Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia face public health risks and high rates of mortality from water-borne diseases. In Uzbekistan, only 50 to 60 percent of the population living in rural areas has access to treated water delivered through a centralized, piped water system.
Lack of infrastructural development and a water quality monitoring system pose a security threat to the region. Outbreaks of water-borne disease in rural areas could potentially devastate the two countries.
The Environment Security Initiative (ENVSEC), in partnership with the NATO Science for Peace and Security Program (SPS), has implemented a project to establish a water quality management system for both countries.
In an interview with WaterWideWeb, Dilorom Fayzieva, a partner with ENVSEC and SPS, discussed the purpose and progress of the microbiological monitoring project in Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. Please read the complete interview below.
EAB: How was quality of drinking water in the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan identified as a security issue that ENVSEC Initiative in partnership with NATO Science for Peace and Security Program could address?
DF: Microbiological quality of water is an important issue for the entire Central Asian Region, including Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic. There are high risks of the spread of water-borne infections such as typhoid fever, bacterial dysentery and other types of diarrheal diseases in rural areas. These risks exist because access to the piped centralized drinking water sources in rural areas is approximately 50 to 60 percent on average for the whole region. Prevention of water-borne infection outbreaks amongst the population is attributed to the security issue. It is impossible to prevent any outbreaks of water-borne diseases without the creation of an adequate monitoring system, including organization of routine analysis of bacteriological parameters of water indicating water quality from the microbiological perspective.
EAB: What were some of the contaminants in the water supply prior to the project and what effects did they have on the local community?
DF: An increasing number of coli-form bacteria and fecal streptococci in different water sources used by the population create high risks of water-borne diseases in the local communities. These facts were revealed by the recent studies carried out in the Central Asian region by the various researchers like Semenza in Karakalpakstan in 1998 (USA), Herbst in Khorezm in 2002-2004 (Germany), D. Fayzieva and I.Usmanov in the western regions of Uzbekistan in the period of 2000-2010, and others. The high concerns of water-borne diseases are reflected in the regular national reports of the Ministries of Health Care of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. Improving the monitoring system on microbiological quality of water and ensuring that it was on par with international standards were identified as one of the key priorities of the Environmental Health Action Plans of those countries.
EAB: Are you working with any government or other entity to negotiate technology transfer and capacity building between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic?
DF: We are collaborating in order of negotiation, of technology transfer, and capacity building for improving of the quality of water analysis on bacteriological indicators between France, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic. Main partners in this issue are the Institute of Water Problems of Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences and the Scientific Production Center of Preventive Medicine of the Health Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic. End users of this project are the Republican Center for Sanitary-Epidemiological Surveillance of the Health Ministry of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Bishkek City Center for Sanitary-Epidemiological Surveillance of the Health Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic. Water bacteriology laboratories of these organizations are equipped by modern type of basic equipment and first stage of the trainings took place at IPL, France within this project.
EAB: Please describe how drinking standards were brought up to international standards?
DF: The main purpose of the project is to improve of quality of water analysis through an international quality assurance system and to establish the same system in the national laboratories of those countries. For achieving of this purpose we are planning to create advanced reference laboratories on water bacteriology by equipping them and training of their personnel.
EAB: If you project did not take place, what would the negative outcome on the Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic would there be?
DF: In the absence of quality assurance system, it is impossible to get accurate and reliable data on prevention of outbreaks cannot occur. Finally, it creates high risk of these infections among population and worsening of sanitary-epidemiological conditions by increasing the mortality rates from water-borne diseases.
EAB: Please discuss the short and long term positive outcome of your project.
DF: A short-term outcome is the creation of the reference laboratories on water bacteriology by equipping them and training national personnel on the international water quality standards. Long term outcomes include sharing the project experience throughout other countries of Central Asian region.
EAB: Thank you for interviewing with WaterWideWeb.
DF: You’re welcome.
In a country like Uzbekistan, where a majority of revenue is generated by agricultural production, ensuring a safe water supply serves to secure the economic system as well. Decreasing rates of poverty and decreasing rates of mortality from water-borne diseases allow these countries to develop beyond a stunted period of economic growth and development.
Threats of the spread of water-borne disease and high mortality rates from them are often associated with countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. In fact, similar problems exist in Central Asia. The struggle to update the international standards on water supply is an endeavor that the entire world faces.
Countries in Central Asia and Eastern Europe struggle from the adverse affects of poor water quality because historically, these countries did not have in place the technology and capacity to develop and manage water quality. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left a region of independent countries that, while not subject to land borders with neighboring lands, still had to manage issues of ensuring peace and security in the region, beginning with the provision of clean drinking water. sharing this themes.
The photo above is a picture of water in Kyrgyzstan
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