Johannes Madsen on water management: Kazakhstan takes the right steps

12 June, 2019 14:20

In the wake of the water bodies been deteriorating for decades in the Central Asian region, the European Union’s experience in efficient water management seems sought-after for Kazakhstan. Mr Johannes Stenbaek Madsen, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Kazakhstan, believes that best way to ensure efficient water management is through sustainability, putting a value on water. He also thinks of a water management company as the way to cope with water issues.

- In your opinion, what are the main benefits of efficient water management?

- Saving the resources, being sure you are not wasting as water is scarce. We have to accept it is a scarce resource globally, even if locally we think there is plenty of it. The first point is sustainability. Sustainability can only be ensured once you start to put a value on water. When you say that a liter of water costs a certain amount you start to take care of it. Otherwise you throw it on the ground, you are not careful about how you manage it, then it is not sustainable at all. You will continue to waste it. You have to put a value on water, avoid waste and build a sustainable system. With a sustainable system I mean a water company that collects tariffs for water uses, re-invests in a water supply system, makes sure to modernise and upgrade it so the system continues to operate and function efficiently to provide water for future generations. I think that if you do not value water resources, or collect money from its uses, or have resources to maintain this system, you will collapse. As you saw, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the systems were not maintained allowing for a collapse. That shows what will happen if you do not put in place sustainable solutions, which is dependent on putting a value on water.

- Can Kazakhstan deal with water management issues itself?

- I am convinced it can. Kazakhstan has resources to do it and is taking the right steps. From my point of view, by putting in place proper strategies and plans, the Government has resources to do necessary investments. I think for the Kazakh Government it is a question of priority and consequence, which step do you take now and later, how do you prioritise, should we give a priority to building proper water supply and sustainable water supply systems, or you put money into something else.

- What are the best examples of water management?

- Look at some countries where the water supply system is working. I think that one of the fundamental things that characterizes these countries is that they have collective management of water companies, activities, local governments going together, sharing the ownership and governance of the water company, and operating the company as a commercial entity, making sure that it operates efficiently, collects money from the uses, and maintains the system. That is the basic characteristics of a well-functioning sustainable system.

- When will the world face a global water crisis?

- I am not an expert to be able to say that. However, once thing is for sure if you look at the trend in terms of the needs for water with the growing population, we are now seven billion people moving towards 10-11 billion people, it is obvious that the need for drinking water will only increase, and that means that the need for the sustainable solutions, I talked about, will definitely be needed soon and all governments around the world will need to find these solutions. And as I said because Central Asia is such a great source of clean water, there are perhaps bigger responsibilities on those countries that have these resources to protect them and ensure that we have clean water also for future generations.

- Thank you for the interview!

Adlet Seilkhanov

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