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Kazakhstan
>> Regional Overview >> Kazakhstan Overview Activity Data Sheet
PROGRAM: Kazakhstan
TITLE & NUMBER: Improved Management of Critical Natural Resources, including Energy; 115-0161
STATUS: New
PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $2,500,000 FSA
PROPOSED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $2,300,000 FSA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 2001 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005Summary: Kazakhstan is dependent on its principal natural resources (e.g., oil, gas, and water) for its economic growth. Past resource abuses have led to disasters such as shrinking of the Aral Sea and pollution of the Caspian Sea. Activities under this objective are designed to change the way these resources are managed. Training and technical assistance will improve the management capacity of natural resources officials; improve policy and regulatory frameworks; and build public commitment. Activities will provide a stronger basis for decision-making through better data collection systems, stronger partnerships with U.S. policy specialists, and better public relations skills. Easily replicated, sustainable demonstration models will complement this assistance through the introduction of new cost and resource efficient technologies and procedures.
Program Categories include support for environmental policy, legislation and regulation; environmental technology transfer; and management of natural resources and bio-diversity.
Key Results: Principal results sought under this objective are: 1) increased management capacity in natural resources; 2) improved policy and regulatory framework for natural resources management; 3) sustainable models developed for integrated natural resources management; and 4) public commitment established for natural resources management policies.
Performance and Prospects: Although the activities of the new objective have just begun, a number of events over the course of the past year contributed to progress in this sector.
In FY 2000 USAID helped the petroleum sector resolve controversial regulatory issues related to privatization, including the adoption of some of the recommendations on excise tax reform and agency restructuring that were part of a USAID-supported Domestic Petroleum Products Market Study. Although problems remain in this sector, USAID played a key role in policy development and forged meaningful partnerships between energy organizations in the United States and Kazakhstan.
With USAID's help, Kazakhstan adopted progressive rules and regulations that will lead to more environmentally sound petroleum drilling and pipeline transport operations. Two other laws are now before Parliament on local climate change legislation, along with another to devolve authority for water resources decisions to local officials at a cost- and resource-benefit to local users. Kazakhstan has also been able to conclude annual agreements with its neighboring countries for the allocation of scarce water resources. USAID and other donors provided advisory and consultative assistance that helped make these policy actions possible.
Resource managers of the Syr Darya River, one of the two major feeders to the Aral Sea, are now using a USAID-developed planning tool make decisions on the allocation and distribution of water and energy in the region. Local water resources technicians are using USAID recommendations to better facilitate transboundary water discussions between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The Climate Change Office (CCO), established under the auspices of the U.S./Kazakh Joint Commission, is attracting potential investors in projects that will lead to lower carbon emissions. The CCO continues to provide crucial resources to Kazakh climate, energy and finance officials that will better prepare them for participation in future climate change negotiations. Although Kazakhstan was unable to join Annex I of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change this year, they did complete all the necessary analyses, studies, and emissions inventories, and have kept them updated. The exercise also served to form valuable partnerships with, and win much goodwill from, other significant international players in this sector.
USAID continues to work with the GOK to implement a comprehensive restructuring of the oil sector's regulatory agency in an effort to make Kazakh markets more attractive to international investors in the oil and gas sectors. A new environment minister and rising oil revenues may better position the GOK to enforce environmental regulations.
USAID intends to allocate, from the FY 2001 obligation, the following amounts per category: Environmental Policy, Legislation & Regulation, $650,000 for technical assistance; Environmental Technology Transfer for model development and training, and $1,090,000 and Management of Natural Resources and Bio-diversity, $760,000 for technical assistance and training.
In 2002, USAID plans to strengthen the decision-making skills of natural resources officials through better data collection systems, stronger partnerships with U.S. policy specialists, and better public relations techniques. This training will be complemented by demonstrations of new technologies and management concepts. Demonstration models will be built to introduce safer, more practical ways to operate and clean up oil fields in the Caspian Sea. In the northern Aral Sea, models will be developed to improve the livelihoods of those who were left to deal with the consequences of the notorious Aral Sea disaster. USAID will initiate small-scale demonstration models in fisheries, tree planting (for commercial and non-commercial use), irrigation efficiency, and desalination that will provide an initiative for future local replication. USAID will also provide training in the use and maintenance of new technologies and procedures for snowmelt forecasting and regional data sharing, thereby helping regional officials to better plan for water allocation. Related to this water issue, USAID will help the Central Asian Economic Community to reach consensus among other existing regional water and energy organizations on transboundary agreements.
Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries of these activities are officials and technicians responsible for managing the natural resources in Kazakhstan. The ultimate beneficiaries are Kazakhstani citizens.
Possible Adjustments to Plans: As most of the activities under this objective are new, internal assessments of ongoing activities may call for some changes. This is especially true in the area of drafting regional agreements on water and energy, which have historically been difficult to achieve, despite USAID and other donor assistance.
Other Donor Programs: The Canadian International Development Agency is providing technical training to natural resources officials and managers, and the Swiss Government is taking part in USAID's efforts to acquire hydrological data. This data is also being shared with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and World Bank. The Asian Development Bank and World Bank are also providing technical assistance on legislative and regulatory issues. USAID's activities are closely coordinated with the World Bank on its Northern Aral Sea Project and its energy sector loans.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: PA Consulting (formerly Hagler-Bailly) is the prime contractor for the Natural Resources Management Program; Israel's Center for Cooperation (MASHAV) is carrying out the Aral Sea activities; the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is working with systems that will help with snowmelt forecasting and data sharing; International Resources Group has worked with transboundary water issues; and United States Energy Association (USEA) is building energy partnerships.
FY 2002 Performance Table
Selected Performance Measures: Improved Management of Critical Natural Resources, including Energy; 115-0161
Indicator FY97 (Actual) FY98 (Actual) FY99 (Actual) FY00 (Actual) FY01 (Plan) FY02 (Plan) Indicator 1: Number of demonstration models replicated in the Central Asian Region N/A N/A N/A 0 0 2 Indicator 2: Number of natural resource policies within the USAID/CAR targeted reform areas that include established monitoring procedures N/A N/A N/A 0 1 1 Indicator 3: Number of demonstration models or projects completed in cooperation with other parties. N/A N/A N/A 0 0 1 Indicator 4: Number of activities in which people or NGOs participate in targeted USAID/CAR natural resource management issues. N/A N/A N/A 0 2 4 Indicator Information:
Indicator Level (S)or(IR) Unit of Measure Source Indicator Description Indicator 1: S Cumulative Number Tracking by USAID and contractor staff Counts USAID/CAR demonstration model projects that are copied and implemented in Kazakhstan with the assistance of local partners. Indicator 2: IR Cumulative Number Tracking by USAID and contractor staff Counts the number of policies adopted dealing with 1) trans-boundary issues; 2) market pricing and energy efficiency; and 3) waste minimization and resource conservation across all permeations of water, oil, and gas resources in Kazakhstan that provide written procedures outlining monitoring actions. Indicator 3: IR Cumulative Number Tracking by USAID and contractor staff Counts USAID/CAR pilot demonstration projects in water and energy that are successfully designed and built (or a similar variant) in a targeted area with the cooperation of local partners associated with the replicated projects, including, but not limited to, other donors, counterparts, or private sources Indicator 4: IR Cumulative Number Tracking by USAID and contractor staff Counts actions taken or documents written by a person Counts actions taken or documents written by a person or NGO that promote policy positions that are being demonstrated or advocated by USAID under SO 1.6. U.S. Financing
(In thousands of dollars)
Improved Management of Critical Natural Resources, including Energy
Obligations Expenditures Unliquidated Through September 30, 1999 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Fiscal Year 2000 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA Through September 30, 2000 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Prior Year Unobligated Funds 0 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 200 FSA 0 DFA Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA 0 DA 0 CSD ESF 0 SEED 2,500 FSA 0 DFA Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001 0 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 2,700 FSA 0 DFA Future Obligations Est. Total Cost Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 2,300 FSA 0 FSA 5,000 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Environmental Management
Obligations Expenditures Unliquidated Through September 30, 1999 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 2,539 FSA 2,539 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Fiscal Year 2000 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA Through September 30, 2000 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 2,539 FSA 2,539 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Prior Year Unobligated Funds 0 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA 0 DA 0 CSD ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001 0 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Future Obligations Est. Total Cost Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 2,539 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA
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Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
