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Summary
Report of Panel Session
on the Aral Sea Basin problems «Commitment for Ensuring
Water Security in the Aral Sea Basin – Cooperation versus
Competition» December 4, 2007, Beppu, Japan
Within the
framework of the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS), taken
place on December 3-4, 2007 in Beppu, Japan, the Executive
Committee of IFAS has organised a panel session «Commitment
for Ensuring Water Security in the Aral Sea Basin -
Cooperation versus Competition». The session has been taken
place in the morning on December 4, 2007 in the Internatinal
Conference Room B-CON PLAZA with the participation of
official delegations of the Central Asia countries and
Azerbaijan, representatives of the international
organisations and donors, scientifics, experts and
mass-media. As a session moderator has addressed Mr. Loic
Fauchon, President of World Water Council, and as reporter -
Mr. Andras Szollosi-Nagy, UNESCO’s Assistant Director
General, Chair of World Hydrological Program.
The
session was organised with a view of discussion of existing
problems of the Aral Sea Basin in the context of APWF
Priority Themes, attraction of attention of the world
community to addressing of the Aral Sea Basin problems, as
well as mobilisation of efforts of the central-Asian
countries, UN institutions, international organisations,
donor agencies, NGO and other interested parties for
achieving of MDG in Central Asia.
The
session has begun by opening remarks of Mr. Loic Fauchon,
President of WWC which, having greeted the participants of
session, has specified the purpose of its carrying out.
After that the President of IFAS, President of the Republic
of Tajikistan H.E. Emomali Rahmon has made a keynote speech.
H.E.
Emomali Rahmon has discribed the main problems of the Aral
Sea Basin and expressed concern in aggravation of problems
in connection with degradation of glaciers and snowfields in
a zone of flow formation, increase of water consumption
caused by growth of population and development of economy.
He has noted, that the Aral Sea Basin problem on the
parametres has gone beyond of subregional for a long time
and obtained regional and planetary dimension and therefore
there is a need in helping of the international
organisations and donors for the Central Asia countries for
solution of these problems. He has also underlined, that
declaring the Aral Sea Basin as a priority pilot region on
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and giving
to the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea the status
of United Nations Institute could become the most important
practical step to this direction. Touching on issues of
ensuring fresh drinking water for the population, he has
noted, that Tajikistan proposes to create the International
Consortium on use of fresh water of Sarez Lake in Tajikistan
for water supply of the population of Central Asia. On the
one part it will allow address the problem of ensuring fresh
drinking water for the population, and on the opposite part
to reduce break risk of this lake, threatening a life of 6
million people of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan. As well as the President has invited all to
gather at the end of June 2008 in Dushanbe to discuss water
related disaster reduction within the framework of the
International Conference to be organized by the Government
of Tajikistan. H.E. Emomali Rahmon has also suggested ideas
of establishment of the Central Asia subregional Center of
APWF in Dushanbe and development of Water Doctrine of the
subregion in a context of Priority Themes of APWF and called
to support IFAS in realisation of the Program of concrete
actions on improvement of ecological and socio-economic
situations in the Aral Sea Basin for the period of
2003-2010 (ASBP-2).
In session
have also addressed Mr. Koshmatov B.T. - Director General of
the Water Economy Department of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Water Economy and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz
Republic, Mr. Ryabtsev A.D - Chair of the Water Resources
Committee, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of
Kazakhstan, Mr. Khamraev Sh. R. - Deputy Minister of
Agriculture and Water Economy of the Republic of
Uzbekistan, Mr. Said Yoqubzod - Minister of Melioration and
Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan, and Mr.
Rahimov S.N. –Chairman of the Executive Committee of IFAS.
