UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
UNDP, Global Water Partnership and Government of Norway Project:
“National integrated water resources management;
Water efficiency plan for Kazakshtan”
ANALITICAL OVERVIEW ON THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN KAZAKHSTAN
November 17, 2004
Eugeny TyrtyshnyCENTRALASIAN
CONSULTING
COMPANY «ATASU»
/ Republic of Kazakhstan480091, Almaty
58, Nauryzbay Batyr St., app. 28
tel./fax: (3272) 501133
тел.: (3272) 780558
atasu@atasu/org
www.atasu.org
CONTENT
1. Analysis of current situation in practice of integrated water resources management and water efficiency in Kazakhstan
· Current situation
· Practice of integrated water resources management
· Existing quality standards and norms of maximum allowable levels of water pollution
· Linkage of drinking water quality and population’s health
2. Application of main principles of integrated water resources management in Kazakhstan
· Modern concept of integrated water resources management
· Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on water and sanitation
· Application of main principles of integrated water resources management
3. Organizational, technological and other reforms in the context of integrated water resources management
· Activities on integrated water resources management on the national and regional levels
· Structure on presentation of mutual links of all the participants of water partnership
· Management priorities and limits
· Social aspects of public health in integrated water resources management
· Transboundary aspects of integrated water resources management
· Management tools
· Proposed indicators for integrated water resources management
4. Conclusion
Analysis of current situation
The Committee on water resources is the authorized body in the sphere of water management and prevention in accordance with the Water Code of the Republic of Kazakshtan. The Committee is the part of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and in accordance with the state bodies hierarchy belongs to the governments departments. Within the competency of the Ministry of Agriculture it implements the regulation of water resources management and other special executive and monitoring functions along with interindustrial coordination in the field of water resources management.
Main directions of the Committee activities:
Ø Participation in the development and realization of state policy and priority directions of interstate cooperation on water resources management and protection;
Ø Preparation of the development programs and schemes of complex water resources management;
Ø Approval of standard rules of general water consumption, norms and limits from the point of view of basins and water consumers;
Ø Implementation of state control, calculation and water use, maintenance of the state water cadastre and monitoring activity;
Ø Development of scientific research and construction works, realization of investment projects etc.
The Committee has its territorial administrations in the eight principal river basins of the country - River Basin Organizations (RBOs) with central offices in Almaty, Astana, Atyrau, Karaganda, Kzylorda Kostanay, Semey, Taraz. From 8 river basins only Nura-Sarysu river basin manages internal closed water basins. Within other river basins there are transboundary waterways and they interact with the similar structures or with water resources agencies of the neighboring countries. The principal volume of the water resources is in the management zones of Aral-Syrdarya, Balkhash –Alakol and Irtysh water basins (about 80% of the surface run off). Nura-Sarysu water basin is less supplied by the water resources.
Table 1. Description of the basin River basin Organisations (RBOs)[1]
№ / Name / Covered zones (oblasts) / Water way resources, km3/year / Available average annual flow, км350% / 90%
1 / Aral-Syrdarya / South-Kazakhstan, Kzylorda oblasts / 17.9 / 14.2 / 11.0
2 / Balkhash-Alakol / Almaty, Karaganda, Zhambyl, East-Kazakhstan oblasts / 27.8 / 17.8 / 10.3
3 / Irtysh / East-Kazakhstan, Pavlodar oblasts / 33.5 / 19.7 / 12.3
4 / Ishim / Akmola, North-Kazakhstan oblasts / 2.6 / 0.3 / 1.6
5 / Nura-Sarysu / Karaganda oblast / 1.3 / 0.1 / 0.7
6 / Tobol-Torgay / Kostsnay oblast / 2.0 / 0.3 / 1.4
7 / Ural-Kaspian / Aktobe, Ural, Atyrau,Mangystau oblasts / 11.2 / 3.0 / 2.5
8 / Shu-Talas / Zhambyl, South-Kazakhstan oblasts / 4.2 / 2.7 / 3.7
TOTAL / 100.5 / 58.2 / 43.5
Among the objectives of RBOs are the management of water resources consumption including their distribution between the water consumers, development of diversion and water transmission plans, issuing licenses and permissions for special water usage, determination of water consumption limits and operating mode of reservoirs, effective control on limits observation, preparation of the effective water management plans on basin.
