Mr. Murat Bekniyazov, Representative of Kazakhstan at the Executive Committee

of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea

“THE ARAL SEA BASIN:

WAYS OF COOPERATION TO MEET INTERESTS”

7-8 November 2011 Bucharest, Romania 1

The region of the Aral Sea Basin

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Country Volume of runoff km3/year Irrigated lands Population

Syrdarya Amudarya Total thousand ha mln

Kazakhstan 2,5 - 2,5 786 3,1 *share of

population in

the Aral Sea

Basin

Kyrgyzstan 27,4 1,9 29,3 415 5,3

Tajikistan 1,1 62,9 64,0 744 7,6

Turkmenistan - 2,8 2,8 1752 6,7

Uzbekistan 6,2 4,7 10,9 4259 29,0

Afghanistan - 6,2 6,2 - -

Total 37,2 78,5 115,7 7956 51,7

Water and land resources of the Central Asian Region

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Indicators Measurement

unit 1960 2007-2010

Population mln 14,1 51,7

Irrigated agricultural lands thousand

hectares

4510 7956

Irrigated land per capita hectares/per

capita

0,32 0,154

Total water withdrawal km3/year 60,61 105,0

Total runoff to the Aral Sea km3/year 54,99 10,6

Key indicators of water and land resources use in the Aral Sea Basin

Aral Sea

1960

End of 2009

Surface

Area

67 500 km2

(4th in the

world)

8 409 km2

(88% loss)

Level 53.4 m Large Aral = 26.5 m;

Small Aral = 42 m

Volume 1090 km3 84.5 km3 (92% loss)

Average

salinity

10 g/l

(brackish)

Large Aral > 100 g/l,

In Western part is

probably > 200 g/l,

In Eastern part (hyper

saline);

Small Aral = 10-14 g/l

The sea dynamics

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Satellite monitoring of the Aral Sea

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The modern challenges and threats to the sustainable development of Central Asia

1. Climate change: loss of glacier reserves, expected reduce of water flow by 10-15%, increase of natural disasters.

2. Degradation of water and land resources, ecosystem destruction: desertification, reduce in water quality, loss of biodiversity.

3. Population growth in the Central Asian states: increasing deficiency of water resources, reduction of specific water availability in 3,5 times, there is a need for additional annual 700-800 mln m3 of water.

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Development of Action Programmer on providing assistance to the countries of the Aral Sea Basin for the period of 2011-2015 (ASBP- 3) in consultations with national experts and donor community

The main directions of the ASBP-3:

1. Integrated use of water resources.

2. Environmental Protection.

3. Socio-economic development.

4. Improving the institutional and legal mechanisms.

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Organizational and administrative

structure of the Action Plan was established to implement the

Joint Statement. The framework

document ASBP-3 was drafted and

sent.

National consultations in countries and meetings of

Working groups (a total of 60 experts ) on

strengthening of the institutional and

legal framework of IFAS and on ASBP-3 development were

held

Selection of national and regional projects,

projects of international donor organizations was carried out, clusters were

developed, draft of ASBP-3 was prepared

Working consultations with

developers, consultants and

donors representatives; Working groups

meetings and Donor

Coordination Conference were

held

Draft ASBP-3 was considered in a joint meeting of representatives

of the donor community, UN

and EU with members of the

IFAS Board and sent to

the countries for approval

Implementation of the Action Plan on the development of ASBP-3 of the Joint Statement adopted by the Heads of states-founders IFAS, 28 April 2009

Donors and international organizations

Experts (national, regional,

international)

Consultative group of donors

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The Aral Sea Basin Programme - 3 for 2011-2015

Ongoing Projects implemented in countries with donor grants

Projects funded from

national budgets of

Central Asia countries

Formed cluster projects

identified for funding by

donors ASBP-3

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ASBP-3 projects

Implemented and projected activities on saving the Aral Sea (Kazakhstani part)

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Second phase of the Northern Aral Sea Project

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Second phase of the Northern Aral Sea Project

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Second phase of the Northern Aral Sea Project

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Second phase of the Northern Aral Sea Project