OSCE supports workshop on water quality in southern Kazakhstan
KYZYLORDA, Kazakhstan, 25 February 2016 – A workshop on water quality assurance of the Aral-Syrdarya Water Basin took place today in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan, bringing together some 40 representatives of regional authorities, civil society, academia and the Aral-Syrdarya Water Basin Council.
The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with the Kyzylorda Regional Administration and the Executive Directorate of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). Participants shared their experience on combating water pollution, reviewed the quality standards of water for irrigation purposes and discussed challenges in co-operation among the stakeholders.
“The OSCE prioritizes responsible and inclusive water resources management as a key to promoting security,” said Mirco Guenther, Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “Our long-standing partnership and joint activities with IFAS, the Aral-Syrdarya Water Basin Council and regional authorities in Kyzylorda are an important contribution to this shared goal.”
Yerkebulan Bekzhanov, Head of the Kyzylorda Regional Administration’s Natural Resources and Environmental Management Department, said: “The deficit of water resources impedes the social and economic development of a country, its security and independence, presenting a direct threat to maintaining fragile ecosystems of biodiversity.”
Amirkhan Kenshimov, Deputy Head of the IFAS Branch in Kazakhstan, said: “The shrinking of the Aral Sea is one of the greatest environmental tragedies of the 20th and 21st centuries. Kazakhstan has made great efforts to mitigate the negative consequences. In this context, the preservation of water quality is a priority in order to stabilize the situation and to restore the ecological balance in the region.”
As a result of the discussions, the participants developed a set of recommendations on improving water quality for the Parliament, the Energy Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry and stakeholders from civil society for further consideration.
The event is part of the Programme Office’s long-term efforts to raise awareness and enhance the capacity of state institutions in the area of water governance. It builds on earlier activities to promote the sustainable management of water resources including the establishment of the Kyzylorda Training Centre for Aral-Syrdarya Basin Water Management in 2012.