Water resources Response

Water saving and rational use of water resources are the most important tasks for the republics of Central Asia, because domestic water systems and the Aral Sea conditions depend on it and give a chance to overcome the ecological crisis of the Aral. Different methods and techniques are applied for this:

development of normative-legal base of rational water use; conclusion of bi- and multilateral treaties and agreements on rational use of transboundary water resources; elaboration and application of water save technologies and modern irrigation methods and water transportation; river bank strengthening works and liquidation of flood, mud-floods and river banks degradation consequences; inspection-control raids to find poachers of water use regime and apply the proper fine sanctions; use of obligatory procedure of OBOC for new and modernised enterprises. It should be noted that because of economic difficulties in the Central Asia states, retaliatory measures are not always adequate with the situations, however, rational use of water and water resources protection are financed the states, but not sufficiently. Degradation of the Aral Sea basin is the direct result of its overexploitation for irrigation and hydro-energetic needs. That's why it is natural that any kinds of ecological rehabilitation will depend greatly on water quality improvement flowing into deltas of the AmuDarya and SyrDarya annually. So, mineral discharge going into deltas should be defined and controlled by independent committee responsible for implementation of agreements on water distribution in the Central Asia republics. The following measures are necessary for successful introduction of the plans (political agreements separately): adoption of agreements on optimal water distribution among all countries of the basin for rational management of the Aral water resources. Agreed and reliable models of water resources management based on mass balance rules and worked in real time scale are necessary means, and also approved database; open exchange of the data on rivers, lakes, reservoirs and group waters of the basin; arrangement of water consumption standards for irrigation, hydro-energetics, water losses registration; measures on provision of effective utilisation of deficit water resources.

Intensive economic activity connected with frequent use of river flow in the Aral region was demonstrated in sharp deterioration of surface and ground water quality which led to extreme aggravating ecological situation and threat for people health in the region. Development of drainage nets, carrying return river flow, caused large amount of salt and pesticide accumulation that is especially noticed in downstream of the SyrDarya and AmuDarya and estuary parts of their tributaries. Extremely dangerous pollution source of surface and ground water in the region is sewage containing heavy metals, oil products, nitrogen combinations, organic substances and other specific components. The reasons for their presence are imperfection of technological processes of refining systems. Impact of some industrial sources on quality and ecological state of natural water is not known, because of control system lack for its quality and quantity, poor observance system of economic measures for those who pollute water.

The table shows that the net annual removal of salts is 7.27 tons a hectare. This amount comes probably from the salt mobilisation induced by the subsurface drainage systems. Fortunately, of the total drainage effluent, which contains salt and other pollutants, it is possible to evacuate some 50 percent to evaporation ponds. None of the effluent in the upper reaches is evacuated to desert evaporation ponds. In the middle reaches, 60 percent of the effluent is evacuated to evaporation ponds, and in the lower reaches this amount is 70 percent. Two explanations for these differences could be the higher rainfall in the upper reaches, and the more recent development of irrigation projects in the middle reaches. Salt removals in the AmuDarya basin (9 tons a hectare) are about 80 percent higher than those in the SyrDarya basin (5 tons a hectare). About 60 percent of the effluent in the AmuDarya basin is removed to evaporation ponds; in the SyrDarya basin, this amount is about 35 percent.

All states of the region pollute water. But if Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are situated in the upper streams, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are in the middle and down streams taking all pollutants of their neighbours. That's why the problem of water quality improvement is considered as regional problem first of all. There are no common approaches to problem solution. There is no common database about pollution and their sources, registration of water facilities, water distribution among countries is occurred without taking into account water quality. Unsatisfactory monitoring system means lack of common unified methods of water sampling, standards and criteria of assessment, classification of water from consuming point of view and ecological functions. All these things don't allow to give adequate assessment of water quality, though it is the first and most important step in pointing out the problem, demands and measure planning. There is no united standard-legal basis, economic mechanisms are imperfect, experience of direct interstate relations on proper improvement of transboundary water is very poor. As it should be expected, problem solution of water quality in the Central Asia will require investments into specific projects, and also help in management system reorganisation of water quality. At present when production level was decreased temporarily, this period is the most suitable for working out reliable juridical, economic and other laws, programs, rules and mechanisms to prevent water pollution by industrial waste and sewage. Special attention should be given to system water use change in industry, introduction of ecologically pure technologies, reduction of water consumption volumes, and sewage treatment efficiency. Main investments should be directed to purchase of equipment, development of infrastructure and restoration of control system for pollution sources (waste, sewage etc.). In spite of detailed information lack, analysis conducted in the project proves that industry, national economy and waste accumulators are responsible for quality water deterioration and water ecosystem degradation as a whole. Now expenses for these problem solutions may be high, but non-solution of ecological problems will be much more expensive for our society. Analysis of the fulfilled work and experience of international co-operation in assessment control of water quality allowed to find out the following main ways of the problem solution.

Regional programs

Water quality control in the region is the system of state and inter-state measures to provide water quality on the basis of correct combination and joint satisfaction of economic and ecological interests. Improvement of water quality control should be based on constant system of interrelated political, economic, organisational, technical, legal acts and actions, which must provide fulfilling of standards and demands preventing harmful impact on water.

development of regional strategy in water quality control on the basis of national strategies; control provision for water quality on the borders of the countries (surface and ground water), strengthening monitoring system of industrial sewage; development of standards and documents having regional significance and unified methods of water quality determination; creation of special stations and laboratories controlling water quality and training centre for specialists; creation of united database on pollution sources (sewage, waste) and water quality in reservoirs, preparation and publication of atlas about reservoirs and their state in the region; working out inter-republican laws and agreements adjusting water use and its quality; working out and introduction of economic control mechanisms for ground and surface water quality. Regional program implementation may be solved by Regional Centre for assessment and control of water quality in the basin of the Aral Sea.

Interstate programs of two or more states using together some water resources:

d evelopment of measures on pollution reduction of some water facilities; joint control of water quality of water objects; prevention of extreme negative consequences of pollution having serious impact on the other state.

National programs:

development of national strategies of water quality control; inventory of pollution sources and risk assessment of pollutant runoff; investigation of water sources and objects, their classification according to pollution level, ecological condition, study of background pollution and human impact; improvement of law mechanism and economic control measures for water quality; working out special projects and programs to prevent contamination of the most significant water pollutants or having potential danger of water pollution; working out national programs to introduce ecologically pure technologies into industrial and other enterprises to reduce pollutant runoffs; working out special programs to protect ground water and development of water-protection zones; determination of acceptable loads of polluted water sources with taking into account its self-cleaning ability (including inside seasonal loads); investigation of contaminated water impact on population health and consequences of its application in economy.

Sources: Proposals on national water strategy in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The project of the World Bank. 1995. Republic of Uzbekistan: National action plan on environment. Project of the World Bank, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Tashkent. 1998. National strategy of sustainable development of the Republic of Uzbekistan. UNDP, Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 1999. Antonov V.N. Water resources of Uzbekistan, their use in modern conditions and in the future. Collection of scientific articles: Water resources, the Aral problem and environment. Tashkent, "University", 2000. Water related vision for the Aral sea basin for the year 2025, UNESCO,2000,237p.

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