Progress in strengthening water resources management in Kyrgyzstan

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The eighth meeting of the Steering Committee of the National Policy Dialogue on integrated water resources in management in Kyrgyzstan took place in Bishkek on 24 October 2012. It was organized by the Department of Water Management and Melioration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Melioration of Kyrgyzstan in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the framework of the European Union Water Initiative.

The eighth meeting of the Steering Committee of the National Policy Dialogue on integrated water resources in management in Kyrgyzstan took place in Bishkek on 24 October 2012. It was organized by the Department of Water Management and Melioration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Melioration of Kyrgyzstan in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the framework of the European Union Water Initiative.

The Steering Committee discussed the report “Setting targets in the context of the Protocol on Water and Health in Kyrgyzstan” and decided to submit it for review to the ministries, agencies and local authorities. The report analyses key challenges for water supply, sanitation and reducing water-related diseases in Kyrgyzstan and suggests measures and targets aimed to improve the situation through coordinated action of governmental authorities and non-governmental organizations.

The Steering Committee defined the following priority areas for the National Policy Dialogue in 2013:

• Support for implementation of basin management in Kyrgyzstan (basin management plans, basin councils and development of a basin management system for the Chu River Basin).
• Support for the continuation of work on the targets on water and health in the context of the Protocol on Water and Health (implementation and monitoring of the targets).
• Review of subsidies which impact on the state of water resources, water infrastructure and water management.
• Development of an action plan to implement the recommendations designed to improve the use of economic instruments for water management in pilot basins.
• Provision of a platform for the sharing of information and coordination of activities of international organizations and donors in the water sector in Kyrgyzstan.

Representatives of international organizations — the European Union, the German Society for International Cooperation, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Department for International Development (United Kingdom) — also attended the meeting. This provided an opportunity to exchange information on the projects being implemented by international organizations and donors in the area of water resources management and transboundary water cooperation in Kyrgyzstan and other countries of Central Asia, with a view to increasing coordination of international support and assistance in the area.

In addition, representatives of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan took part in the Steering Committee meeting and shared their experiences in conducting the National Policy Dialogues in those countries.

More information is available at: http://www.unece.org/env/water/npd