Experts from Central Asian countries discussed synergies for safe management of hydraulic structures at regional workshop in Almaty, Delovoy Kazakhstan reports.
On Wednesday, November 30, 2022, the Regional Workshop on the Safety of Hydraulic Structures in Central Asia began in Almaty.
Hydraulic structures are the most important objects of the economies of the Central Asian countries and are of great importance in ensuring regional stability. Many of these structures are located on transboundary rivers, which predetermines the specificity and complexity of their operation, the need for systematic work to improve their safety and cooperation in the joint use of water resources.
The regional workshop aims to assist countries in studying global best practices for the safe management of hydraulic structures and discussing the possibility of its application in Central Asia.
The workshop was attended by about 60 participants, including experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Slovakia, representatives of state authorities and national services responsible for the safety of hydraulic structures, specialists from scientific institutions and regional river basin organizations, as well as representatives of international organizations.
At the workshop, the participants will study the experience of Slovakia, India and other countries in the management of hydraulic structures, including in risk management and assessment, support for the monitoring systems, early warning systems, application of information and communication technologies. Participants will also be introduced to the findings of the World Bank's global analysis of dam safety in 51 countries.
The regional workshop will allow experts from the five Central Asian countries to improve their understanding and knowledge of the institutional, technical and scientific aspects of the safe management of hydraulic structures, as well as discuss promising approaches to developing cooperation on the safe management of hydraulic structures.
The workshop was organized by the International Water Assessment Centre (IWAC) in cooperation with the Slovak State Enterprise for Water Construction Management (Vodohospodarska vystavba). The event is held with the financial support of the World Bank at the expense of the Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) and the official support of the Ministry of Environment of Slovakia and the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
IWAC is the collaborative center of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention). The workshop is organized as part of its Programme of Work for 2022-2024 adopted at the Ninth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention.
