2007 Ground Water Summit


Monday, April 30, 2007
4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007
9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007
4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Problems of Transboundary Ground Water Management: Central Asia

Yusup Khai Rysbekov, Scientific-Information Center of Interstate Coordination Water Commission (SIC ICWC) of Central Asia

Central Asian (CA) countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) have rather large reserves of the fresh Groundwater (GW), which volumes are estimated by the experts now about 90-100 kì3, though in 1980-es they were estimated as 35-40 kì3. Transboundary Ground Waters (TGW) cross CA countries’ borders agrees hypsometry. So, on the data of the Kyrgyz National Academy of Sciences, in the Chu river valley GW cross Kyrgyz-Kazakh border by length 115 km, Talas river basin – on 2 sites by length 51 km, Ferghana valley – cross Kyrgyz-Uzbek border on 16 sites by length 430 km.
At regional level the legal base of TGW management is absent, at national level - rather weak, that is one of key problems. Other basic TGW management problems are following:
a) Polluted GW outflow from the upstream to the downstream countries;
b) Interception of GW resources by the upstream country;
c) GW reserves’ reduction in upstream caused intensive pumping GW by downstream country;
d) Washing away high mineralization GW from upstream country (owing to excessive irrigation), to the downstream state's territory.
The basic challenges from non-coordinated TGW management are connected with:
a) Deterioration of drinking water quality and the population health in frontier areas;
b) Reduction of GW volume on the territory of neighbor countries;
c) Increase of social intensity between frontier areas’ population of neighbor countries. 
Increase of social intensity in the frontier areas of the neighbor countries are main among the named above challenges, which can accept the political coloring that is extremely undesirable.
Development of the TGW management’s legal bases at regional level, perfection of the appropriate legislation at national level, and local communities’ involving in water resources management (including GW) will allow to lower conflict potential at the CA TGW use.

 

Yusup Khai Rysbekov, Scientific-Information Center of Interstate Coordination Water Commission (SIC ICWC) of Central Asia Date of Birth: April 01, 1956 Education: (Year, Institution, Degree, Specialization): 1972-1977: Tashkent University, Higher, “Engineering hydrology” 1980-1984: Postgraduate study, PhD 1983: Military detachment (MD) 64411-E, external studies (ES), Higher military-special, “Organizing & conduct of special information and analytical work” 1998: MD 51411-E, ES, Special juridical Professional Experience (Year, Employer and position) 1977-1989: SPA SANIIRI: engineer, junior researcher, senior researcher 1989-1990: MAWR USSR: senior engineer (Yemen) 1990-1991: SPA SANIIRI: senior researcher. 1992-1994: Institute of Water Problems of Uzbek Academy of Sciences: head of division 1995-2003: Service in the Armed Forces: senior lecturer; researcher secretary; leading system analyst


The 2007 Ground Water Summit