To-date, losses of Central Asia’s nations caused by lack of water partnership have been estimated at 4.5 billion U.S. dollars, Iskandar Abdullayev, Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC), noted within the framework of a concluding conference held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, according to Podrobno.uz news website.
He, in particular, noted that without system partnership and dialogue on management of transboundary waters in the region a serious competition for water resources could arise. “Together with our partners we are currently working on small rivers, supporting the work of regional working groups and promoting a comprehensive discussion of these issues,” Abdullayev was quoted as saying.
Abdullayev reportedly also stressed the countries of the region are de facto at the point where the lack of dialogue on water issue has a cost.
“Today, the region has developed a common understanding that ignoring the issues of joint use of natural resources is more expensive and simply economically unprofitable. The loss of the region in the absence of partnership makes at least 4.5 billion U.S. dollars,” he said.
According to Abdullayev, these losses could be attributed to the insufficient productivity of agriculture due to lack of water resources, and to the high price of electricity and the unreliability of this system. This is also related to the limited access to international finance which is caused by the presence of many unresolved issues among the Central Asia nations.
Abdullayev believes that maintenance of a political dialogue between the countries of the region is one of the decisions that will result in establishing an effective water partnership. The project of the European Union, which was completed, has resolved these issues.
CAREC head noted that during 25 years the countries of the region began to develop new approaches to the problems of water resources management. It has been important to systematize best practices, and also to understand the process of improving water resources.
In conclusion, the expert said that the main objective of the project was to stimulate cross-border trust in the countries of the region and their active involvement in this process.
Water remains one of the greatest challenges for Central Asian nations due to the lack of cooperation and regional dialogue on resource management between the upstream and downstream countries.
The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) is an independent, non-profit, non-political, international organization assisting the Central Asian governments, regional and international stakeholders in addressing environmental and sustainability challenges across Central Asia. By promoting dialogue and collaboration among all environmental stakeholders, CAREC has today become a leading regional knowledge hub in the field of environment and sustainable development recognized by national, regional and international partners.
CAREC was founded by the governments of the five Central Asian nations, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and the European Union and UNDP, following the resolution of the IV Pan-European Conference held in 1998, Aarhus (Denmark). It began its operations in 2001. Since then, operating through its head office located in Almaty, Kazakhstan and a well-established country office network through the five Central Asian states (CAS), CAREC has become a true leader of environmental cooperation in the region.
