1.
Workshop on
Groundwater Resources Assessment ad
Governance
:case study the Pretashkent aquifer
(Almaty, Kazakhstan, 15 -16 July, 2013)
(Follow up IHP Council Resolution IC.XX3. UNESCO – IHP Project
“Groundwater Resources Governance in Transboundary Aquifers”)

2.
OBJECTIVES
OF THE
WORKSHOP

3.
Start CONSULTATIONS –
Setting up adequate working
framework -
So that to put in place THE
UNESCO IHP action on
Groundwater in Central Asia
OBJECTIVE 1-

4.
• SET UP OF:
National Team
• National Institutions
• Category 2 UNESCO CENTRES
• UNESCO CHAIRS
• National commission of UNESCO
• IHP National Committees
• National experts
Regional teams cooperation
OBJECTIVE 2
Identify MAIN
Actors and
Roles at
Regional and
National level

5.
OBJECTIVE 3
DEFINE ACTIONS AND WORKPLANS
for the assessment, management and
governance of groundwater resources
focus on the transboundary aquifer
FIRST CASE THE - Pretashkent aquifer

6.
20th Session Intergovernmental Council of the
International Hydrological Programme (IHP) UNESCO
Resolution XX-3
on
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE ON TRANSBOUNDARY
AQUIFERS MANAGEMENT
(IHP-ISARM Project)
HQs Paris, 4 - 7 June 2012.
IHP/IC-XX/

7.
The Intergovernmental Council of the International Hydrological
Programme of UNESCO,
Recalling Resolution XIV-12 adopted at the 14th session of the IHP Council, Paris, 5-10 June
2000, and Resolution XIX-9 adopted at the 19th session of the IHP Council, Paris, 5-9 July
2012, which are the basis of the IHP International Initiative on Internationally Shared Aquifers
Management (ISARM),
Also recalling the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/63/124 (11 December 2008), which
appreciated the valuable scientific assistance on the topic of the management of
transboundary aquifers rendered by IHP to the United Nations International Law Commission,
Noting the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/66/104 (9 December 2011), which
encourages IHP to offer further scientific and technical assistance to Member States,
Recognizing the important contribution provided by IHP in conducting the world wide
inventory of transboundary aquifers of the world and in improving the scientific knowledge in
support of their management,
Encourages Member States to cooperate on the study of their transboundary aquifers;
Requests the IHP Secretariat to:
(i) support Member States in promoting studies in regard to transboundary aquifers in the
framework of the existing IHP ISARM initiative; and
(ii) continue studies on transboundary aquifers and assist interested Member States in their
studies of transboundary aquifers resources management including by promoting capacity
building and awareness raising activities on existing instruments and discussions.

8.
Previous Steps
Several workshop organized in 2007 , 2009, 2011 by UNESCO and UNECE
• Experts highlighted the need to improve the training for professional hydrogeologists
• Experts expressed their strong desire and interest in having a multidisciplinary
groundwater project which will help countries in these challenging and difficult issues,
focused on the following:
• (i) Strengthening the capacity of countries on groundwater resources assessment,
management, policy, technical aspects and information monitoring and exchange across
borders;
• (ii) Utilization of subsurface space in order to address Climate Change, surface water flows
and environmental hazards;
• (iii) Dialogue among stakeholders and raising awareness of decision makers on groundwater
governance and policy;
• (iv) Elements on conflict prevention of the UNESCO “From Potential Conflict to Cooperation
Potential” Programme (PCCP).
• (v) as well as at raising public awareness and promoting dialogue between the countries in
transboundary aquifers management

9.
UNESCO IHP ACTION ON
Following the request
from Member States,
UNESCO IHP will :
• Involve experts in the UNESCO IHP programme on
groundwater resources
• Start preparation of several projects and case
studies in Central Asia.
• Improve national and regional capacity on the
assessment and management of groundwater
resources and transboundary aquifers
• Strengthen cooperation at regional level
GROUNDWATER
•UNESCO follow up of the
recommendations of Member
States at the 20th Session
Intergovernmental Council of the
International Hydrological
Programme (IHP) UNESCO
Headquarters Paris, 4 - 7 June
2012.
•IHP BUREAU SESSION-JUNE 2013 –
focus on Central Asia

10.
GLOBAL- LEVEL 1
TRANSBOUNDARY
WATERS ASSESSMENT
PROGRAM
TRANSBOUNDARY
AQUIFERS
TWAP
UNESCO, FINANCED
BY THE GEF
REGIONAL – LEVEL 2
SET THE BASE FOR
AQUIFERS
MANAGEMENT
and foster regional
coordination
GrW- Syr Darya
UNESCO, FINANCED
BY THE GEF
CASE STUDIES
NATIONAL LEVEL
and INTERSTATES
COOPERATION
LEVEL
Kazakhstan-
Uzbekistan
PRETASHKENT
Aquifer
UNESCO,
Financed by SDC

11.
GLOBAL- LEVEL 1
TRANSBOUNDARY
WATERS ASSESSMENT
PROGRAM
TRANSBOUNDARY
AQUIFERS
TWAP
UNESCO, FINANCED BY
THE GEF

12.
Enabling countries of the transboundary Syr
Darya Basin to make sustainable use of their
groundwater potential and subsurface
space with consideration to climate
variability and change.
Regional
Project:
Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan
Executing Agency: UNESCO
UNESCO IHP

