IWRM in Kazakhstan, What Does it Mean
Article for the Water Journal of Vodokanals
Tim Hannan
Brief Background to the Project
In June 2004, the UNDP / GWP Project for a National Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Efficiency Plan began. It will run until June 2007 with three primary outputs of:
- Preparation of the National Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Water Efficiency Plans and River Basin IWRM and Efficiency Plans by late 2005
- Establishment of River Basin Councils (RBCs) by late 2005
- Development of the Strategy for the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Water Supply and Sanitation by late 2006
The three outputs are interlinked. For example, achievement of the MDGs for water supply and sanitation requires effective water resources management and effective water resources management requires participation of all water users in the decision making process, facilitated partly by the River Basin Councils.
Regarding water and its management there are currently two primary global initiatives. The first is the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), part of the Millennium Declaration in 2000,which is an agreed worldwide effort to address human development.Kazakhstan, along with all UN member states,is a signatory to theDeclaration. There are 7 Goals and 10 Targets in all but the one explicitly addressing water is Goal 7, Target 10 which is to“reduce by half, between now and 2015, the proportion of people who lack sustainable access to adequate sources of affordable and safe drinking water and sanitation.” The first step in the achievement of Target 10 is the development of a Strategy for the Achievement of the MDGs for Water Supply and Sanitation.
The second initiative is to establish the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in all countries. Worldwide expertise in water management is in agreement that to achieve the MDGsimproved water resources management is crucial. International experience has also shown that the approach referred to as Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is the only one which is effective.
Therefore, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002) the main directive was that all countries must work toward instituting IWRM in their own countries and, more specifically, each country should prepare a National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plan by 2005. Again, Kazakhstan is a signatory to the Johannesburg Directive.
The Project will assist the Committee for Water Resources (Ministry of Agriculture) in the preparation of both the MDG Strategy and the National IWRM Plan, which will be CWR documents for presentation to government for consideration for financing.
This brief article focuses on what IWRM is, what it means to Kazakhstan and how it may be put into practice.
What is Integrated Water Resources Management?
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is the term given to international best practice in water management. In practical terms each country and indeed each river basin may be able to define for themselves what IWRM means for them. However, the Global Water Partnership, which promotes and supports the implementation of the principles of IWRM, offers the following general definition:
“IWRM is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.”
The word ‘integrated’ in IWRM means finding the right balance between all water users, which means human as well as non-human users – in other words ecosystems or the environment.
‘Integrated’ means balancing the needs of social and economic development with the need to protect and preserve the health of the water bodies and the watershed, for today and tomorrow.
‘Integrated’ refers to managing all water resources together – surface water and groundwater – as well as water quality. Using the most efficient water source simply makes good management sense. Water quality needs to be managed throughout the basin as a whole. For example, dumping untreated waste in one part of the river means the resource has deteriorated for all users downstream.
‘Integrated’ also refers to water conservation – putting equivalent effort into reducing demand as well as ensuring supply.
‘Equity’ means that the poor are provided access to water – for all their needs – equal to that of wealthier members of society.
‘Sustainability’ refers mainly to the environment or ecosystems, but really means something more simple –to ensure that the water resource and the watershed are as good or better tomorrow than they are today.
‘Sustainability’ also refers to economic or financial concerns. Investment in infrastructure, for example, must be accompanied by the assurance of adequate budgets for operations and maintenance and other recurrent expenditures.
Efficient water use is implied or assumed in all of the above definitions. Part of the Johannesburg Directive was to make efficiency more explicit to ensure that efficiency is properly addressed in the IWRM Plans. In this context ‘efficiency’ means the use of the water in a way that minimises resources, especially water, but including financial, human and other resources.
In practice, IWRM means a change in the approach to management as well. It means involving the stakeholders, the water users of all descriptions including the general public, in water resources management decision making. Mainly this allows people with specific and professional concern for the environment and for social welfare, as well as for economic development, to have influence over how water is managed.
Transparency and accountability in water management decision making are necessary features of IWRM, which simply means that there should be full access to water related information and that decisions are made with full understanding of all concerned and that the water users have the right to question and complain to the water resources management organisations.
We make this step because traditionally it is only economic enterprises that were considered in water resources management decision making – basically supplying water to the main users – without regard for the environment or the needs of the people to have clean and adequate water.
In Kazakhstan, this approach has resulted in a country of very poor water quality - of near catastrophic proportions in most rivers and other water bodies. It has also resulted in a very inefficient use of water resources through great waste in irrigation use, in urban water systems, etc.
Many water resources management professionals will prefer to stay with the ‘old ways’ unless given impetus to do otherwise. The global move toward IWRM provides that impetus and supports the change. Indeed, where the move to IWRM has been made, water managers have found their jobs to be easier – after all, knowing what your water users need makes it easier to provide the service.
What does this mean for Kazakhstan?
In Kazakhstan it must first and foremost be accepted that the problem with water shortages and the lack of adequate water of good quality in certain areas is not a resource problem – it is a management problem. This has been the conclusion of every recent water resources study in the country.
Kazakhstan is well placed to make the changes necessary to adopt IWRM. With the eight River Basin Organisations (RBOs) in place under the Committee for Water Resources (CWR), water is managed at the river basin level, the first principle of IWRM.
Secondly, the new Water Code, passed in July 2003, is now the key piece of legislation guiding implementing IWRM in Kazakhstan. The Code calls for the formation of River Basin Councils (RBCs) which are the representatives of all water users, contributing to the need for stakeholder participation which is such an important feature of IWRM. It also places the responsibility for all aspects of water resources management in the hands of the RBOs, as they are charged with managing the “use and protection” of water resources. The word ‘protection’ is important because it implies conservation, protection of the watershed, managing water quality and other important aspects of ‘integration’.
Several other initiatives provide direction to improving water resources management:
- The Law on Environmental Protection (1997) has many components which are related to water and govern the protection of the environment, including the water environment. This is to be revised into an Environmental Code in 2005.
- The Strategic Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan Up To 2010 (approved 4 December 2001, no. 735) includes several elements on the improvement of water resources, their management and the environment.
- The President’s message to the people of Kazakhstan on “Prosperity, Security and Ever Growing Welfare of all the Kazakhstan People”, a Vision for 2030 contains several references to ensuring good quality water to protect the health of the people and, especially to ensure the health and livelihood of rural people.
But there is a long way to go. Currently, the RBOs are very weak in terms of authority budget allocations, levels of staffing and overall technical capacity, all of which need to be improved if they are to develop into fully functional water resources management organisations.
Significant work needs to be done on improving coordination among the various ministries, departments, organisations which have a role in water management, with resulting gaps in responsibility. One example of great concern is that no organisation has the specific responsibility to act to improve water quality in rivers and other water bodies. The Committee for Environmental Protection has a mandate only to monitor.
The National Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Efficiency Plan
Over this next year the National IWRM Plan will be prepared with the CWR. This document will outline how IWRM will be instituted in Kazakhstan – how the coordination will be improved, how all aspects of water management will be organized, how it will be financed, who will have responsibility. It will identify gaps which need to be filled, concerns such as education of the next generation of water resources managers. In short, all aspects that need to be solved in establishing IWRM and how they may be accomplished.
Many people will participate in and contribute to the Plan, as experts in water and in other fields, as water users, as concerned citizens. Beyond this is the actual implementation of IWRM, which will include the preparation of River Basin IWRM Plans, also supported by this Project. Full implementation will require commitment of finances and human resources and the support of Central Government which will be assured through promoting an understanding of the proven link between effective management of water and a strong and developing economy.
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Article on IWRM for the Vodokanal Journal