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Since 1991, political and
economic conditions have been
changing in Central Asia. Five
newly formed independent states
have chosen the path to market
economy. Given unstable
environmental situation in some
areas of the region, this called
for revision of approaches to
water resources management and
use. Each state in the region
set its national interests of
socio-economic conditions while
changing their attitude to
environmental challenges and
acknowledging a need for
orientation towards the
international water law
principles. Under transition
period, when the states
established their priorities
based on common regional
limitations (one of which is
environmental situation in the
Aral Sea), it was necessary to
ensure stability of water
management.
ICWC founders (from left
to right):
M. Zulpuyev, N. Kipshakbayev,
A. Ilamanov, A. Nurov,
R. Giniyatullin,
April 6, 1992, Ashkhabad |
ICWC members (from left
to right):
А. Nazyrov, A. Djalalov,
A. Ryabtsev,
B. Koshmatov, Т. Altiyev
February 22, 2002,
Almaty |
To
this end, in October 1991, the
leaders of water sector in the
five new independent Central
Asian states made a statement,
which laid the basis for
Agreement signed in February
1992 between the Republic of
Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic,
the Republic of Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and the Republic of
Uzbekistan about cooperation in
joint management of interstate
water use and protection.
According to this Agreement, the
Interstate Commission for Water
Coordination (ICWC) was
established.
The
main aim of ICWC establishment
was to strengthen the principle
of collective leadership in
making decisions on general
issues of regional interstate
water management, use and
protection and in implementing
joint programs on the basis of
mutual respect of national
interests.
Formation of ICWC and its work
is under close attention of the
Presidents of Central Asian
states. The Head of States
through their agreements of 23
March 1993 and 9 April 1999
acknowledged a specific role of
ICWC under the aegis of IFAS and
thus showed the deep
understanding of the importance
of joint management in using and
protecting water resources, in
developing all the countries and
the region as a whole, as well
as concerns about sustainable
supply of their people with
water and ensuring of adequate
environmental conditions.
The
international donor community
through its active collaboration
with ICWC has being providing
great support to implementation
of the integrated water
resources management (IWRM),
development of training
activity, water conservation,
improved forecasts and
measurements of water flows,
automation of hydrostructure
operation, development of
information system, etc. It
worth to note particularly such
international organizations as
the World Bank, the European
Union, Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA), Swiss
Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC), Asian
Development Bank, the
Governments of Norway and
Finland, UK Department For
International Development (DFID),
U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), UNDP, the
Japanese Water Forum, FAO, the
Network of Global Water
Partnership (GWP), etc.
Cooperation between ICWC and the
International Commission of
Irrigation and Drainage which
has been developed successfully
as long as 14 years promoted
acquiring of modern world
experience accumulated in the
area of water management,
drainage, irrigation, and the
information exchange. National
Committees of Irrigation and
Drainages as established under
the aegis of ICWC in Central
Asian countries have been
gradually changing into weighty
non-governmental potential of
water-related institutions that
join both high-qualified water
professionals and sectoral
departments and different
water-related institutes.
Events to be organized on the
occasion of 15th ICWC
Anniversary that bring together
leading local and international
institutions and professional
will allow the analysis of
state-of-the-art and of
challenges in Central Asian
water sector and the
coordination of joint efforts in
implementing concrete actions,
including ASBP-2, for short- and
long-term |