This document discusses the development of national indicators of water security in Kyrgyzstan. It outlines the motivation and objectives to define water security and identify indicators that reflect the country's needs and priorities while aligning with sustainable development goals. A proposed definition of water security is presented. A methodology from the Asian Development Bank is used to delineate water security into 6 components and 25 elements, with the identification of 41 indicators. Examples are given of how the indicators can be used for policymaking by analyzing trends. Next steps include agreeing on the definition and indicators, developing an action plan, and incorporating the elements and targets into strategies and plans.

1. Abdybaj Djailoobaev,
National Water Partnership of Kyrgyzstan
DEVELOPING NATIONAL INDICATORS OF
WATER SECURITY IN KYRGYZSTAN
GREEN Action Task Force
- Annual meeting -
Almaty, 26-27 October, 2017

2. Content
• Motivation, main objectives and sponsors of this activity implemented
through the NPD on water in Kyrgyzstan
• Developing national definition of water security
• Proposed delineation into components and elements (following the
selected methodology)
• Identification of indicators able reflect most accurately and fully the state
of each element of water security
• How to use the indicators for policy and decision making? - Examples
• Next steps

3. Motivation and main objectives
• Achieving water security is part of SDGs, however neither generally accepted
definition nor indicators of water security exist
• Main objectives: develop national national water security definition and
indicators in KR which:
a. Would take into account as much as possible the country’s specificity, needs,
and priorities in the field of water security;
b. Would be aligned with the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6
and SDG 11.5) and national Green Growth Indicators (GGIs);
c. Could be calculated easily using the existing reporting framework and
statistics or integrated easily into them; and
d. Would be used for decision-making towards greater levels of water security.
• The Project is being implemented through the NPD on water in Kyrgyzstan and
co-sponsored by the OECD and the Government of Finland

4. Developing national definition of
«Water Security»
• Several definitions are known: e.g. those presented in WB, GWP (2000); David Grey
and Claudia W. Sadoff (2007); UN-Water (2013); Declaration on Global Water
Security, Forum of the International Water Entities in Chengdu, China, 2013; Law
of Indonesia; Water Security Index, ADB, 2013; but no one is generally accepted
• High-level meeting on Financing Infrastructure and Global Water Security in its
document (GWP, OECD (2015)) identified a number of risks which need to be
managed efficiently to ensure water security: water stress; excess water; poor
water supply and sanitation; poor water quality; and threats to ecosystems
sustainability. That said, it points out that:
- it is impossible to ensure complete water security, and
- each level of water security comes at cost and has its price.
• In KR, security is defined as protecting vital interests. The Law on National
Security Law of the KR (No. 44 of 26 February 2003) defines them as follows:
Vital interests are a body of needs satisfying which ensures reliably
the existence and opportunities for progressive development of individuals,
society, and the state.

5. Proposed national definition of
Water Security
«Water security is, firstly, satisfying reliably water needs of INDIVIDUALS,
ECONOMY, SOCIETY, and the STATE at an affordable price to secure human health
and livelihoods, as well as economic and social development of the country and,
secondly, sufficient protection of their vital interests against such features of water
resources which under certain conditions might cause harm or damage, and against
man-made or natural disasters or processes caused by natural properties of water.
Finally, it is security of water objects and related ecosystems».

6. Methodology
• The methodology applied by the ADB team to prepare Review of the Water
Sector Development in Asia, 2013, launched at the 2nd
Asia-Pacific Water Summit
in Thailand in May 2013 was used.
• The ADB Working Group prepared general vision of the water security
comprising FIVE interrelated components:
1. Water security of households is a necessary foundation for the efforts to
eradicate poverty and support economic development, which is very relevant to
the KR and the entire Asia-Pacific region.
2. Water security of the economy assesses productive uses of water in support
of economic growth, food, energy and industrial production. Energy and food
security concerns are very relevant to the KR and they cannot be properly
addressed without achieving water security in all the sectors of the economy.

7. Components of water security
3. Water security of cities
4. Security of water resources and ecosystems themselves
5. Protection against water-related hazards (negative impacts of water)
This methodology required some adaptation to the context and needs
of KR and further elaboration to make it more instrumental:
•In the context of the KR, where most of the population live in rural areas (ayils) it
was decided to extend Component 3 to the water security of settlements, both
urban and rural
•Component 6 was included additionally:
6. Overall state of water resources and water systems (fresh water reserves,
including renewable ones; water intake and use, water stress)
•Furthermore, as each component is multi-dimensional, it required delineation of
each Component into a number of Elements the state of which could be presented
by 1-2 measurable indicators

8. Elements and Indicators of Water Security
• Analysis conducted with the methodological support from the OECD made it
possible to delineate the above six Components into a number of Elements
important and relevant (and often challenging) in the context of the KR. E.g.
Component 1: Water Security of Households comprises such Elements as Access
to potable water, Reliability of water supply, Low risk of diseases caused by
poor-quality water; aAffordability of WSS services.
• Proposed components and elements of water security had been consulted with,
and endorsed by, competent ministries and agencies in the KR, following which
selection was made of relevant indicators which would present each element most
completely and accurately.
• It was done jointly with the National Statistics Committee (NSC) of the KR with
due account taken of the statistical and sectoral reporting systems in place in the
KR.

9. Elements and Indicators - 2
• For the 6 Components a total of 25 Elements of water security were identified
which could be described by means of 41 indicators;
• For instance, Low risk of diseases caused by poor-quality water is measured by
the number of outbreaks of diseases caused by poor-quality water and the
number of people affected by the disease - by type of acute disease (acute
intestinal infections, etc.); Affordability of WSS - by percentage of HHs which
spend more than 2.0 percent of their disposable income on water supply,etc.
6
Components 25 Elements
41 Indicators,
out of which:
24 indicators are already in place in the sectoral or statistical
reports or can be easily calculated from the data in the reports
Four indicators have been recommended to be included in the
new statistical report form F1-emergencies.
Four indicators can be determined based on one-off statistical
survey
For six indicators, certain scope of work has been recommended;
and further consultations regarding 3 more indicators

10. How to use the indicators for policy and decision making?
- Incorporate the definition of water security into national legal regulatory acts
- Measure the state and dynamics of water security of KR
- Analyse trends and identify eventual hot issues / problematic areas requiring
policy action; and elaborate an Action plan aimed at improving the state of
respective elements and indicators
Examples: analysis of dynamics of the indicators in 2012-16 (time series) helped to
reveal several problematic areas / negative trends, including:
1. The proportion of population without access to water of drinking quality over
this period has increased:
- in Djalal-Abad oblast: from 4% to 12.2%
- In Osh oblast: from 11.3% to 23.6% (while country average figure is 10%)
2. The proportion of rural households having piped water in their dwellings has
decreased:
- in Djala-Abad oblast: from 1.8% to 1.1%
- In Osh oblast: from 1.6% to as little as 0.1 % (while country average figure is
14.6%)

11. Expected Next Steps
• Have the proposed list of the water security elements and indicators and
the definition of water security agreed upon by competent ministries and
departments, and have the definition integrated in the regulations;
• Develop an Action Plan aimed at improving the status of elements and
indicators, grouping the actions into possible, appropriate, and
recommended ones and determining responsible persons and
implementation timeframe;
• Specify the list of entities responsible for: (a) monitoring each indicator;
and (b) implementation of the planned actions;
• Incorporate the water security elements and target values for indicators in
the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSSD); sectoral
strategies, programmes, and plans; and draft model Law on Water
Security.
Thank you!
Mr Abdybay Dzhayloobaev
Tel.: +996-772-417871, djailobaev1961@mail.ru