Ahead of the 12th Civil Forum, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov held a meeting with representatives of public and non-governmental organizations. The event was also attended by Banu Nurgaziyeva, President of the Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan, and Lima Diaz, Chair of the Board of the Center for Support of Civil Initiatives.

Nurzhan Nurzhigitov briefed the public on the work the water agency has accomplished over the past two years. Participants discussed water resource monitoring mechanisms and collaboration in implementing projects to foster a culture of water conservation. Representatives of non-governmental organizations made proposals for implementing government initiatives in water resource management, which will be taken into account during the 12th Civil Society Forum.

Following the meeting, a decision was made to establish a coordinating council for interaction with non-governmental organizations under the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.

“Our ministry views engagement with the non-governmental sector as an integral part of effective and sustainable water policy. For example, the new Water Code sets as one of its goals active public participation in water management. Through basin councils, representatives of water users, businesses, environmental organizations, and the scientific community have gained a mechanism for influencing their actions. Strengthening the role of the public means that decisions on water are made with due regard for the views of those directly affected by the problems on the ground,”  noted Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.

The minister’s meeting with representatives of non-governmental organizations took place as part of the second stage of preparations for the XII Civil Forum, which will be held on October 15-16. The Civil Forum is a national platform for open and constructive dialogue between the state and civil society, held every two years and bringing together representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, businesses, and the expert and academic communities. As part of the first stage of preparations, meetings with civil society activists were held in all 20 regions of the country from May to September. Following these meetings, action plans were adopted to implement the recommendations of the forum participants.

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https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/water/press/news/details/1080192