On Tuesday, 30 April, a regional conference of Central Asian countries on water management issues was held in Ashgabat, TDH reports. The event is part of the USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity project (WAVE).
The forum was attended by representatives of the water sector, a number of ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, as well as international and research organizations.
The agenda included an analysis of the current reforms and future strategies for sustainable water use, sharing best practices from USAID, GIZ, and UNDP water projects in the region, exploring innovative solutions for efficient water management.
The conference highlighted the importance of the UN General Assembly Resolution on “Cooperation between the UN and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea,” initiated by Turkmenistan.
Speaking at major international forums, Turkmenistan has put forward a number of relevant initiatives aimed at uniting international efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN member states. At the same time, Turkmenistan believes that the use of transboundary water resources in Central Asia should be carried out on the basis of universally recognized norms of international law, mutual respect and consideration of the interests of all nations in the region.
It was noted that water resources play a key role for the sustainable development of Central Asia, and transboundary water cooperation is an essential component of achieving the SDGs, ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the region. In this context, a common willingness was expressed to prioritize water issues in national and regional strategies and to strengthen multilateral cooperation in this direction.
In the afternoon, the 3rd Regional Decision Support Meeting in the Amu Darya River Basin was held in a hybrid format. The 6th meeting of the Regional Coordination Committee is also scheduled.
The USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity project has been implemented from October 2020 to September 2025 with a budget of $ 21.5 million. The goal is to strengthen regional capacity to manage shared water resources and mitigate environmental risks in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya River basins. The activity takes a multi-level governance approach to tackling complex regional water challenges by strengthening collaboration through stakeholder dialogues; developing a shared vision for integrated and sustainable river basin management using evidence and modeling; and fostering collaborative action across sectors and governance levels.