Water policy reforms in Kyrgyzstan

• Strategic financial planning for Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets.
• Implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles, including the use of economic instruments.
• Support to basin planning and for establishment of basin councils with a pilot in the Chu basin.
• Improving coherence between the water and other sectoral policies (agri-food, energy).
• Setting and implementing targets in context of the UNECE-WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health.

In Kyrgyzstan, the National Policy Dialogue (NPD) started in 2008. It focused on setting up a River Basin Council for the Chu river and developing an action plan to achieve sustainable water management, safe drinking water supply and adequate sanitation in accordance with the Protocol on Water and Health.

The NPD was interrupted in 2010 due to political instability and resumed in mid-2011 under the supervision of a joint Steering Committee for both the integrated water resources management (IWRM) project and the work stream related to water supply and sanitation (WSS) issues.

Hence, the main areas of work and achievements of the NPD in the Kyrgyz Republic are summarised as follows:

• A national financing strategy for urban and rural water supply and sanitation was developed.
• Recommendations for reform options for economic instruments for water resources management were developed.
• The Kyrgyz government added clear water supply and sanitation development targets to the National Strategy for Sustainable Development.
• The River Basin council for the transboundary Chu basin was set up and the first components of the river basin management plan have been drafted.
• Studies on application of modern water-saving irrigation technologies were conducted.
• Targets on health and water were set and adopted.