Support towards local initiatives in the environmental governance and water resources management in Central Asia

Duration
December 2011 – December 2014
Location
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Funding sources
Ministry of the Environment of Norway
Budget
€ 750 000
Status
Completed
Thematic area
Water cooperation
Partners
Ministries and Agencies on water resources, emergency situations, agriculture, environmental protection, etc.

There are considerable internationally driven efforts in Central Asia to improve transboundary efforts in Central Asia to improve transboundary water cooperation, but it addresses mainly major water courses on a political level. Domestic activities at the national and especially local levels, those having no transboundary extent, considerably differ from the activities of the transboundary implication.

This project aimed to facilitate bottom up efforts and combine the establishment of local capacities and practicing activities needed by local- and grass-root organizations to the needed extend to fill the gaps from the usual top to down efforts.

The water-related ecosystem services are to be in the focus of mentioned bottom up efforts, including the payment for them. Capacity building activities will focus on gaps, those identified by relevant CAREC activities at the local and grass-root levels.

The project in particular targets improvement of human resource capacities for basin planning, supporting the establishment and professionalization of (inter-)state administrative basin planning processes in the selected river basins and building capacities for the introduction of economic and financial instruments related to river basin planning.

The project aimed to enable local policy decision-makers in the water sector, local water management organizations and relevant stakeholders to sustainably manage water resources in the selected transboundary sub-basins, in particular:

  • Human resource capacities for basin planning are improved

  • National water management organizations and decision makers develop an understanding of the benefits of applying basin planning principles

It also foresees that the staff of local water initiatives are trained on how to integrate economic and financial instruments into the drafting of a river basin plan in the Aspara river basin. This will provide for advanced water resources management in small transboundary basins and reduce potential conflicts over water resources.

Project interventions:

  • Capacity building for stakeholders to promote the improvement of environmental governance and enhance regional cooperation in the water sector of CA

  • Promoting the concept of water-related ecosystem services in Central Asia

  • Strengthening local initiatives in the management of a small transboundary watershed (Aspara River Basin)

  • Water organizations

  • Decision makers

  • Water Specialists

  • Improved capacities of target groups and stakeholders to promote improvement of environmental governance and enhance regional cooperation in CA.

  • The concept of water related ecosystem services established in buffer zones of protected areas in CA stated to serve as a mechanism for cooperation among up- and downstream resource users

  • Improved cooperation on small transboundary water course (Aspara River Basin)

Project manager – Ekaterina Strikeleva

E-mail: estrikeleva@carececo.org

Tel.: +7 727 265 43 33 (ext. 275)