13.
To create the regional and national enabling
environment for climate resilient, sustainable,
conjunctive use of surface and groundwater
resources in the Syr Darya Basin
REGIONAL Syr Darya
Project Objective:
UNESCO IHP

14.
Country endorsements
NAME POSITION MINISTRY DATE (MM/dd/yyyy)
Mr. Nurlan Kapparov Minister of
Environmental
Protection
MINISTRY OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
KAZAKHSTAN
22 OCTOBER 2012
Mr. Sabir S. Atadjanov Director, Government
Agency for
Environment Protection
GEF OFP
GOVERNMENT OF
KYRGYZSTAN
22 NOVEMBER 2012
Mr. Talbak Salimov Chairman of the
Committee
COMMITTEE ON
ENVIRONMENT
PROTECTION,
THE
GOVERNMENT OF
THE REPUBLIC
OF TAJIKISTAN
10 JANUARY 2013
Executed by UNESCO IHP
The Project Concept (PIF) was approved by the GEF Council during its meeting in
June 2013. Council also approved a small preparation grant (PPG) for the full
development of the project design.

15.
CASE STUDIES
Objectives:
• improve the knowledge on national groundwater
resources
• recognition of the importance and vulnerability of
transboundary aquifer resources,
• improve cooperation between countries
• and
• establish cross-border dialogue and cooperation

16.
CASE STUDIES
Three case study TBAs within the global TWAP
framework:
i. The Esquipulas-Ocotepeque-Citalá (Trifinio)
Aquifer (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras) –
IUCN as main partner
ii. The Stampriet Aquifer (Namibia, Botswana,
South Africa)
iii. The Pretashkent Aquifer
(Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan)

17.
TRIFINIO AQUIFER (600 Km2)
(EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA,
HONDURAS)
• Unconfined multi-layer
system linked to surface
drainage
• Depth: 20 to 150m
• Alluvial sediments
overlying fractured
volcanic rocks
Used for drinking water (50%),
irrigation (40%) and Industry (10%)
• Loss of recharge due to
deforestation and
urbanization
• Contamination from
industry and domestic
sources
• Over-exploitation

18.
STAMPRIET AQUIFER (100,000 Km2) BOTSWANA,
NAMIBIA, SOUTH AFRICA
THE THREE TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS
PROPOSED FOR THE PROJECT
• Confined Karoo sediments,
overlain by unconfined Kalahari
clastics
Recharge area • Partly artesian
Brackish waters
Main water source
in Namibia for
drinking,
agriculture, mining
industry
In Botswana used for
stock and game
watering and villages
In South Africa used
for farms, game
reserve and stock
watering
• Leakages from artesian
Karoo into unconfined upper
Kalahari clastics
• Growing needs of mining
industry
• Climate variability and
change

19.
THE PROJECT “GROUNDWATER RESOURCES
GOVERNANCE IN TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS”
GOALS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES
PRETASHKENT CASE STUDIES GOALS:
NATIONAL LEVEL
 COUNTRIES IMPROVE THEIR KNOWLEDGE ON NATIONAL
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES AND ON THEIR TRANSBOUNDARY
AQUIFERS,
 BUILT AN EXAMPLE ON MANAGEMENT THE GW- RESOURCE,
HOW TO ENHANCE NATIONAL WATER SECURITY AND TO
IMPROVE OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
REGIONAL LEVEL
 ENHANCED COOPERATION
 COUNTRIES COOPERATE AND IMPLEMENT PRIORITY ACTIONS
FOR THE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE AQUIFER.

20.
CASE STUDIES
OUTPUTS
STUDY - Assessment of the 3 aquifers
representative of different
environmental and socio-economic
conditions,
Information Management
Systems programs in each
project aquifer
National and regional
seminars
Multi-country
Consultative
Meetings in the
three project
aquifers
Proposal and Recommendations for
Harmonized monitoring

21.
Assessment of the hydrogeological,
environmental, socio‐economic
conditions, legal and institutional
frameworks, including the identification
of transboundary concerns (diagnostic
analysis)
facilitate cooperation mechanisms
among countries sharing the aquifers.
CASE STUDY
PRETASHKENT
COMPONENTS

22.
• July 2013
TO
End 2015
PROJECT TIME
SCALE
FIRST PHASE
SECOND PHASE ? 2016-2017

23.
THANK
YOU
спасибо

24.
ACTIONS
 National Experts study of the set of indicators prepared by
UNESCO
 National Experts review of indicators and final decision on
adopted set of indicators,
 National Experts -Data Collection (tailored upon the adopted set
of indicators) on: Climate and hydrology; Hydrogeology;
Subsurface Geology; Environmental conditions (quality/quantity);
Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems; Socio-economic
dimensions; Gender issues; Governance: stakeholders, existing
policy instruments, regulations and laws, customary practices,
existing management practices including monitoring. Data will
include already existing information, and newly collected data
through direct measurements, remote sensing, and
questionnaires.
National Experts - Application of indicators, and conduct of the
Assessment and Diagnostic Analysis with a view to the
identification of areas of concern, both national and
transboundary, their causes and possible corrective measures.

25.
OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP
• National Team
National Institutions
• Ministry of environment : committee of water
resources
• Ministry of new technology : committee
• Institue of Geography
• Category UNESCO glaciology
• National commission of UNESO
Natioanl expters