UNDP/EC “SUPPORT TO INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AND TRANSBOUNDARY DIALOGUE IN CA” PROJECT HELD INCEPTION WORKSHOP

Source: CARNet, 11.09.2009

10 September 2009 an inception workshop of UNDP/EC project “Support to Integrated Water Resources Management and Transboundary Dialogue in CA” took place at UN House in Bishkek. It was attended by representatives of stakeholder ministries and agencies – Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Processing Industry (MAWRPI) , Ministry of Industry and Energy, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Health, National Agency on Local Self-Governance Affairs, Directorate of Small and Medium-Size Energy Development Project, as well as academic community and international organizations.

Opening the meeting Deputy Resident Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic Sultan Gadjiev stressed that UNDP attaches great importance to support of Central Asian countries in achieving rational management of water resources. “In close cooperation with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic UNDP has taken an initiative in such issues as ensuring environmental sustainability and capacity development for regional cooperation. In the context of these efforts Central Asian states developed a strategy for Integrated Management of Water Resources. The last 2 drought years have shown us that water issues can be solved only with joint efforts at the regional level.

Deputy Minister of KR MAWRPI, Baratali Koshmatov emphasized the initiating role of the ministry in preparation and implementation of the project and presented the facts demonstrating the situation in the region: “Our region is characterized by competing types of water use and differences in seasonal consumption of water energy resources. Their imbalanced distribution rises conflict of interests not only in economy, but also in nature, human society and economic activities. The situation in the region is aggravated by the demographic growth and rapid economic development of the countries in the region, which, according to some estimations can lead by 2030 to the increase of water consumption by 15-20% with significant decrease of water resources due to climate change.