Eurasian River Basin Portal

12.11.2018

We are glad to present you the needs assessment “Surface water quality monitoring systems in Central Asia”. This is one of the few studies in this sphere at the regional level.

The assessment was carried out within the project “Strengthening Cooperation on Water Quality Management in Central Asia", which is implemented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in collaboration with the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) and funded under the FinWaterWei programme. This assessment is one of the achievements of project. The project “Strengthening cooperation in water quality management in Central Asia” is implemented at the regional level, since all five Central Asian states are ready for dialogue to improve water quality and monitoring.

The report's authors pointed out that poor water quality equals to lack of resources. Polluted water cannot be used without risk to water users even with sufficient water quantity. In this regard, information on the quality of water resources is an important part of modern society, economy and environment in all countries of the region.

The assessment showed the urgent need for modernization of the water management sector, at both levels: national and regional. Recommendations are divided into several interrelated areas:

A. Reforms of water policy to monitor water quality in the context of IWRM;

B. Increasing the material, methodological and staff potential of the agencies leading the monitoring of the water quality;

C. Supporting regional cooperation in ensuring the quality of transboundary water resources;

D. Coordination and integration of countries efforts to improve the system of monitoring and managing the quality of transboundary waters.

Want to learn more? Download the report.