Kazakhstan and Central Asia Information in Transboundary Water Cooperation & The Value of National IWRM & Water Efficiency Plans Tim Hannan UNDP Water Management Advisor Almaty, Kazakhstan

National IWRM and WE Plans with Reference to Transboundary Water Cooperation  IWRM is a new approach with new information and management needs management needs  Definition of new needs, approach needs to be determined determined  IWRM needs to be understood and adopted by water managers water managers  The goals and aims of IWRM are the same for all countries countries  The information needs are the same for all countries countries

Initiatives in Monitoring and Information in Kazakhstan  Tobol River (Russia, Kazakhstan, Russia)  Ural River (Russia, Kazakhstan)  Irtysh River (China, Kazakhstan, Russia)  Ili River (China, Kazakhstan)  Syr Darya, Chu, Talas (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan)  Amu Darya (to a lesser extent as an Aral Sea tributary) Recent improvements in monitoring have Recent improvements in monitoring have emphasised and been driven by transboundary emphasised and been driven by transboundary issues issues

Initiatives on Regional Cooperation on Transboundary Waters in Central Asia  ICWC (water allocations)  IFAS (resources and research for the Aral Sea)  1998 Agreement (water & energy on Syr Darya)  CACO (water, energy, transport & food)  WEC (combined water & energy)  Chu Talas Trans. Water Commission  Various annual agreements  Kazakhstan signed the Water Convention

Structure of Water Resources Management in Kazakhstan  Committee for Water Resources (Ministry of Agriculture) Agriculture)  River Basin Organisations (Under CWR)  River Basin Councils (now being established)  Others – (environment, geology, health, etc.)

Information Issues in Water Resources Management in Kazakhstan (Central Asia)  limited understanding of water resources issues and solutions on the part of central governments solutions on the part of central governments  limited public understanding and participation in water resources management resources management  decline in technical skills in the CWR and RBOs  limited and difficult coordination and cooperation on information information  poor water information, including its management and access to it access to it

Other Big Issues in Water Resources Management in Kazakhstan (Central Asia)  No organisation has the responsibility to manage river basins, or to manage water quality or manage river basins, or to manage water quality or river ecology river ecology  RBOs have lost the skills of full water resources management, including water quality management, including water quality  Monitoring of water quality is improving but does not come close to the European approach not come close to the European approach

Recent Initiatives in Information for Water Resources Management in Kazakhstan  River Basin Councils established in law in the 2003 Water Code of Kazakhstan 2003 Water Code of Kazakhstan  Strategy for the Development of CWR/RBOs was completed in 2004 (partly implemented) was completed in 2004 (partly implemented)  Strategy for the Improvement of Water Quality was completed for CWR/RBOs in 2004 (partly was completed for CWR/RBOs in 2004 (partly implemented) implemented)

Recent Initiatives in Information for Water Resources Management in Kazakhstan  National Water Information Centre proposed in 2003, 2004, 2005 (not yet proposed in 2003, 2004, 2005 (not yet implemented) implemented)  National IWRM and WE Plan being prepared (completed end 2005) prepared (completed end 2005)

Kazakhstan National Water Information Centre Possible Structure Various River Basin or Local Administration Level Organisations (SES, Vodkhoz, Vodokanal, Irrigation, Ecology, Geology, WUA, Kazhydromet, Akimat, Others) RBC RBO Head of State, Ministers, Various National Level Organisations or Ministries Transboundary Water Analysts and Decision Makers Education system, Public Awareness Initiatives, Others Information Department and Information Portal (CWR) National Water Information Centre (?) River Basin Authority in Neighbouring Transboundary Countries

Expected Steps in Developing Transboundary Cooperation and Management in Central Asia Improving Monitoring and Information Building Capacity in Water Management Organisations National IWRM & WE Plans Regional Coordination on Specific Issues in Improving Water Management in each Country Bilateral & single issue agreements on water sharing and water quality improvement with neighbouring countries Multilateral & multiobjective agreements on water sharing and water quality improvement for entire river basins Goal: Transboundary Rivers Managed on IWRM Principles (EUWFD) STEP STEP ?

Areas of Good Potential for Regional Cooperation on Improving Water Management  Water use efficiency  Education and training  Monitoring and information

Progress on the Kazakhstan National Water Information Centre  DPSIR framework to develop information systems at river basin level systems at river basin level  Training RBO staff in obtaining info, developing data bases (2004 to 2007) data bases (2004 to 2007)  Establishing an information portal to link RBOs and CWR and, later RBOs and RBCs and CWR and, later RBOs and RBCs  Establishing RBCs and working to define their information needs information needs Initial links: RBO RBC RBO CWR National & Transboundary Users