WORKSHOPS

Joint Regional Seminar of the GWP CACENA and UCC-Water
“Speedup of IWRM-2005 Objectives Implementation in Central Asia”

The regional seminar held on 29-30 November 2006 in Tashkent brought together 40 people, including specialists from ministries and agencies in the Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan, representatives from international development agencies and regional organizations.

V. Sokolov, Chairman of Global Water Partnership for Caucasus and Central Asia (GWP CACENA), addressed to the participants of the seminar with a welcoming speech. He dwelled on the objectives and tasks of the UNEP Central Asian component, thanked the UNEP and its UCC-Water agency for assistance in initiating preparation of national IWRM plans, expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the international agencies for participation in the seminar.

Head of “Environment and Energy” Unit of the UNDP Office in Uzbekistan Mr. Anvar Nasretdinov read the message of Mr. Juerg Staudenmann, Water Governance Policy Advisor, UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre, to the participants of the regional seminar. In his message, Mr. Juerg Staudenmann greatly appreciated and welcomed the work done under the joint UNEP-UCC and Global Water Partnership (GWP) led initiative to “speed-up IWRM–2005 objectives implementation in Central Asia”. He also expressed aspiration for close cooperation as to ensure that the planned UNDP/GEF projects will be a direct continuation and translation of findings and recommendations into concrete activities towards development and implementation of National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plans in Central Asian Republics.

Following these speeches during the first day of the seminar, the presentations were made by:

Prof. V.A. Dukhovny, Director, SIC ICWC “Experience of the IWRM principles introduction in the pilot objects of the Fergana valley”

M. Khorst, regional consultant and sub-regional coordinator of UCC-Water Program, “The main results of the Central Asian component of the UNEP and directions for the further development of activities”

V. Sokolov, Chairman, GWP CACENA “Relations of the Central Asian component of the UNEP with the similar projects, being implemented under the guidance of the SIC ICWC and GWP CACENA”.

These reports presented:

“IWRM Fergana” project’s lessons learned;
Assessment of the national “road maps” from the viewpoint of their relevance to the IWRM principles;
Main provisions of the sub-regional report on the UNEP Central Asian component;
Review and analysis of projects comprising the IWRM elements which are being implemented under the guidance of the SIC ICWC and GWP CACENA

Thereafter, the final versions of the national “road maps” and rationale of the short-term activities on the IWRM planning were presented to attention of the seminar’s participants. After discussions at the regional seminar in Bishkek (on 27-28 July, 2006) these documents were revised and amended, passed appraisal at the national seminars held in September–October, 2006, and were officially approved by the key ministries and agencies of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Presentations of the “road maps” and rationale of the short-term activities were made by:

A. Djayloobayev, Director, SIC ICWC Kyrgyz Office,

Ya. Pulatov, Director General, TajikNIIGiM,

N. Sheraliyev, Department Manager, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Uzbekistan.

The following specialists participated in discussions of the “road maps” and presentations:

From the Swiss Agency on Development and Cooperation (SDC) – H. Maag, Director of the Regional Office, and S. Djalalov, Manager on Water Problems;

From USAID - A. Kalashnikov, Head of Programs for Uzbekistan;

From UNESCO-ZEF - D. Lamers, Office Director in Uzbekistan;

From the UNDP Office in Uzbekistan – U. Islamov, Irrigation and Land Degradation Adviser;

From UNDP Project “National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plan for Kazakhstan” - A. Nikolayenko, Project Manager.

The participants of the discussion stressed the value and timeliness of activities carried out under the UNEP Central Asian component.

In his speech, H. Maag called on in particular to “Think regionally. Act at national level. Intensify exchange of experience”. He also recommended following to circumspective approach to speeding up the process, because every taken step should be controllable first of all. From this point of view, he advised to analyze the experience gained from the past projects and develop and test the IWRM principles in the pilot objects in order to take into account to the greater extent the specifics of various zones in the region.

V. Sokolov made the presentation on behalf of Dr. T. Jønch-Clausen, Director on development issues of the Danish Hydraulic Institute: “Monitoring of progress in IWRM reforms. System of Indicators”.

On the second day of the seminar, the following presentations were made:

Prof. V.A. Dukhovny, Director, SIC ICWC “Project proposals of the ICWC on transition to the IWRM in the lower reaches of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers”;

A. Nikolayenko, Project Manager “Experience of the Republic of Kazakhstan in development of the National IWRM plan”;

P. Umarov, Director of the ICWC Training Center, “Role of the SIC ICWC Training Center in managerial capacity building for the IWRM implementation. Experience and perspectives”;

I. Beglov, leading specialist, SIC ICWC “Information Database CAREWIB as the tool for the National planning of IWRM”.

In this set of presentations the specific aspects to be reflected in the IWRM planning were described:

balance between the national and regional interests in use of water resources;
social mobilization of stakeholders;
approach to the IWRM managerial capacity building and strengthening;
actual issues associated with promotion of the IWRM planning from experience of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
information support to the IWRM planning.

As a result of discussions of the presented materials the participants of the regional seminar unanimously decided:

To endorse the presented final progress report on the activities within the framework of the UNEP Central Asian component.
To entrust the national project experts with official submission of the “road maps” and rationale through the Department of Water Resources in Kyrgyzstan, the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources in Tajikistan, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources in Uzbekistan to the respective Governments for decision making on practical implementation of these activities.
GWP CACENA with assistance from the UCC Water to continue the promotion of the project results to the potential donors / international organizations for providing support to development of national IWRM plans on the basis of the “road maps”.
To continue the cooperation in exchange of experience and information with UNDP Project “The National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plan in Kazakhstan”.

Presentations:

T. Jønch-Clausen: Monitoring of progress in IWRM reforms (pdf, 136 kB)