National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plan for Kazakhstan

See Also :

• Experience Note: Kazakhstan - National Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Efficiency Plan, which is the contribution to the Water Knowledge Fair 2006

• The Process of Preparing a National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plan for Kazakhstan

Project Title :

National Integrated Water Resource Management and Water Efficiency Plan for Kazakhstan

Organisation(s) :

UNDP

Partner(s) :

Committee for Water Resources Kazakhstan, Global Water Partnership (External Link), Government of Norway, DFID (External Link

Region :

Kazakhstan

Project Number :

34289

Duration :

2004-2007

Financing :

Status :

Ongoing

Url :

http://www.voda.kz/new/en/ Russian: http://www.voda.kz/

Description :

UNDP has been supporting the Government with a water resources management project aimed at strengthening the water management organizations within the country and by instituting the practice of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM | IWRM Planning). The government’s aim is to balance supply and demand for water in the country to ensure that future development needs (economic, social, environmental) can be addressed by a national water management programme. The government, represented by the Committee for Water Resources, with support from [www.undp.kz UNDP] and the Global Water Partnership (GWP), drafted the IWRM plan, which proposed an integrated approach to water management, in which river basins would be managed holistically, through the establishment of River Basin Councils (RBCs), with the participation of water user stakeholders and ensuring environmental sustainability.

This project is the first in Kazakhstan to address specifically the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals for Water Supply and Sanitation and to develop National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plans. The objectives of the Project are:

• Support to the development of (i) the National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plan and (ii) Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Plans for all river basins in Kazakhstan
• Establishment of River Basin Councils in all eight river basins to represent the water user stakeholder in water management decision making
• Preparation of a Strategy for Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Water Supply and Sanitation
• Improving cooperation and development of partnerships at regional and country levels

Lessons Learned :

-The IWRM & Water Efficiency Project was designed in a very ambitious manner. The budget was too limited for the projected objectives. When planning a project such as this, try to be realistic and not too ambitious in what you want to achieve.

-The government's limited skills and experience in the area of water governance, made working together with the government challenging. For example, promoting the concept of IWRM did not only imply explanation of the concept but a wider shift in way of thinking was necessary. Always invest extensively in capacity building, training, strategic planning and advise before beginning the project, especially in countries which are less experienced in water governance. It is not enough to simply provide the government with money for a plan.

-Always consider the government's own commitment to the plan in terms of money set aside for its implementation.

Contact :

Natalya Panchenko, UNDP Kazakhstan

Tim Hannan, IWRM Expert Kazakhstan

Comments :

Reactions from Presentation at EUWI-EECCA Meeting, 15 Nov 05 (Juerg Staudenmann):

• First priority in CA should be monitoring and data gathering, and the coordination of the various projects (Armenia)
• Linking WSS to IWRM very important; good to see this in Kazakh. example! --> This could be the main niche also for EURI-EECCA (UK)
• In UZB, there is a SEVERE water shortage, not only perceived as suggested in Kaz presentation (Uzbekistan)

Background Material :

Kazakhstan 2030 Strategy - outlines and applies the main principles of IWRM for Kazakhstan's W.R. Management

The Kazakhstan InfoBase - Kazakhstan's own data management system

UNEP Support Programm for CA Countries on Johannesburg Plan and IWRM Plan by 2005

The Process of Preparing a National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plan for Kazakhstan

Experience Note on Kazakhstan - National Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Efficiency Plan

Experience Note on Stakeholder Participation in River Basin Councils - Kazakhstan

Kazakshtan First Draft National IWRM and WE Plan

2006 Virtual Knowledge fair Contribution