Also in each oblasts the Committee has Republican State Enterprises (RSE) which contain and exploit water resource objects of inter-oblast and republican level of importance. Each RSE contains and exploits technically and technologically complex water resources objects as they were built by special projects and devoted to the water supply of concrete industry and/or the region. Among them are the following most notable waterwork facilities: “Big Almaty Chanel by D.A.Kunaev”, “Satpaev Channel” and other group water-pipes of the virgin lands of the North –Kazakhstan oblasts.
Apart from them there are Hydrogeological-reclamation expeditions (HGRE) and State enterprise (SE)“Kazagromelivodkhoz” in the structure of Committee. The committee performs its activity directly and through its RBOs, HGRE, SE, RSE in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President and Government statements and other regulations.
As it exists the central administration is formed by three divisions and six departments, which regulate the problems of water resources management and supervision, exploitation of waterworks facilities, water supply and melioration systems as well as the financial-economic aspects.
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Table 2. Water resources and water consumption by the economic sectors of the Republic of Kazakhstan[2] (км3)
75% / 95% / Obligatory expenses – sanitary, ecological, transportation etc. / Flow losses on fumes and filtration / Available water resources / 75% / 95%Basins / Average annual flow / Annual flow of different supply / In standard water year / Available water resources in low-water year / Water consumption of the economical sectors
Aral-Syrdarya / 17.9 / 14.7 / 14.2 / 3.1 / 2.8 / 12.0 / 9.8 / 9.3 / 12.0
Balkhash-Alakol / 27.8 / 22.8 / 17.8 / 16.9 / 2.3 / 8.6 / 7.0 / 5.4 / 8.8
Irtysh / 33.8 / 26.6 / 19.7 / 13.1 / 6.8 / 13.9 / 10.8 / 8.0 / 5.4
Ishim / 2.2 / 1.1 / 0.3 / 0.8 / 0.5 / 0.9 / 0.4 / 0.1 / 1.0
Nura-Sarysu / 1.3 / 0.4 / 0.1 / 0.1 / 0.4 / 0.8 / 0.3 / 0.0 / 1.5
Tobol-Torgay / 2.0 / 0.8 / 0.3 / 1.0 / 0.2 / 0.8 / 0.3 / 0.0 / 0.9
Ural-Kaspian / 4.2 / 3.5 / 2.8 / 0.3 / 0.2 / 3.7 / 3.0 / 2.3 / 4.1
Shu-Talas / 11.3 / 6.2 / 3.0 / 7.1 / 2.3 / 1.9 / 1.0 / 0.3 / 0.9
Total / 100.5 / 76.1 / 58.2 / 42.4 / 15.5 / 42.6 / 32.6 / 25.5 / 36.6
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Local representative (Maslikhats) and executive (Akimats) government bodies accomplish governance of water relations on regional level within their authorities.
Maslikhats:
- establish the rules on general water consumption on the basis of standard rules adopted by Committee on water resources;
- approve regional programs on the efficient water use and protection; control of program implementation;
- establish the order of handing for use and withdrawal of water facilities which are in public property.
Akimats:
- create water resources organizations on the management and exploitation of water facilities which are public property;
- establishes water prevention zones, sanitary zones and stripes in the agreement with RBOs territorial departments of geology and protection of mineral resources and sanitary-epidemiological supervision bodies;
- hand water facilities for the joint and separated use in the agreement with the Committee of water resources;
- develop and realize regional programs on water protection;
- coordinate allocation and putting into operation the enterprises and facilities, which influence water conservation and conditions of work production on reservoirs and water protection zones, introduce the limits on water facilities use;
- inform the population on the status of the water facilities.
Due to the worsening water situation in the world, the problem of the sustainable supply of the country is considered in the context of national security. The acuteness of the situation with water supply of Kazakhstan industries is determined by limited water resources, their uneven allocation on the territory, significant changeableness in time, high pollution degree.
Surface water resources of Kazakhstan in the average water year constitute 100.5 km3, from which only 56.3 km3 are formed on the territory of the Republic. The remaining 44.0 km3 volume arrives from neighboring states: China - 18.9, Uzbekistan – 14.6, Russia – 7.5 and Kyrgyzstan – 3.0 km3. During the last 30-35 years average annual river flow has dropped in Kazakhstan by more than 25 km3, mainly thanks to the reduction of transboundary water flow from the neighboring countries.
Total volume of the obligatory ecological sanitary drawdown in the river course taking into account the transit to abroad, losses in reservoirs and channels constitutes 58 km3 per year. For this reason available water resources are assessed as 43.5 km3 per year.
