Interstate collaboration in the Aral Sea basin – success and problems

Thessaloniki, Greece15-18 October 2008

Scientific Information Centerof Interstate Coordination WaterCommission is engaged in problemsof water resources managementin the Aral Sea basin.Scientific Information Center developed the complex of management optimization models of the Aral Sea basin (Syrdarya and Amudarya) which is known in region and is applied by us at the decision of practical tasks

Organization created in 1992, has the status international, organizes a Organization created in 1992, has the status international, organizes a scientific and information exchange between the states of the basin, and scientific and information exchange between the states of the basin, and develops the recommendations for rational water resources managementdevelops the recommendations for rational water resources management

Kazakhstan Kirgizstan Tadjikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

What had achieved?

implemented system of annual planning, monitoring and operation of rivers' flow in close communication between regional and national waters' bodies;

water allocation and delivery to the national water heads helped to avoid conflict between states even in conditions of 3 water scarce and 4 flood years;

information system is open for stakeholders of all states and outsider on the website www.cawater-info.net;

training system with Head quarter and their branches was organized and has been functioning successfully;

average water delivery to irrigated lands was reduced from 14,0 thousand m3/ha in 1990 to 11500 m3/ha in 2007.

Present challengesPresent challenges

population growth

urban area growth

increasing environmental demand

irrigated area expansion

climate change

decline of agricultural production

sudden reduction of government support and investments

increase of operational needs

weakened staff capacities

Climate impact

Increase in scale and frequency of extreme phenomena

Increase in scale and frequency of extreme phenomena

Wate r re s ourc e s in the S yrdarya r ive r ove r 1970/1971 - 2005/2006 - total inflow to T ok tog ul, A ndiz han, and C harvak re s e rvoirs , d iff e re nc e from the norm (%).

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

1970

/197

1

1971

/197

2

1972

/197

3

1973

/197

4

1974

/197

5

1975

/197

6

1976

/197

7

1977

/197

8

1978

/197

9

1979

/198

0

1980

/198

1

1981

/198

2

1982

/198

3

1983

/198

4

1984

/198

5

1985

/198

6

1986

/198

7

1987

/198

8

1988

/198

9

1989

/199

0

1990

/199

1

1991

/199

2

1992

/199

3

1993

/199

4

1994

/199

5

1995

/199

6

1996

/199

7

1997

/199

8

1998

/199

9

1999

/200

0

2000

/200

1

2001

/200

2

2002

/200

3

2003

/200

4

2004

/200

5

2005

/200

6

2005 Optimistic

option

1870

m3/person 1560

m3/person 1430 m3/person

Business as

usual Pessimist.

2460 m3 per

person

What can we expect in 2030?What can we expect in 2030?

The population growth have tend to decreasing and will be 0.98% per year up to 2020.

Growth rate of gross national product::

6-8% 2000-2010

8-10% 2010-2015

~6% 2015-2020

High level of regional

integrationIrrigation rate –9,4 th. m3/ha

Domestic water use – 0.08 th. m3/person/year (220 l/day)

Optimistic scenario

What should be done regulation of population grow; adaptation to climate change; increase degree of this regulation; achievement of high degree of collaborative (not only

coordinative and communicative) relations between riparian countries and different branches of economy; avoiding conflict between "upper watershed", interested in hydropower and low and middle reaches, interested in ecology and irrigation;

implementation of IWRM; creation of strong legal and juridical framework of

interrelation and collaboration; implementation of financial tools for sharing cost and

benefit in the transboundary waters.

IWRM is a system of management that should include integration of: all types of water, all levels of water hierarchy [basin – system – canal –

WUAs – farmers or water consumers] from "bottom to top" by requirements and inputs and from "top to down" by limitations and rules;

all branches of water systems on the horizontal level [hydropower – water supply – irrigation – fishery – nature];

civil society and water management organizations; nature and society.

All types of integration need to be oriented towards the achievement of potential productivity of water in each water use.

12

ЮФК. Фактическая водоподача. Вегетация

1053

925

871

816

643

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

ЮФК

Во

до

по

дач

а,

мл

н.м

3

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Adoption of IWRM in the Fergana Valley

The Southern Fergana Canal. Efficiency (%). Vegetation period

95 95 96

92

94

91

88

81

89

94 95

91

95

90

92

87

98 98 98 98 97 97 96

94

89

94

90

60

70

80

90

100

БУ 1 БУ 2 БУ 3 БУ 4 БУ 5 БУ 6 БУ 7 БУ 8 ЮФК

КП

Д, %

2004 2005 2006

БУ – балансовый участок

The Southern Fergana Canal. Uniformity. Vegetation period.

92 92 92

86

91

9593

9091

95

9391

95

90 89

97

87

92

9698

93

96

88

96 97 96 95

70

80

90

100

БУ 1 БУ 2 БУ 3 БУ 4 БУ 5 БУ 6 БУ 7 БУ 8 ЮФК

Равн

омер

ност

ь, %

2004 2005 2006

БУ – балансовый участок

Aral Sea basin- innovation tasks- S&T

Scenarios of future development

Increase of used water resources

•Clarification of water losses in rivers•Particular demineralization of CDV•Improvement of water forecast

Increase of water productivity

Improvement system of water management

Environmental and social dimensions

Implementation of IWRMExtension service Water measuring for water usersMutual use of surface and ground water

SCADA implementation Water energy nexusLegal tools Proceeding of operationTraining

Ecological flow RS monitoring of rivers delta landsAral Sea coast protectionAral Sea decision Climate change adapt

With the support of CIDA, USAID and SDC, BWO “Syrdarya” together with SIC ICWC started implementing SCADA in 10 stations. This system allows for continuous registration of water discharge, level, and salinity, as well as for improvement of water distribution accuracy at the main off-takes from ± 10 % to ± 2 %. It is planned to cover the mid-stream up to Chardara by 2010 together with SDC.

Water productivity in Central Asia implies, first of all, land productivity under minimum water consumption; the promotion of extension services for farmer training can also contribute to the reduction of soil cover degradation, at which the new direction of OSCE is aimed.

We should learn to look forward! Training of future water leaders!We should learn to look forward! Training of future water leaders!

The future in hands of our children

Water end education

Our future is a return to traditions of the past, that includes extremely careful respect, saving, justice, maintaining the clean water, conventional water use traditions with mirabs, aryk-aksakals, water khoshars. Let's return to old postulates with a new level of our knowledge, experience and technical opportunities!