Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have pressing water quantity and quality issues regarding the shared resources of the Chu and Talas Basins. During the difficult dry year of 2014 both countries had problems with the water supply from the two rivers. In addition, the two countries estimate the level of pollution of the Chu and Talas Rivers differently. While Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan already have cooperation in place with regard to jointly used dams and canals, their agreement does not cover all of the important issues at hand, such as the protection of water ecosystems and water quality management.
In order to address these pressing issues, Kyrgyz and Kazakh water and environmental authorities met in Almaty on 29 May to kick-start a cooperation project to that will systematically address water quantity as well as quality issues. This $1-million project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and will be implemented in close cooperation with the bilateral Kazakh-Kyrgyz Chu-Talas Water Commission, with support from UNECE and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bishkek Office.
The project aims to develop a common understanding of the existing problems and how to address water quantity, as well as quality, problems. It is one of the first transboundary water cooperation projects in Central Asia to address cooperation on water quantity as well as quality issues in a systematic way.
The three main components of the project are:
- Analysis of the management and use of water resources and related ecosystems in the two rivers.
- Institutional development of the Chu-Talas Commission, in particular strengthening the environmental aspects of the cooperation between the two countries.
- Improved monitoring of water quality and quantity.
Water pollution in the two countries stem from agriculture, industry and municipal waste, and a lack of sanitary protection zones along the rivers and in the vicinity of groundwater sources to mitigate the effects of pollution from these sources. Public awareness of steps that need to be taken is generally low. It is likely that, due to climate change, population growth and intensification of economic development in the basin, issues of accessibility/lack of water and water quality will continue to worsen. The new project will make a big effort to define the parameters of these problems — which are currently not being discussed — and how to address them.
Contact for additional information:
Mr. Bo Libert, UNECE
[email protected]
Tel. +41 79 4444180
Note to editors
The UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) is the major legal framework for transboundary water management in the pan-European region. The new project for the Chu-Talas Basin is part of the Water Convention’s work programme. Currently, 38 countries and the European Union are Parties to the Convention. While Kazakhstan is a Party, Kyrgyzstan is not a Party to the Convention.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan share the waters of the transboundary Chu and Talas Rivers. Whereas all facilities for the rivers’ regulation, such as dams, water reservoirs and canals, are located upstream in the territory of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan depends on the operation and proper maintenance of these facilities. This situation prompted the two countries to establish a legal basis for the joint operation of water management infrastructure. Under an agreement from 2000, UNECE has previously supported the establishment of a bilateral Commission on the Use of Water Management Facilities of Intergovernmental Status on the Chu and Talas Rivers, with a permanent secretariat as well as experts and working groups. UNECE has also helped to develop a better understanding of the potential effects of climate change.
GEF, with its secretariat in Washington, addresses global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An independently operating financial organization, GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.