Observations from a recent study tour to Europe, where Central Asian government representatives learned first-hand about multi-sector planning in the Danube and Sava River Basins and transboundary investment project ideas were discussed during regional project steering committee meeting on 18-19 June 2019 in Dushanbe. The meeting was held within the framework of the EU-funded project “Central Asia Nexus Dialogue: Fostering Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus Dialogue and Multi-Sector Investment".
The proposed investment projects cover a wide range of transboundary natural resources management issues in the Amudarya and Syrdarya River Basins associated with water allocation, dam safety, technical upgrading, eco-tourism, combating desertification and other environmental issues of the Aral Sea.
“The EU promotes the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Security Nexus approach as a fundamental shift from a purely national and sectoral approach to common inter-sectoral management of transboundary resources in Central Asia. It helps the region develop as an area of cooperation and connectivity rather than one of competition and rivalry” stated Johannes Stenbaek Madsen, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Kazakhstan.
Experts funded by the Project presented their analytical reports on capacity assessment, best cases on WEF Security Nexus from other regions of the world, the capacity-building training module and policy briefs developed for Central Asia. Nexus Roadmap was developed following stakeholder consultations and the study tour organized within the framework of the Project.
The Project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with the support of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS). The Project’s Phase I will last until December 2019 (total budget: €1.52 mln; EU contribution: €1.3 mln).
