On April 10, 2025, the international scientific and practical conference titled “Water Diplomacy in Central Asia: Trust, Dialogue and Multilateral Cooperation for Sustainable Development” was held in Tashkent.
The event was organized by the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies (ISMI) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Germany), the National Research University “TIIIMSH”, with the support of the Ministry of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan, international organizations, and analytical institutions from the Central Asian region.
The conference aimed to promote dialogue among the countries of the region on issues of sustainable and equitable management of transboundary water resources. This is especially relevant in the context of accelerating climate change, population growth, and economic activity, all of which increasingly pressure the region’s water ecosystems.
Key topics discussed during the conference included:
· Challenges to water security in Central Asia and the potential of water diplomacy;
· International and regional best practices in transboundary water cooperation;
· The role of the scientific community, youth, and civil society in promoting sustainable water governance;
· Prospects for integrating water diplomacy principles into national and regional development strategies.
One of the prominent participants of the conference was the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), which holds a unique mandate granted by the governments of five Central Asian states to facilitate regional environmental cooperation. The Country Director of CAREC in Uzbekistan, Nodirbek Rakhimjonov, delivered a presentation highlighting the organization’s experience and initiatives in water diplomacy.
In his speech, he emphasized that water plays a vital role in ensuring food and energy security in Central Asia. Over 80 percent of the region’s population lives in the basins of the two largest transboundary rivers — the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya — and relies heavily on their sustainable use. However, the current level of interstate cooperation in water management remains insufficient, leading to significant socio-economic losses. According to research conducted by CAREC, the gap between the current limited cooperation and the potential benefits of integration amounts to approximately 4.5 billion US dollars annually.
For over two decades, CAREC has implemented projects and initiatives aimed at strengthening dialogue, knowledge exchange, professional community development, and capacity-building among specialists in water management across the region. Special emphasis is placed on building trust, reconciling interests, and developing negotiation platforms.
The presentation included an overview of the Blue Peace Central Asia initiative, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), aimed at strengthening transboundary cooperation, creating mechanisms for data exchange, and involving youth and women in decision-making processes. As Secretariat of the Blue Peace Dialogue Platform, CAREC has supported the work of regional working groups, training programs, academic initiatives, and networks such as the Community of Practice on Water Diplomacy, the Central Asian Youth for Water network (CAY4W), and the Women in Water network in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
The Country Director also highlighted new initiatives. Since 2024, CAREC, in partnership with GIZ and SDC, has been implementing the project “Climate-responsive and gender-sensitive basin management”, which aims to develop institutional capacity among basin organizations and promote integrated water resources management practices in the context of climate change. The project includes activities to strengthen knowledge, support cross-border cooperation, modernize management approaches, and engage local communities in decision-making.
He also emphasized the importance of education, including scholarships for students from the region to pursue master’s degrees in water diplomacy, supported by the Swiss government, and the development of academic courses on hydrodiplomacy in universities across Central Asia.
At the conclusion of the conference, participants emphasized the need for:
· Developing common principles and mechanisms for transboundary water cooperation;
· Strengthening dialogue between Central Asian countries;
· Active involvement of academic, expert, and youth communities;
· Enhancing institutional mechanisms and legal frameworks for water diplomacy.
CAREC reaffirmed its commitment to continue serving as a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and regional cooperation on all aspects of water security. The organization will further implement projects aimed at building sustainable and equitable mechanisms for the governance of transboundary water resources under the growing challenges of climate change.
Additional information:
Nodirbek Rakhimjonov, the Country Director of CAREC in Uzbekistan, uzbekistan@carececo.org