UNESCO will support case studies of transboundary aquifers to improve understanding of groundwater resources management. A project will assess three representative aquifers using UNESCO indicators to replicate detailed evaluations. National experts from neighboring countries will collect data and develop a sustainable management strategy for the Pretashkent Aquifer between 2013 and 2015. The goals are to enhance cooperation, national water security, and environmental sustainability through shared understanding and management tools.

1. Wrap up,
Recommendations and
Conclusions
Presented by A Aureli,
UNESCO IHP HQs
11 April 2013

3. UNESCO HAS FORMULATED INDICATORS FOR
THE ASSESSMENT OF Transboundary
AQUIFERS
UNESCO WILL SUPPORT GROUNDWATER
RESOURCES CASE STUDIES:
PROVIDE THE IN DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE
TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER INDISPENSABLE FOR ITS
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

4. TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS
ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS
GLOBAL- LEVEL 1
UNESCO, GEF
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES
REGIONAL – LEVEL 2
CASE STUDIES
SET THE BASE FOR AQUIFERS
MANAGMENT
FINANCED BY THE SDC
ROLES OF AGENCIES
UNESCO and UNESCO IGRAC,
SDC, GEF IW (Funding Organizations):

5. AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL,
IT IS TO REPLICATE THE DETAILED INDICATOR BASED
TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER ASSESSMENTS DEVELOPED AND
PILOTED BY THE PROJECT.
THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO:
IMPROVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNITION OF THE
IMPORTANCE AND VULNERABILITY OF TRANSBOUNDARY
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES,
ESTABLISH CROSS‐BORDER DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION,
AND
DEVELOP SHARED MANAGEMENT TOOLS;

6. PROJECT outputs
Global level-
Indicator Based Assessment of 3
Aquifers representative of different
environmental and socio-economic
conditions,
Regional level-
Information Management Systems
and harmonized monitoring
programs in each project aquifer
National and regional
seminars
National Level –
Better knowledge of the groundwater
resources and
Capacity on Methodology
Multi-country
Consultative
Meetings in the
three project
aquifers agree on
targets

7. GOALS of the UNESCO IHP Groundwater Resources and Transboundary
Aquifer Project :
:
• NATIONAL LEVEL
 COUNTRIES IMPROVE THEIR KNOWLEDGE ON NATIONAL
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES AND
 ON THEIR TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFER (Pretashkent Aquifer ),
 APPLY THE UNESCO INDICATORS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF
AQUIFERS
 REGIONAL LEVEL
 ENHANCED COOPERATION , ENHANCED NATIONAL WATER SECURITY
AND IMPROVED OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
 COUNTRIES COOPERATE AND IMPLEMENT PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR
THE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE AQUIFERS.

8. Within the framework of the UNESCO IHP programme
• The team of experts of the countries
will agreed on the issues to be
studied :
-What are the gaps
-What are the challenges
Will also Agreed on:
The data to be collected
The analysis to be conducted
The equipment to be purchased
Organization of the work amongst the
experts
THE OBJECTIVES OF
THE CASE STUDY
IS :
TO FORMULATE A
SUSTAINABLE
MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY FOR THE
PRETASHKENT
AQUIFER

9. • APRIL 2013
TO
END 2015
2016- 2017
PROJECT
TIME SCALE
FIRST PHASE
SECOND
PHASE ?

10. ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN 2013
-SET UP OF NATIONAL EXPERTS TEAMS BY - MID MAY
- ORGANIZATION OF NATIONAL SEMINARS IN THE TWO
COUNTRIES TO DEFINE DETAILED ACTIONS PROGRAMME AT
NATIONAL LEVEL (GAPS AND CHALLENGES)
AND ELABORATION OF CASE STUDY SPECIFIC
METHODOLOGY
END MAY / JUNE 2013
AND REGIONAL SEMINAR
CASE STUDY SPECIFIC METHODOLOGY PRESENTED AND
AGREED AND COORDINATION BETWEEN THE EXPERTS FOR
JOINT INVESTIGATIONS
SEPTEMBER 2013
-FIRST DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS UP TO THE END OF
THE YEAR 2013
-SECOND REGIONAL SEMINAR ON CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
DECEMBER 2013

11. Overall coordination of the Project
UNESCO IHP
Secretariat in Paris
UNESCO
National level
National Technical
TEAM Group (NTTG)
National Focal Points (one
per country) IHP national
Committee
National Experts
Regional Level
Regional Team
composed by the two
National Team
Members
IHP National Committees
and appointed national
representatives
International and Regional Partners
UNECE, IWMI,
and also RAMSAR, IPCC,
GEF, UNDP, UNEP etc..
Duration of project: First Phase 2year and 1/2
Commencing: April 2013
Completion: December 2015
2. Cost of project: average 350.000US $
(to be confirmed with SDC by end of April 2013 )

12. •THANK
YOU