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Steering Committee of the National Policy Dialogue on Water Continues Water Sector Reforms in Tajikistan

On Friday, 23 May 2014, the Steering Committee of the National Policy Dialogue on Integrated Water Resources Management of Tajikistan discussed the state of water management reforms that the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) helped to design.


Over 60 representatives of different stakeholders and donors involved in improving the water resources situation in Tajikistan attended the meeting, which was chaired by the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, Mr. Usmonali Usmonzoda.


Participants expressed satisfaction with the recently implemented institutional changes in water management, based on the Water Sector Reform Strategy developed with support from UNECE. The first step of the reform was implemented in late 2013, when the functions of water sector policymaking and the management of the irrigation infrastructure were divided, ending the potential conflict of interests that existed when the same institution was responsible for both water policy and managing water infrastructure.


The next stage of the reform will concentrate on making the necessary changes in legislation to implement the principles of integrated water resources management. The Steering Committee meeting adopted the proposals on the scope of changes needed in the Water Code, proposed by the UNECE-funded national working group. Once the new Water Code is adopted, the introduction of the basin principle of water management is expected to be the next step of reform. Different donors, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and Switzerland, confirmed at the Steering Committee meeting that they are planning to support the development of basin management plans and the creation of basin administrations.


Note to editors


National Policy Dialogues (NPDs) on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Water Supply and Sanitation are the main operational instrument of the European Union Water Initiative Component for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. UNECE is the strategic partner for support to the policy dialogue processes on IWRM.


NPDs are under way in the following countries of the region: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.


For more information, please visit: www.unece.org/env/water/npd

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