The aim of the Round Table was to discuss priorities and goals of Uzbekistan for 2014-2020 to ensure water security. The roundtable was organized by CWP-Uzbekistan under support of. GWP CACENA.
Mr. Ravshan Mamutov, Deputy Head of the General Department on Water Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan, welcomed the roundtable participants. He noted that Uzbekistan depends on its neighbors as to needed water from the surface water bodies because only 15% of water resources used in the country are formed inside. This fact denotes the water security risk for next generations in Uzbekistan. Other threats related to guaranteed water access in Uzbekistan include the followings:
- Weakness of institutional aspect of water resources management and absence of perspective planning;
- No agreed legal base for water regime regulation at the international (transboundary) and national level;
- Weakness of information support of water sector;
- Aging of water management infrastructure resulting in non-efficient water use (especially in irrigated agriculture that uses 90% of total water resources).
Mr. Sokolov V.I., GWP CACENA Regional Coordinator and Deputy Director of SIC ICWC, informed the roundtable participants about the Vision "Uzbekistan 2030" that is being developed by the Institute of Predicting and Macroeconomic Investigations of Uzbekistan. This vision is directed to propose the steps leading Uzbekistan to the developed countries up to 2030. The following areas are of special interest:
- Forming institutional preconditions for developing competitive environment as key factor to increase efficiency of economy and accelerating of structural reform (including agriculture and water management);
- Energy and environment sustainability: main directions to shift to the resources-effective growth model;
- Social stability in long-run prospect: key directions of social policy reforming;
- Spatial aspects of increasing regional industrial potential as to water support.
Prof. Dukhovny V.A., Director of SIC ICWC, asked participants to propose how to develop water management efficiently within the Vision "Uzbekistan 2030". The comprehensive program on decreasing non-productive water losses at the various levels of governance and water use has to be the main direction of sustainable development. The important task is creation of legal liability system for all stakeholders.
Mr. Saidrasul Sanginov, Vice-Chairman of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan, noted that problems in the Aral Sea and surrounding territories are very serious and influence far beyond the region even are spreading to global.
Mr. Khaydarov T., Head of Department on Regional Water Supply of Uzbek Agency "Uzkommunkhizmat", presented the Program on integrated development and modernization of drinking water supply and sanitation in the Republic of Uzbekistan up to 2020". This program includes:
- Diagnostics and surveys of all water bodies for drinking purposes to ensure reliable and quality water supply;
- Water supply of rural settlements as much as possible, including the residential communities that are being built on standard design;
- Preparing and implementing the projects for sanitation sphere, first of all in towns where water supply reconstruction is finished;
- Completion of equipping installation for metering water consumption; implementing the automated metering system for consumers;
- Further improvement of the legal and institutional management of water sector, optimization of organizational structure of regional water supply and sanitation;
- Development of draft concept on integrated development and modernization of drinking water supply and sanitation up to 2035.
Representatives of Hydrometeorological Service of Uzbekisran informed about main ways of development of this sphere:
- development and improvement of the state system of meteorological observations;
- hydrometeorological service of the economy, population and the armed forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
- creation and maintenance of the state hydrometeorological data fund, the state data on environment pollution, the state monitoring system of surface waters;
- coordination of creating and maintenance of the state water cadastre;
- regular observations of air pollution, soil and surface waters contamination, as well as hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena;
- scientific researches on improving short- and longterm forecasts of weather, water content of river, climate change.
Mr. Djalalov A.A., Deputy Head of the Republican Association "Uzvodremekspluatatsiya", has stressed importance of public and water specialists awareness and improving water culture as well as sharing of knowledge and best practices in the water management sphere.
Representatives of science and education stressed the importance of skilled manpower for water sector of the Republic and further development of scientific potential. The roundtable participants were informed that the Cabinet of Ministers approved new scientific and practical journal "Irrigation and Reclamation" that will be published quarterly in 2014.
Representatives of NGOs and mass media stressed a need of access to reliable information that will promote water problems and water education more efficiently.
The roundtable participants expressed their gratitude to GWP CACENA for organizing this event and supported the idea of organizing such events on a regular basis in the future. Such a platform for consultations is very important in the process of developing a Vision "Uzbekistan - 2030".
Welcoming of Mr. Ravshan Mamutov, Deputy Head of the General Department on Water Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Discussion
Mr. Boris Tsarev, representative of the Hydrometeorological Service of Uzbekistan
Mr. Salokhiddinov A., Head of a Chair, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Land Reclamation
Mr. Sultanov T.A., Director, Uzbek office of REC CA
Prof. Shavkat Rakhimov, Director of Research Institute of Irrigation and Water Problems
Mrs. Karandaeva N.M., a leading researcher of the Hydrometeorological Research Institute
Mrs. Natalia Shulepina, chief editor of the website "Sreda.uz"
Mr. Babakhodjaev, Head of Administration, the State Committee of Nature of the Republic of Uzbekistan