On problems of the population growth, development of big
cities and adaptation to climate change, and also
environmental problems of Caspian Sea has made a speech Mr
Seyid Baghirov, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of
the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The
addressed participants, having noted the most important
problems of their countries and region in a context of
Priority Themes of ÀPWF, have stated ideas and offers on
their decision. In particular the problems of increasing
need in water and improvement of water resources management,
difficulty of balance of interests of hydropower and
irrigation, degradation of the Aral Sea and ecological
systems, thawing of glaciers and snowfields and its
influence on regime of rivers, lack of financing of water
sector, rapid water related disasters, strengthening of
regional cooperation on use of water resources and etc. have
been emphasized. It was underlined that decision of these
problems along with adequate financing demands development
of the general approaches and joint efforts, efficient
interaction of all states of the Aral Sea Basin. As well as
it has been noted that Central Asia has a rich human
potential, adjusted regional cooperation and a big
experience which can promote to solve these problems.
Representatives of the Asian Bank of Development,
International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, World
Meteorological Organization and Japan International
Cooperation Agency informed about implemented projects in
Central Asia and further plans of support of the countries
of region on improvement of water resources management,
water related disasters reduction, and decision of other
water related problems.
The
session reporter Mr. Andras Szollosi-Nagy, summing up the
session has noted that the Aral Sea Basin problems,
aggravated in the conditions of global warming and
population growth need in mobilisation of efforts of all
interested parties and more adjusted cooperation of the
countries of the basin. The political will of leaders of the
states of region is important in this plan. The steadiness
of leaders and strengthening of regional cooperation can
ensure water safety in Central Asia. He has expressed
gratitude to all session participants and called the
representatives of international organizations and donor
agencies to help the countries of the Aral Sea Basin in
solution of the mentioned problems.
The Acting
Chaiman of EC IFAS Mr. Rahimov S.N. has presented the
results of panel session on «Commitment for Ensuring Ware
Security in the Aral Sea Basin – Cooperation versus
competition» at the closing ceremony of the Summit which has
taken place in the afternoon of same day. By the address he
has noted that the Aral Sea crisis is very dramatic disaster
of the XX-th century. The region countries make considerable
efforts for its overcoming, but its scales are so huge, that
it is not enough their efforts. For the last 15 years the
certain successes has been made, however many problems are
unresolved. Only association of efforts will help to save
the Aral Sea, to solve problems of its basin and to mitigate
the consequences of a global climate change in this region.
Seting out
the session results, Mr. S. Rahimov has underlined that as
discussion result have been became the following key
messages and an appeal to the international organisations on
improvement of water resources management in a view to
ensuring water security in Central Asia and a prosperity of
the people living in it:
-
to
give the status of the United Nations institution to the
International Fund for saving the Aral Sea for
coordination of activity of the international
organizations and donors with announcement of the Aral
Sea Basin as priority pilot region for achievement of
the Millennium Development Goals;
-
to
support to the Central Asia countries in solution of the
Aral Sea Basin problems, and also to the International
Fund for saving the Aral Sea in realization of the
Program of concrete actions on improvement of ecological
and socio-economic situations in the Aral Sea Basin for
the period of 2003-2010 (ASBP-2).
-
to
assist establishment of International Consortium on
using of the fresh water resources of the Sarez Lake for
drinking water supply of millions people in Central
Asia and thereby to reduce its break risk.
-
to
develop Water Doctrine of the Central Asia sub-region in
context of the APWF Priority Themes with concrete
commitments on water financing, disaster management in
interrelation with ecosystem approach in development in
collaboration with APWF.
-
to
develop to create the Aral Sea Basin Public Water
Council.
-
to
support initiative of Tajikistan in organization of the
International Conference on Reduction of Water-Related
Disasters, in 2008, in Dushanbe with announcement at
this Conference the results of the 1st Asia-Pacific
Water Summit.
He hoped
that initiatives offered within the framework of Panel
session on the Aral Sea Basin problems will be included in
the total documents of the Summit, and will promote
improvement of water resources management in Central Asia.
Mr. S. Rahimov has expressed a gratitude to the President of
IFAS, President of the Republic of Tajikistan H.E. Emomali
Rahmon and to the President of APWF, Chair of the Summit
Steering Committee H.E. Yoshiro Mori for support in carrying
out of this important session for Central Asia, and thanked
the Japan Water Forum, Oita Prefecture for organization of
the Summit and hospitality. |
