Water resources policy and administrative management

The Irtysh river pollution starts in China and takes place for the entire space of the river. As a region where the river flows by is rich with natural resources, a lot of industrial facilities are existed in the river basin. The factories burials into the river leads to death of flora and fauna of the region. Besides, industrial pollution is a serious danger for drinking water sources of the whole river basin. Since January 1999 state bodies had to stop environment control over the situation in the region due to lack of financial resources. As a result, plant facilities wastes burials into the river beyond control. Nobody is aware about the harmful substances maintained in the river. And now independent resources arrangement is of a high priority. Public monitoring over the situation will allow decreasing of the plant facilities` pollution. The project is directed on realization of the main statements of the Aurhus Convention which promotes access to information, public participation in decision-making process and access to justice in the sphere of environment by the sample of concrete public activity in protection of Irtysh, which is the main water artery of Kazakhstan and is a transboundary river. The main project activities will be concentrated on improvement of the environmental situation with Irtysh river by means of cooperation of NGOs, plant facilities, local authorities and population of such big mega policies as Ust-Kemen, Semey and Lelinogorsk, and 5 smaller cities of the Eastern KAzakhstan. Expected Result Public Environmental Commission is created Public Irtysh river Protection Programme with participation of NGOs, state native protection departments, public, plant facilities and local authorities is developed Public is involved into monitoring over the industrial facilities burials into the river Joint actions with plant facilities of Ust-Kemen and Semey are developed Irtysh river protection actions are arranged with active participation of the local population Environmental NGOs activity in the region is strengthened Legal advice centre for public is created, consulting services on public rights protection on environmental issues are rendered. A booklet on the public environmental rights protection is produced and widespread Local population environment awareness is raised

Kazakhstan