On December 14-15, 2017, Ashgabat hosted a seminar on international water law issues with the participation of officials and specialists from various departments of state organizations, scientific institutions and public associations of the country. The discussion took place within the framework of Turkmenistan's chairmanship in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).
The seminar aimed to increase the capacity of national experts in the field of international transboundary water resources legal regulation in Central Asia. Among the organizers of the meeting were the Regional Environmental Centre of Central Asia (CAREC) and the Executive Committee of the IFAS with the assistance of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
Coordinator of CAREC projects in Turkmenistan Dovlet Jumakuliev noted that the sustainable development of countries sharing transboundary water resources depends not only on the natural factors for restoring the annual flow of water, but also on the nature of international legal norms and agreements between them. Therefore, one of the most important aspects of the concept of Turkmenistan's chairmanship in the IFAS is the formation of water diplomacy. This requires studying the international experience and training specialists in the field.
In Turkmenistan, construction of new reservoirs on small rivers and streams continues, as well as an increase in the capacity of existing ones. Significant funds were invested in provision of drinking water supply, construction of Altyn Asyr Lake, which resulted in improvement of the condition of the lands of the foothill valley of the Kopetdag, as well as prevention of discharge of contaminated collector-drainage waters into the Amu Darya.
The representative of the Executive Committee of IFAS Serdar Eberenov emphasized that transboundary water cooperation is aimed at increasing the potential of river basins with considering the interests of population and economies of the region. The materials of the seminar help to look broadly at such aspect of international cooperation as the legal regulation of transboundary water resources in the context of sustainable development of the region.
Recall that Trainings on International Water Law in Tajikistan was held on October 16-17, and in Uzbekistan on December 18-19, 2017.