ABOUT PROJECT

Sub-regional Program for the Central Asia within the Framework of UNEP Support for achieving the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation target of “Integrated Water Resources Management and Efficiency Plans by 2005, with support to developing countries”

Recognizing a severity of the current situation with the fresh water resources in many developing countries, as well as need to improve water management in order to achieve economic development for reducing poverty level the World Summit on Sustainable development (2002) set the goal: “achieving the integrated water resources management and efficiency plans by 2005” with support from the developed countries.

The UNEP is designed for sub-regions. However, as a part of the sub-regional working program, assistance for development of the national road maps and the IWRM working programs by 2005, is provided to the selected countries (the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan).

So, the main results of this program include the road maps for the IWRM planning. Apart from this, improvement of public awareness, capacity building in the area of the national IWRM plans development and implementation, and increase of water use efficiency are envisaged.

The Central Asian component of this program has been developed by the UNEP and UCC-Water in close cooperation with the GWP CACENA and SIC ICWC. Its program has been coordinated with the UNDP and UNECE. The DANIDA agency sponsors this program.

The program envisages cooperation with the National Groups on Coordination and Support to the Integrated Water Resources Management (NGCS IWRM) created in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan at the end of 2005, within the framework of “IWRM-Fergana” project (SIC ICWC—IWMI under the SDC sponsorship).

The long-term objective of the sub-regional program is: “Speedup of IWRM – 2005 Objectives Implementation in Central Asia”.

The short-term (essential) objectives are as follows:

• Assistance to development of the IWRM plans in those countries which are ready to start this process;
• Promotion of the IWRM in dialog about water policy through initiatives for awareness improvement with involvement of the ministers of water resources;
• Capacity building in the area of the IWRM plans development; and
• Analysis of the IWRM problems at the national level.

Planned Outputs:

• The sub-regional report on progress with implementation of the IWRM 2005 objectives and the IWRM planning;
• The accomplished national road maps/working plans for implementation of the IWRM objectives (for three countries: the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan);
• Capacity needs assessment for support to implementation of the IWRM reforms, as identified in the “road maps” and working plans;
• The managerial capacity building in the IWRM planning for the key water managers and decision makers.

Component Performance Period: November 2005 — November 2006

The regional coordination and consultancy team:

• Vadim Sokolov, GWP CACENA - Administrative coordination (vadim@icwc-aral.uz)
• Mikhail Horst - Regional Consultant – Sub-regional Programme coordination (horst_mg@icwc-aral.uz)
• Abdybay Djailoobaev – National Expert, Kyrgyz Republic (djailobaev1961@mail.ru)
• Yarash Pulatov - National Expert, Tajikistan (tj_water@mail.ru)
• Umarkhon Azimov - National Expert, Uzbekistan (sheraliyev@mail.ru)
• Palle Lindgaard-Jørgensen, UNEP Collaborating Centre on Water and Environment, UCC Water, Senior Programme Advisor, Central Asia (plj@dhi.dk)
• Per Bøgelund Hansen, UNEP Collaborating Centre on Water and Environment, UCC Water, Administrator (pbh@dhi.dk)