News
Background:
Water is a key factor in the socio-economic development of Central Asia, making a significant contribution to agricultural production, GDP, and employment. Despite the seemingly sufficient per capita availability of water resources, the region faces a complex set of water security challenges. Uneven distribution of water flows, interstate disputes over water allocation, depletion of water reserves, and pollution of water bodies collectively create persistent risks to economic development and public well-being.
Climate change further exacerbates these challenges by reducing water availability and intensifying its direct impact on the socio-economic development of countries in the region.
Agriculture, which plays a central role in the economies of Central Asian countries, is particularly vulnerable. Periodic droughts, high pressure on water resources, and low efficiency of irrigation systems lead to significant water losses. The dominance of water-intensive monocultures, such as cotton, further increases pressure on water resources and contributes to soil degradation.
Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive, transboundary approach based on sustainable river basin management and the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles. Although IWRM principles have been incorporated into national legislation across the region, their practical implementation remains uneven, highlighting the need to strengthen capacity-building initiatives in water and land resource management.
Capacity development is a critical prerequisite for strengthening interstate cooperation, stimulating policy reforms, and promoting sustainable practices. These efforts aim to train qualified basin managers equipped with modern technologies and planning tools, facilitate regional consensus-building, and enhance the overall water governance system. In addition, they support political and institutional reforms, ultimately strengthening sustainable water use and contributing to the conservation of natural resources.
Project Objective:
To strengthen the capacity of regional and national basin organizations to implement IWRM, taking into account climate and gender considerations, in five Central Asian countries.
Target Group:
Basin and water management organizations of Central Asia.
Output 1. IWRM Learning course
Description: A package of IWRM training modules integrating climate risks and gender aspects has been developed and implemented, tailored to country-specific contexts.
Activities (under Output 1):
● Support of establishment of a regional expert group.
● Baseline assessment of the capacities and needs of basin organizations.
● Consultations/discussions with beneficiaries to identify gaps and define the thematic scope of country-specific modules.
● Joint development of training modules and curricula based on country demands.
● Gender analysis of each country module and recommendations for integrating gender aspects into the content.
Output 2. Trainings and Transboundary Exchange Conducted for Practical IWRM Implementation
Description: Trainers have been prepared and target groups from basin organizations and national training centers have been trained; transboundary cooperation and exchange of practices have been strengthened..
Activities (under Output 2):
-Delivery of 24 trainings — 4 regional, 10 national, and 10 transboundary.
Output 3. RiverBP Portal Strengthened as a Learning and Decision-Support Tool for Climate-Sensitive IWRM
Description: The RiverBP portal has been updated and its functionality expanded, including e-learning, online access to consolidated materials, and decision-support for climate-sensitive IWRM.
Activities (under Output 3):
● Adaptation of materials on climate risks and IWRM into e-learning formats.
● Modernization of RiverBP: updated interface, expanded online learning functionality, and hosting of modules.
Institutionalization of RiverBP: integration of the portal into regional Central Asian mechanisms/platforms to ensure sustainable use after the project.Irina Yugay, Project Manager (Water Initiatives Support Program)
Tel.: +7 727 265 43 33 (ext. 275)
Email: i.yugay@carececo.org
Robert Mikovec, Regional Advisor, GIZ programme “Climate Sensitive Water Resources Management in Central Asia”
Email: robert.mikovec@giz.de