Seminar on conflict resolution in the area of water management
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 22:40:22 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: Seminar on conflict resolution in the area of water management
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Natalia Ablova <[email protected]>
Seminar on conflict resolution in the area of water
management
Dear Boris,
I would like to request you to disseminate info on our forthcoming
seminar on conflict resolution in the area of water management. This
is a Central Asian Forum initiative but all Eastern Europeans are most
welcome as well as interested participants from all over the world.
Find below the project description.
EAST EAST PROGRAM
Project
Regional Collaboration on the Utilization of Water and Power Resources
in Central Asia
Host Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan
Coordinator Almash Naizabekova
Organizers Central Asian Forum (with financial support of
Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan)
Dates June 30-July 4,1998
participants to arrive on June 30
participants to depart on July 4,5
Location Bishkek (if the Issyk Kul area proves to be
not safe)
Project Description
The Central Asian region possesses considerable power resources
including fuel, mainly in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and
hydroelectric power, mainly in the mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan. These valuable resources do not regenerate and
therefore must be used rationally.
Water supply systems in the Central Asian region require that many
groups of people share water resources, including those inhabiting
river basin areas where supply systems operate. In order for the
systems of water supply to operate effectively, reservoirs change the
natural flow of rivers to meet demands for water by users. Those
dependent on water in the region include industrial and municipal
systems, irrigation projects, power engineering plants and basin
ecosystems, all of which require access to the water supply on a daily
and seasonal basis.
Very often the interests of different water users create conflict. The
organizers believe that joint utilization of water and power resources
in the river basins is not possible without effective management.
Universally recognized norms on water usage do not exist, especially
with regard to transborder rivers, which can lead to conflict between
states. The organizers believe that it is crucial to arrange
principles of joint cooperation to avoid such conflict in the Central
Asian region and promote regionally integrated economies to further
sustainable development.
The objective of this project to analyze the current system of water
and power utilization in Central Asia and identify problems, technical
and organizational, that have made resource allocation difficult.
These problems are compounded by changing political and economic
realities and may be improved by exploring possibilities of juridical
regulations on water and power usage. In addition, the organizers
would like participants in the course of the seminar to propose
solutions to discussed problems.
Seminar participants will discuss the following topics.
- inter-regional relations on issues of water utilization;
- strategies for water division and economic management of river
basins;
- water resources and problems associated with inter-state usage;
- current perspectives on water and power usage;
- principles of rational usage;
- principles of economic evaluation and expense maintenance;
- mismanagement and historical conflict;
- investment and infrastructure reform;
- socio-economic development and new markets for mutual profitability;
- access to information on water resources;
- conflict resolution in the region;
- regional stability and environmental management;
- relating rights and resource allocation; and,
- the role of the community in preparing inter-state agreements on
collaborative usage.
Special attention will be given to the following topic:
International investment and environmental safety: the case of the
recent poisoning of the Issyk-Kul Lake by Kumtor (Canada). Legal,
political and environmental consequences.
The working language of this project is Russian. Translation will be
provided in English if necessary.
Participation and Financial Commitment
While this project specifically focuses on the Central Asian region,
all countries in the network are invited to nominate participants.
Participants from other countries (outside of Eastern Europe) which
have interest in the problem are most welcome.
This project is designed for NGO and community representatives,
specialists on water and power resources, representatives of state
structures whose work relates to managing water and power resources
and for all interested parties from countries other than Central Asia.
Participants are asked to present a paper on related topics and send a
thesis of the presentation to Almash or the organizers in advance.
Members of the organizers' advisory committee will make final
participation decisions based on submitted topics and in accordance
with the objectives of the project.
The East East Program will finance round-trip travel to Bishkek and
provide a travel stipend for participants from Eastern Europe.
The East East Program of the Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan will support
accommodations and meals expenses as well as local transportation for
all participants who will confirm their participation by 20 June 1998.
Natalia Ablova, Director,
Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law,
40 Manas avenue, Room 77, Bishkek 720001,
Kyrgyzstan
Tel.+3312 211874
Fax +3312 223924
e-mail:[email protected]
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