Meeting of the Regional and National Working Groups

The meeting of the Regional (RWG) and National Working Groups (NWG) took place in Khodjent city on 11 October 2007. Having discussed the progress in the completion of the ADB RETA 6163 for this year, the representatives of NWGs and RWG agreed on the following:

Subgroup 1: On development of rules for fulfillment of procedural obligations and recommendations for improvement of the rules for regulation and management of water and energy resources in the Syrdarya river basin. Draft rules and recommendations were prepared. The Tajik and Uzbek NWGs did not submit their materials. All the subgroups should submit their materials before 1 November. The RWG shall prepare from 1 November to 1 December 2007 a final document and send it to all members of the working subgroups. The meeting will be held from 10 to 15 December 2007. Agreed materials should be submitted to ICWC members before the end of the year.

Subgroup 2: On more precise definition of channel losses in the Amudarya midstream and downstream. The subgroup submitted a detailed report. At the suggestion of the Tajik party, this document was sent to the Ministry of Reclamation and Water Resources of Tajikistan with a request to express their opinion as regards this. After receipt of opinion from the Tajik party, the materials will be submitted to ICWC members.

Subgroup 3: On development and matching of detailed methodical recommendations for accounting of basin-wide costs, data collection and assessment of actual damage from water resources use regimes. A first version of cost breakdown structure was prepared and sent for agreeing to NWG leaders and for preparation of basin-wide costs for 2006. Members of the subgroup for NWGs should submit their methodical recommendations on the adopted items of the “List” no later than 15 November 2007. All activities should be completed, agreed at NWG and RWG level, and sent to ICWC members before the end of the year.

Subgroup 4: On revision of the draft Agreement on Strengthening the Organizational Framework for Management, Protection and Development of Transboundary Water Resources. The operation of the subgroup was completed without participation of the representative from the Kyrgyz NWG, to whom materials agreed by the other participants were sent. The Kyrgyz party is asked to accelerate agreeing these materials.

Subgroup 5: On preparation of a register of interstate objects. For this subgroup, NWGs should submit a list of objects before 10 November 2007.