1st Asian Pacific Water Summit

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Address by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan His Excellency Emomali Rahmon at the 1st Asian Pacific Water Summit

Excellency Chairman,
Your Royal Highness,
You Excellencies,
Distinguished participants of the Summit,
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!

As the President of the Republic of Tajikistan and the President of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea it gives me great pleasure to deliver a speech from a high tribune of this important water summit.

And it is especially pleasant being here, on the friendly land of Japan where III World Water Forum was held in 2003 and our initiative on declaration of International decade of "Water for life" had been presented on that Forum. It was the initiative about the necessity to make the states to take responsibilities for condition and use of water resources and that is a responsibility for life in a planet.

It is a notable that this initiative was supported by 141 states including the countries of Asian-Pacific region. Appearance of new partnership network - Asian Pacific Water Forum says about a fact that an idea of International Year of Fresh Water (2003) and International Decade of "Water for life" had found a response in such huge region of the world. Conducting this Summit - is an illustration that attention to water, and its irreplaceable essence is continually increasing. World progress tendencies are clearly illustrating that its value can exceed a price for oil, gas, coal and other resources which are necessary for sustainable development of a future life of every country and region.

Unfortunately, the facts are saying about nearly 4 thousand children are dying every day because of poor quality water, and approximately more than а billion people don't have an access to fresh water and majority of them are living in our continents. These problems are subjected for corresponding to poor countries that have insignificant potential for their solution. Therefore we consider it very topical the establishment of regional and international special funds under the structure United Nations for elimination of difficulties concerned with access to fresh water and assisting in water disaster emergency cases.

Priorities of Asian Pacific Water Forum in my view are more detaily reflect a necessity of joint solving of water issues through improvement of water financing, improvement of water factor disasters management and taking into account an ecosystem approach.

Water sector financing which is the main prerequisite for achievement of one of important Millennium Development Goals will twice decrease a number of people who don't have an access to secured drinking water and at whole it depends on economy development political will of the leaders of the states.

In this regard, in our opinion, helping poor and underprivileged countries should be a primary task of second part of the International Water Decade.

All these issues and proposals require a complex consideration and decision, which arising the necessity of efforts consolidation, taken on regional and sub-regional levels. I deem that calling of a Special Event of High Officials Level within the framework of the UN General Assembly, dedicated to discussion of condition of water issues on a global arena and consideration of concrete steps upon eradication of problems concerned with water would meet these aspiration. Elaboration and adoption of International Water Convention could be one of the important steps in a unification of efforts which would determine universal principles of water policy taking into account ensuring the interests of all consumers.

Tajikistan according as economic growth is gradually increasing the volume of financing water sector. Priority significance is giving to hydro-energy which the hugest resources in this direction can ensure a cheap and ecologically clean electricity not only the economy of Tajikistan but and other neighbor countries as well. We appeal all interested parties for cooperation in assimilation of these resources on the basis of equitable and mutually benefit terms.

Tajikistan which ninety three of its territory is difficult relief mountains is more subjected to water related natural calamities. Flood and draught, torrent and freshet, avalanches and landslides are annually causing significant damage to economy of the country.

A danger of Sarez Lake burst with a volume of more than 17 cubic kilometers located in Tajikistan is threatening a life of 6 million people of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. I have already proposed to use the cleanest fresh water of mountainous Sarez Lake for water-supple of millions people in Central Asia with the establishment of International Consortium.

Support of this idea will allow not only neutralizing this risk but also using this object in the favor of the people interests as well.

Global warming is causing a serious anxiety which in consequence of this phenomenon intensive thawing of Tajikistan high-mountains glaciers is observing.

It is fraught with a change of hydrological regime of the rivers which has disastrous effects not only for our country, but also for downstream states whose irrigative land development is tremendously depends on these resources.

Taking into consideration increasing cases of water-related natural disasters, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan decided to convene The International Conference on Reduction of Water-Related Disasters in Dushanbe next year. We invite the Governments of Asian Pacific continent, UN Institutions, International organizations, Non-governmental Organizations, scientists and experts and all who are concerned about this urgent issue to participate at this very important event.

Distinguished participants of the Summit,

A tragedy of Aral Sea is known to world community for a long time. I would like to draw your attention to this global problem once again. In the conditions of global warming and population upsurge this problem has becoming an issue of the day of the Central Asia. Countries of region are not able to withstand this challenge. Taking this issue into account, heads of the states of the Central Asia propounded the initiative on giving a status of UN Institute to International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea for coordination of international organizations' and donors' activities and declaring Aral Sea basin as a priority field trial region for the sake of meeting Millennium Development Goals.

I am hopeful that this initiative will find its reflection in the summary documents of the Summit and thereby will promote a solution of majority issues of the Aral Sea Basin countries.

Asian Pacific Water Forum is being one of the important water communities of Asia and Pacific and in the object of intensification of its role and improvement of water resources management we consider it expedient to set centers in all five its sub-regions. I propose that it is a necessary for new-established Water Forum to concentrate more significant attention to water problems of the Central Asian sub-region. Tajikistan is ready to comprehensively assist a Forum in this direction and offers to place its Central Asian Centre in Dushanbe.

A policy plays a focal role in improvement of water sector. Namely political will of the leaders of the states is one of the main elements in achievement of sustainable water development. It is pleasant, that this matter has been gradually coming known all entire the world and political leaders paying their attention to the solving water issues more often. It is remarkable that the results of our Summit will be presented to "G8" which will be convened here on friendly land of Japan next year.

We together have a splendid opportunity to be concentrated on concrete issues of water development in its all aspects within the definite countries, sub-regions and whole Asian Pacific region, as well as to contribute for approval of progressive sustainable water resources management for the welfare of the people. I wish all of us very success in this way.