Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan project

Project name: Supporting cooperation on transboundary waters between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Project period: April 2003 – September 2004

Project coordinator: Margit Säre

The aim of the project:
The overall aim of the project is to promote good practices in the governance of shared water bodies between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In order to do so, it is necessary to develop institutions and procedures and, for the more efficient implementation of policies, to increase administrative capacity.

Project supporters:
Development support program of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
OSCE
The Government of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden

The sub-goals of the project are:
1. Creation of a Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan Bilateral Commission on Transboundary Waters.
2. Contribution to the division of expenses, requisite for the management of transboundary water bodies between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
3. Public participation in the governance of the transboundary rivers Chu and Talas.
4. Continuing cooperation and the exchange of experience between different organizations dealing with the management of transboundary waters.

Project partners:
1. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan
2. Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Process Industry of the Republic of Kyrgyztan
3. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
4. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
5. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN/ESCAP)
6. Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation

Project activities:
1. Devising and development of a statute and regulations for the Bilateral Commission regarding the Chu and Talas rivers.
2. Organization of negotiations for sharing the expenses concurrent with the governance of the Chu and Talas rivers between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. 
3. Informing the public with regard to the issues of transboundary water bodies and associated problems. Dissemination of information comprises the issuing of publications, arrangement of meetings and assemblies with local organizations.
4. Spreading the information concerning the project.