IFAS

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Name of Organization	The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS)
Part of / Sub-organizations
Focus Areas	Water Management&cooperation
Geographic Scope	Central Asia
Contacts	Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS) Republic of Kazakhstan, 050020, Almaty, Dostyk Av., 280 Telephone +7727-3873431; Fax: +7727-3873433 E-mail [email protected]
Organization Websites	http://www.ec-ifas.org/russian_version/about.html

1 Mission/Mandate
2 Key Resources
3 Work on the Ground
4 References
5 See also
6 External Resources
7 Attachments

Mission/Mandate

IFAS Structure

On 26 March 1993 the heads of state created the Interstate Council for the Aral Sea, which led to the establishment of IFAS and the Intergovernmental Sustainable Development Commission (ISDC). The Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) was subsequently instituted with its two River Basin Organisations (BVOs) for the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, plus a scientific arm called the Scientific Information Centre (ICWC-SIC) to support technical needs.

Purpose and Work of IFAS

The main purpose for creating IFAS was to attract funds for Aral Sea related projects under the Aral Sea Basin Programme I (ASBP 1) and later ASBP 2. A few ASBP 1 projects were funded in the early years but it was generally considered to be poorly managed. The number of Aral Sea projects has been diminishing in recent years and there appears to be no projects funded at present.

Trust in IFAS, ICWC and the whole associated structure has suffered over the years for several reasons:

limited progress on regional cooperation on water resources management
frequent and continued conflict within the IFAS / [[ICWC / SIC structure
very poor project management under ASBP 1 and others in which projects were not completed and money disappeared
the questionable value of continuing the ASBP in the current, changing water management climate, which is the main role of IFAS

IFAS and ICWC realize that questions have arisen about the continuing value of IFAS, and recognize that international organizations, including UNDP, are skeptical. The IFAS and ICWC people agree that some changes are due if regional cooperation and coordination on water management is to progress. Some stakeholders also raise the point that there may be an important role for the UN to be played in supporting progress and the changes that need to be made to achieve it.

There are several points to consider in assessing the future role of IFAS:

There seems no real alternative to the overall IFAS / ICWC / BVO structure, except that, from a strictly water management perspective, IFAS would not be necessary because it is not a water management organisation. Any new organisational structure to facilitate regional water management would need to be basically the same and would be made up of the same individual players.
The role of IFAS as the organisation heading ASBP 2 is probably no longer valid as attracting funding to ASBP 2 is unlikely. In addition, the emphasis has shifted away from the Aral Sea itself and is now more directed specifically at regional cooperation on water management.
It is argued that IFAS remains valuable because it is a forum in which the presidents can meet on water issues. This has validity for now and for the short term because it unfortunately remains necessary for presidents to intervene on water issues and IFAS can play a diplomatic role. However, the long term goal must be to depoliticise the management of water, which means removing presidential forums from the water management sector.
IFAS is not just a part of, but the official head of, the whole water management structure. Discontinuing IFAS requires a revision of the governing statutes.
IFAS is headed by the five presidents and discontinuing it would require discussion and agreement at the presidential level to do so. (It should be noted that the President of Turkmenistan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan have both made the suggestion of discontinuing IFAS.)
Even if IFAS were to be discontinued it will take some time. It is now a question of redefining the role of IFAS for at least the short term future.

Aral Basin Water Management

IFAS has a mandated, key role in the management of Water resources in the Aral Sea:

Aral_Basin_management_scheme.jpg

Relocation of IFAS secretariat to Almaty (fall 2008)

With the move to Almaty, stakeholders and international partners see potential opportunities for a "rejuvenation" of IFAS. UNECE is planning to support capacity strengthening by co-locating an environment/water expert in IFAS' headquarters (in the framework of the new German "Water Unites" Programme).