CENTRAL ASIA AND CAUCASUS:

progress of political commitments

after 1st APWS and
sub-regional document towards 5th WWF

Vadim Sokolov
GWP CACENA / EC IFAS

Asia-Pacific Regional Synthesis Meeting for 5th WWF

Tokyo, 15 December 2008
 Bishkek Conference May 2008

Regional Preparatory Meeting of the 5th World Water

Forum, which took place in Bishkek on 28-29 May 2008.
The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture,
Water Management and Processing Industry of Kyrgyz
Republic, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of
Turkey, the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination
in Central Asia and the Global Water Partnership Central
Asia and Caucasus with involvement of EC IFAS.

Four topics formulated for 5th WWF

 Topic 1: Climate change impact to
water resources in CACENA
Comparison of two scenarios (Chirchik – Akhangaran - Keles Basin)

Understanding the effects of the climate change is a key for developing regional
and national adaptation strategies.

Observation, measurement and monitoring networks and hydrological

forecasting should be improved.
Topic 2 Basin management and
trans-boundary cooperation
Regional program of dialogues at different levels towards consensus
building.

Exchange of reliable data and information.

Cross-sectoral interests of hydropower, irrigation and environment

requires strengthening of legal and institutional framework of
cooperation, same as use of financial tools that would account of sharing
benefit, expenses and compensation for damage.

The issue calls for comprehensive basin development plans, which need
to be developed with stronger participation of all riparian countries and
should be based on IWRM principles.
 Topic 3 Water resources governance
(IWRM as a basis to increase water efficiency)

-Securer livelihoods > reduced poverty

Overall -Environmental sustainability
Objectives -Social harmony > less conflicts

More effective and equitable water use

IWRM
Specific Institutional/ Technical/
Objectives governance management

-Institutional arrangements -Irrigation system management

-Government policies and laws -Productive water use
 Topic 4 Capacity building and education

• Institutional and legal aspects

• Training activities
• Information systems and data base
• Integrated water resources management
• Introduction of the automation systems
• Modelling tools for decision support systems.
 Progress on political
commitment
On 10 October 2008 in Bishkek Heads of Central Asian countries using
opportunity to meet within framework of the Commonwealth of
Independent States had a discussion addressing regional cooperation on
water-energy issues.

There was confirmed one more time willingness for regional cooperation in
this sphere.

There are arrangements for the new EC IFAS establishment, official

launching was held on 18 November 2008 in Almaty.

All these events show promises for new positive impulse to regional water
cooperation.
 New EC IFAS/ UNDP: Cooperation framework
for addressing water issues in Central Asia

Mapping of all water-relevant on-going and planned projects and interventions in Central Asia – will
permit to avoid duplication of efforts and funds, and use wealth of experience

To create cooperation potential – there are a few possibilities to start first steps:

• To agree mechanisms for experience/knowledge exchange on IWRM planning and implementation

(on one hand: UNDP – country offices and office in Bratislava; SDC; EUWI, EC Delegations; UNECE;
OSCE; OECD; GTZ; WB; ADB; APWF; GWP and CapNet; IWMI; other interested parties and on
another hand: IFAS; ICWC; ICSD and national water-related authorities). Leading role should be
overtaken by EC IFAS

• To create Joint IWRM Capacity Building Program – as proposed by UNDP – with involvement of the
proposed ICWC Training network and GWP/CapNet

• Next steps could be addressing to more deep cooperation (like recent initiative of the WB RESP
project in Uzbekistan to involve SDC co-funding for soft components; or ADB rehabilitation project
in Tajikistan to combine with SDC canal automation project).
 CACENA Session for WWF-5

On Virtual space there was registered Sub-

regional CACENA session:

CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER RESOURCES

MANAGEMENT, GOVERNANCE AND
CAPACITY BUILDING ISSUES IN CENTRAL
ASIA AND SOUTHERN CAUCASUS
Special session during 7th Annual GWP CACENA
Stakeholders Conference on 24 November 2008
in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

There was very hard discussion on session agenda and content,

and on sub-regional perspective document for 5 th WWF

It was recommended to cover the whole CACENA region

- not only Central Asia, and to highlight role of GWP CACENA
in process towards IWRM implementation.
 Draft Agenda:
CACENA session in Istanbul March 2009
The session will be organized in the form of the panel discussions.
Session facilitators: Khalid Mohtadullah – Senior Advisor GWP and Prof. Victor Dukhovny – Director
SIC ICWC
Panelists (11 persons): Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland; GWP CACENA Chair; Chairman of EC
IFAS; five Members of ICWC; Topic Experts

Draft agenda (totally 3,5 hours – 210 min)

• General introduction of the session and welcome speeches (25 min)
• Brief presentation of the topic 1…4 (10 min each)
• Panel discussion and questions from the audience on topic 1…4 (30 min each)
• General conclusion and session closing (25 min)

Audience: expected about 150 participants

The main session output will be: Sub-Regional Position Paper “Climate change, water resources
management, governance and capacity building issues in Central Asia and Southern Caucasus”.
 Next steps (1)

The GWP CACENA achieved agreement with

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland about
proper financial support in 2009, which will be
allocated via GWP CACENA Secretariat to
cover part of costs for CACENA delegation to
World Water Forum in Istanbul in March 2009
and to support follow-up activities after forum
during 2009
 Next steps (2)

• Meeting of ICWC in April 2009 – to discuss outcomes of the

5th WWF.
• A number of working regional meetings under umbrella of
“Transboundary Dialogue” to discuss progress on interstate
agreements, which are under preparation with support from
ADB and conducted by EC IFAS.
• Launching new program jointly with WWC and IUCN “Water
Governance” – summer 2009.
• Special session during Regional Asian Conference of ICID in
December 2009 – to discuss further collaboration with Central
Asian countries.
 THANK YOU !!!

Additional information:
vadim@icwc-aral.uz
www.gwpcacena.net
www.cawater-info.net