Presas En Asi

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Geneva

Water Series No. 5

Dam safety in Central Asia:
Capacity-building and regional cooperation

UNITED NATIONS

ECE/MP.WAT/26

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Geneva

Water Series № 5

DAM SAFETY IN CENTRAL ASIA: CAPACITY-BUILDING AND REGIONAL COOPERATION

UNITED NATIONS New York and Geneva 2007

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NOTICE The designations employed and thepresentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

ECE/MP.WAT/26

UNECE Information Unit Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10Switzerland

Phone: Fax: E-mail: Website:

+41 (0)22 917 44 44 +41 (0)22 917 05 05 info.ece@unece.org http://www.unece.org

UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No E.07.II.E.10 ISBN 92-1-116962-1 ISSN 1020-0886

Copyright © United Nations, 2007 All rights reserved Printed at United Nations, Geneva (Switzerland)

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FOREWORD The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), inparticular through its Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, is engaged in promoting cooperation on the management of shared water resources in Central Asia – a pre-condition for sustainable development in the subregion. One direction of activities is promoting the safe operation of more than 100 large dams, most of which are situated on transboundaryrivers. Many of these dams were built 40 to 50 years ago, and due to limited resources for their maintenance and the inadequacy of a legal framework for their safe operation, the risk of accidents is increasing. The UNECE fully shares the concern of the Central Asian countries that an accident or emergency situation at any of these dams might have disastrous effects on the population and economy ofthe countries and communities downstream. At the request of the countries in Central Asia to address this important issue, UNECE and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), in collaboration with the Executive Board of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, started the project, “Capacity-Building for Cooperation on Dam Safety in Central Asia”,funded by the Government of Finland. The project is a contribution to the implementation of the Cooperation Strategy to Promote the Rational and Efficient Use of Water and Energy Resources in Central Asia. This Strategy has been developed and adopted under the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA). The first project phase was completed at the end of 2006, and theinitial steps to improve safety have already been taken. All States have expressed their intention to improve the national legal and institutional frameworks for dam safety, and to start developing regional cooperation. UNECE and UNESCAP will support a new project phase starting in autumn 2007. This publication includes material from the first phase of the project and is designated to experts andorganizations dealing with dam safety in Central Asia. A draft model law and a draft regional agreement are key contributions for the further development of national laws and institutions, and subregional cooperation. All the Central Asian States – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – are participating in the project. Thus, the UNECE-UNESCAP support for cooperation ondam safety represents an important contribution not only to safety and cooperation, but to further development of good neighbourly relations among the Central Asian countries.

Marek Belka Executive Secretary United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

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PREFACE This publication is the result of the first phase of the project “Capacity-Building for Cooperation on Dam Safety in Central...