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…
…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.
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3. For the tree of IWRM to grow and thrive, it should be
rooted on basic principles and fertilised by knowledge
and practical experiences
• BUT the role of GWP was fundamental for the systematization of knowledge
and experiences from 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 competence among
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, it did 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.

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
Levels of Water Management Hierarchy
Trans-boundary
National Sectors Canal
management
Other
Irrigation WS&S Hydropower Nature water users
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
none Yes Yes none none none none Yes
Uzbekistan

6. Often IWRM concept is used as a ‘slogan’ –
without clear understanding of what it is in practice
Our understanding of IWRM: it is a process, including dynamically developed governance system at
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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 implementation
Still 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 more info 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 more info need more info need more info need more info
Encouragement of water saving need more info weak need more info weak
Law on water users associations accepted accepted accepted In progress
Completion of WUA establishment process accepted accepted need more info accepted
*) Turkmenistan – not assessed - need more info

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?
• 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
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cooperation on the basic principles of IWRM.

10. In lieu of a conclusion: Some ethical dimensions
• 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:
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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 sheared 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 aanndd ssuuppppoorrtt
!!
WWee aarree rreeaaddyy ttoo ccoonnttiinnuuee ddiissccuussssiioonnss,, aannyy iiddeeaass
wweellccoommee……
MMoorree iinnffoo::
vadim@icwc-aral.uz
www.gwp-cacena.org
www.cawater-info.net