According to the “Availability of water for human development” indicator the available river flows per person in Kazakhstan constitutes[3]:
· Aral sea basin 2580 m3/year
· Balkhash-Alakol basin 2950 m3/year
· Irtysh basin 7070 m3/year
· Ishim basin 520 m3/year
· Nura-Sarysu basin 680 m3/year
· Tobol-Torgay basin 650 m3/year
· Shu-Talas basin 3740 m3/year
· Ural-Kaspian basin 1120 m3/year
Total 2700 m3/year.
According to the statistical reports the distribution of the total volume of water consumption by economical sectors of Kazakhstan in 2002 looks the following:
Table 3.Distribution of water consumption volume
Types of water consumption, sectors / Water consumptionmln. m3 / %
1. Public water supply / 612,43 / 4,0
2.Industrial / 3685,50 / 24,4
3. Agricultural / 10717,24 / 71,0
Including regular irrigation / 7100,96 / 61,0
4. Fishing industry / 89,70 / 0,6
5. Other needs and losses / 0,10
Total: / 15104,97 / 100,0
The level of the water supply in economic sectors is reducing. So, during the last 11 years water consumption volume decreased[2]:
- in population water needs – 2.36 times less:
1414.73 mln. m3 in 1991.
599.50 mln. m3 in 2002.
- in agriculture more than 5 times less
- for production needs – 1.6 times less:
4835.31 mln. m3 in1991.
2936.54 mln. m3 in 2002.
- for land irrigation 2.37 times less:
16705.88 mln. m3 in1991.
7033.06 mln. m3 in 2002.
Ttransition to the market economy on the whole turned out to be challenging for water sector of the country’s economy. Extremely insufficient financing, increasing breach of initially stable links and sharp reduction of the scientific – information exchange negatively influenced the forward movement of the industry and led to some complex problems.
The absolute majority of former interindustrial channels becoming the property of water consumers, was found practically and worthless. The efficiency of water use significantly decreased, the population water supply by the quality water sharply worsened. Due to the low technical condition of irrigation nets, deficit of funds for the repair and standard exploit of channels and hydro- technical facilities some significant nonproductive water losses were and are allowed now in spite of decreasing irrigation land area (from 2.4 to 1.3 mln. hectares).
Nowadays the average volume of water consumption[4] in Central Asian countries for the production of one tone of wheat makes up – 5000 m3, rice – 30000 m3, whereas the average world volume of water consumption for production of one tone of wheat is much less - 1790 m3, and for 1 tone of rice -2380 m3.
The status of former interindustrial and interregional channels, level of competency and authorities of the executive bodies on different levels on the problems of regulation of water relations were found unclear, also on international level. The former system of project-research institutions which performed their activity on the unified methods and norms collapsed.
Recent economic rise traced in the country during the last 3 years allowed the Government to pay more detailed attention to the accumulated problems in the industry[5].
1. First of all efforts were directed to the development of the principal legislative basis of water industry.
- The CWR was developed and “The Concept of water industry and water policy development in Kazakhstan till 2010”was approved by the Kazakhstan Government;
- The new Water Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan was approved by the President Decree of July 9, 2003 № 481-II 3РК;
- The Law “About agricultural cooperatives of water consumers” was approved by the Parliament of the RK.
2. The attention was paid to the water infrastructure of the industry.
-Within the framework of the State Agro-industrial Program for 2003 – 2005 the allocation of 3 mln. Tenge is stipulated reconstruction of extremely emergency sites of interindustrial channels and hydro-reclamation constructions;
- The allocation of state investments is stipulated for the realization of industrial program “Drinking water” in 2001- 2010 at the amount of 115.1 milliard Tenge.
3. Because of the fact that main water ways of Kazakhstan are of transboundary nature some specific work is done in the area of international collaboration.
The practice of Integrated Water Resources Management
Some experience in preparation of projects on IWRM in different river basin exists in Kazakhstan:
Ø FASEP Project «Program of improvement of Irtysh River basin water supply quality».
Ø FFEM Project «Transboundary Irtysh River basin water resources management».
Ø World Bank Project «Regulation of Syrdarya river course and northern part of Aral sea».
Ø DFID Project «Nura-Ishim river basins water resources management» and its continuation on Balkhash-Alakol basin.
Ø TACIS Project“ Joint Program on river management. Monitoring and assessment of transboundary water quality. Group of Tobol river basin”
Ø TACIS Pilot Project «Transboundary Shu-Talas river basin water resources management».
Ø OSCE and ADB Project «Creation and work of the joint Commission on Shu-Talas river basin».