic structures, as well as mutually beneficial cooperation in this field relevant for the countries of Central Asia.

Knowledge Base “Gender and Water”

The knowledge base contains information relevant for both the Central Asian republics and other regions on issues of gender equality and women’s role in water sector.

Knowledge Base on Amudarya river basin

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers, international agreements concerning of the Amudarya river basin.

Knowledge Base on Syrdarya river basin

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers, international agreements concerning of the Syrdarya river basin.

Knowledge Base on Zeravshan river basin

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers, international agreements concerning of the Zeravshan river basin.

Knowledge Base on Karadarya river basin

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers concerning of the Karadarya river basin.

Knowledge Base on Chirchik river basin

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers concerning of the Chirchik river basin.

Knowledge Base on Surkhandarya river basin

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers concerning of the Surkhandarya river basin.

Knowledge Base on Kashkadarya river basin

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers concerning of the Kashkadarya river basin.

Knowledge Base on Afghanistan

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers, declarations, international agreements concerning of Afghanistan.

Knowledge Base on Water Quality

The knowledge base contains collection of books, reports, monographs, papers, standards, sanitary regulations concerning of water quality.

Glossary

The glossaries contain the basic terms, definitions and concepts which are used in spheres of the International Water Right, Water Economy, Gender etc.

Photolibrary

Photobank of water management and natural objects in the Aral Sea Basin.

Infographic

Visualization of information, data and knowledge about Central Asia, the Aral Sea Basin, the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers