Background
Sustainable development of Central Asia largely depends on the quantity and quality of shared transboundary water resources. In the context of growing water shortage in the region, the impacts of climate change, and anthropogenic pressure on water resources, it is extremely important to adopt coordinated approaches of countries to monitor and exchange data on the status of water resources.
The Water Convention pays special attention to the development of cooperation on monitoring of transboundary waters. Joint monitoring, assessment of transboundary waters and exchange of information are among its key obligations. As part of its implementation, a number of guidance documents have been developed that take into account the practical experience of countries in monitoring and assessing transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwater. As part of activities for 2022-2024, an updated version of the Strategies for monitoring and assessment of transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwaters was published and a new publication “Good practices and lessons learned in transboundary data exchange” is under development.
The International Water Assessment Centre (IWAC) assists in the implementation of the Convention in practice. IWAC’s programme of work for 2022-2024 provides support in updating and preparing the guidance materials of the Convention on monitoring and assessment, including through the organization of a regional workshop in Central Asia, aimed at facilitating the exchange of experience in the field of monitoring water resources, and improving cooperation between the countries of the region on protection and use of water resources.
The regional workshop was organized in cooperation with and with support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to promote regional cooperation on sustainable water management in Central Asia.
Objectives and outcomes
The objectives of the regional workshop were to:
- Promote the exchange of experiences in the field of monitoring and assessment and data and information exchange in Central Asia;
- Improve cooperation between the countries of the region in the protection and use of water resources;
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Identify lessons learned and good practices as possible examples to be included in the new publication “Good practices and lessons learned in transboundary data exchange”.
Participants included representatives of relevant state bodies (water, environment, foreign affairs, etc.) and hydrometeorological services of the five countries in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), NGOs, regional and international organizations as well as national experts in the field of protection and use of water resources.
Outcomes included:
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Strengthened capacity of government agencies and hydrometeorological services in Central Asia to further develop cooperation between countries in the field of information exchange, monitoring and assessment of transboundary waters.
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Collection of several good practices and lessons learned for the new publication “Good practices and lessons learned in transboundary data exchange” under the Water Convention.
Press release of the workshop available here.