OSCE Centre in Astana organizes water management training seminar on safety of hydraulic structures

The safety of hydraulic structures was the focus of a two-day training seminar for more than 30 representatives of the Water Resources Committee and the Emergency Situations Ministry of Kazakhstan, which concluded on 29 July 2014 in Astana. The event was co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana.

The seminar presented international good practices and advanced methods for ensuring the safety of hydraulic structures, such as dams, at the stages of planning, construction and development. 

Participants of the training also examined the causes of major natural disasters and industrial water structures accidents in Kazakhstan and the world. They learned about how to prevent them and how to effectively respond to the environmental, health and social repercussions, including through amendments to existing legislative and regulatory mechanisms and by enhancing co-ordination between the respective agencies and stakeholders.

The seminar was organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana, together with the Water Resources Committee of the Environment and Water Resources Ministry with the support of the Emergency Situations Ministry and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea Executive Directorate for Kazakhstan.

The event is part of the OSCE Centre’s work in the sphere of prevention, damage limitation and recovery from specific natural and man-made disasters – a priority of the OSCE Swiss Chairmanship in 2014. Water security has been identified as a priority for next year’s OSCE Serbian Chairmanship. Kazakhstan has also declared 2015 the national “Year of Water.”