Stockholm, 29 August 2014.

1. Technical Focus Paper:
IWRM Implementation in Central Asia
Vadim SOKOLOV
Regional Coordinator
Global Water Partnership Central Asia and Caucasus
(in co-operation with Prof. Victor Dukhovny and
Dr. Dinara Ziganshina, SIC ICWC)
GWP TEC meeting
Stockholm, Sweden, 29-30 August 2014

2. This paper is not about IWRM itself…
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…rather this is a story on how local competence in IWRM was developing in the setting of a region where water has been playing a vital role for millennia
… and a story on knowledge building and its transformation into practical instruments, which help people to have better and prosperous lives.

3. •BUT the role of GWP was fundamental for the systematization of knowledge and experiencesfrom past and modern water management practices, and what is crucial –for better understanding of future developments.
•GWP can be proud of its contribution to building IWRM competenceamong water profs but also key stakeholders, including policy makers.
Competence is a cluster of related abilities, commitments, knowledge, and skills that enables countries to implement IWRM in practice
•In 2002 when GWP came to the CACENA region to promote IWRM, itdid not start from the scratch:
•Central Asia had a long history of managing water, with 6000 years old irrigation practices;
•In 1950-90s, initial understanding of the need for integrated approaches in water management has emerged among waters profs.
For the tree of IWRM to grow and thrive, it should be rooted on basic principles and fertilised by knowledge and practical experiences

4. Water security can be improved through reforms based on IWRM practical implementation
‘IWRM adopters’ are driving forces to implement reforms, they push:
•Incentives, motivation, and stimulus, which are needed to ensure that IWRM is self-sustaining.
•The involvement of stakeholders at all levels and increasing the number of IWRM adopters is crucial in achieving targets of reform.
Critical mass or 25-30% of IWRM adopters is needed for IWRM process to reach the stage where the process will be self-sustaining without strong external support and promotion.
•Currently, IWRM is adopted on only 5 percent of the total irrigated area in Central Asia.
•Another 20-25% of IWRM adopters is needed
GWP’s role is to help create this critical mass, with proper competence!

5. Scope and scale of IWRM competence in Central Asia(past interventions that used GWP’s knowledge)
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Project
Levelsof Water Management Hierarchy
Trans- boundary
National
Sectors
Canal management
Other water users
Irrigation
WS&S
Hydropower
Nature
National IWRM
plan in Kazakhstan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
none
Yes
none
Yes
IWRM in Zerafshan
Basin
none
Yes
Yes
Yes
none
Yes
none
Yes
IWRM in Fergana
Valley
partially
Yes
Yes
none
none
Yes
Yes
Yes
RESP 2 Uzbekistan
none
Yes
Yes
none
none
none
partially
Yes
WAREMASP
Uzbekistan
none
Yes
Yes
none
none
none
none
Yes

6. Often IWRM concept is used as a ‘slogan’– without clear understanding of what it is in practice
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Our understanding of IWRM: it is a process,including dynamically developed governance system at different levels of water management hierarchy, that facilitates efficient and equitable water resources management (protection, delivery and use) through application of advanced tools
Integrated Water Resources Management
Water Governance System
Water Management Process
Strategy / planning
Law
Water supply
hydrographic boundaries
Water demand
administrative boundaries
Institutions
Finance
basin, sub-basin, system,
WUAs, end users
transboundary, national, province, district, WUAs, end users
Stakeholders’participation
Ethics
Operational planning, water delivery, water accounting, O&M, infrastructure, water related disaster mitigation
Setting water use rates, metering, extension services, climate related information, modern irrigation practices, environmental needs
Tools + Capacity and Human Resources Development
But, again we did not focus paper to technical details…

7. Good water governance is essential for IWRM implementationStill a lot should be done to achieve ‘good’governance in CA, and as a first priority –we need more info
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Actions to achieve good governance
Central Asian countries*)
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
IWRM recognition in national legislation
accepted
accepted
accepted
accepted
Recognition of hydrographisation
accepted
accepted
accepted
accepted
Completion of hydrographisation
100%
100%
need moreinfo
70%
Recognition of the public participation
accepted
accepted
accepted
accepted
Public involvement
formal
formal
formal
formal
Recognition of water committees
accepted
accepted
accepted
accepted
Operation of water committees
formal
formal
formal
formal
Effective financial mechanisms
need moreinfo
need moreinfo
need moreinfo
need moreinfo
Encouragement of water saving
need moreinfo
weak
need moreinfo
weak
Law on water users associations
accepted
accepted
accepted
In progress
Completion of WUAestablishment process
accepted
accepted
need moreinfo
accepted
*) Turkmenistan –not assessed -need moreinfo

8. Main focus of capacity building should be addressed to minimizing the negative impact of destabilizing forces on IWRM implementation
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9. Transboundary dimension: Is it possible to create a positive nexus among water, food, energy and environmental security?
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•Competing interests for water at transboundary level, especially when different sectors involved, have great potential to transform the issue into cross-national confrontation, where political and corporative ambitions dominate over common sense of sustainable balance.
•The positive nexus in Central Asia can be achieved, if river flow is regulated for the benefits of the public and environmental interests rather than purely commercial interests of some sectors.
•Flow regulation along transboundary rivers should be agreed by main stakeholders at sectoral and national levels. Examples of USA-Canada and Rhine Commission: water releases along rivers performed not upon decisions of infrastructure owners but by water authorities upon policy agreement with all riparians.
Hence, the only way forward is to search for a consensus with a spirit of good will for cooperation on the basic principles of IWRM.

10. In lieu of a conclusion: Some ethical dimensions
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•The main ethical rule related to water should be: ‘do not hold water resources at the expense of others' rights to hold the same water resources’
•We proposed to set the benchmark and establish written rules for ethical behaviour in water use and management -in the form of code of practice for IWRM implementation. This would not be legally binding and is not intended to replace the provisions of national laws or regulations, but it could provide practical (heuristic) guidance and set out professional standards of behaviour around water.
•The working definition for IWRM Code of Practice may be:
Principles, values, standards, or rules of behaviour that guide the decisions,
procedures, and systems of water management organisations in a way that
(a)contributes to the welfare of key stakeholders,
(b)respects the rights of all constituents affected by its operations, and
(c)fosters the realisation of the collective goals of public interest.

11. Sincerely appreciation to all who supported our TF paper:
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GWP TEC members and personally Mohamed Ait Kadi –who initiated paper
Editor, who helped to complete our paper
Our colleagues within and outside region, who shared their ideas and contributions
We strongly recommend to continue this series of publications
All RWPs should mobilize their technical expertise to contribute to synthesis GWP’s knowledge, based on experiences from concrete situations at regional, national or local levels

12. Thank you for attention and support! We are ready to continue discussions, any ideas welcome… More info:
vadim@icwc-aral.uz
www.gwp-cacena.org
www.cawater-info.net