On December 4, 2017, Almaty hosted a training on "Joint planning of the transboundary monitoring network and visualization of data on water quality".
The training was conducted for representatives of hydrometeorological and environmental agencies of 5 CA countries, who are centrally involved in the evaluation of the quality of surface waters in the respective countries and have the mandate to conduct operational transboundary monitoring (of both quantity and quality of water).
The main goal of the training was to familiarize the trainees with the modern internationally accepted water quality management systems, including peculiarities of water quality monitoring, exchange of monitoring information and use of monitoring data for joint planning.
Participants learned the international experience in creating goal-oriented transboundary monitoring programs and developed skills in the joint design of monitoring networks. They also learned about the GIS instruments of visualization of water quality data, which help to optimize the analysis of monitoring information and simplify its perception among decision-makers.
The training was organized in the framework of the project “Strengthening cooperation on water quality management in Central Asia”, with support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and FinWaterWEI, as well as the financial support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) within the project “Provision of science-based evidence on climate-induced water quality challenges in Amu Darya basin”.