Strengthening Women's Leadership in Water Diplomacy

Publication date: 01 December 2025

Tashkent - Uzbekistan — November 25, 2025 — The Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC) organized a regional training for the networks of "Women in Water Management in Central Asia and Afghanistan" and "Women in Water Diplomacy in the South Caucasus," which are part of the Global Women's Network, as part of the "Climate-Responsive and Gender-Sensitive Basin Management" project supported by the Swiss Blue Peace Central Asia initiative.

The project "Climate-Responsive and Gender-Sensitive Basin Management" is implemented as part of the regional program "Climate Sensitive Water Resources Management in Central Asia", implemented by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The training was attended by 11 permanent members of the Women's Network from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, 10 new participants selected through a competitive selection process, and three representatives of the South Caucasus Women's Network. The participants represented relevant ministries and water management agencies, non-governmental organizations, as well as academic and research institutions. The main objective of the training was to enhance the capacity of women to participate more actively in transboundary water management processes and the development of water diplomacy at various levels.

During the training, participants reviewed key aspects of integrated water resources management in the context of climate change, including an analysis of current and projected climate trends in the region. The role of IWRM in ensuring adaptation to climate change, the progress of Central Asian countries in achieving SDG 6.5.1, water reforms and national water management strategies implemented in the region were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the methodological aspects of basin planning and the implementation of basin plans in the countries.

A separate discussion session was devoted to mechanisms for transboundary water cooperation, institutional and management frameworks, data exchange and joint monitoring tools, as well as local and regional conflict prevention mechanisms.

In the afternoon, participants were introduced to the Blue Peace Index, a practical tool for assessing the sustainability of transboundary water management, and conducted a group exercise to calculate the index for the Syr Darya River basin. The training concluded with a discussion of the results and the presentation of certificates.

Background:

From 2024 to 2026, CAREC is implementing the project “Climate-Responsive and Gender- Sensitive Basin Management”. The Project is part of the Regional Program “Climate Sensitive Water Resources Management in Central Asia” implemented by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
The project’s goal is to strengthen regional cooperation among countries in the region by providing informational and theoretical support to stakeholders in the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). As part of the project, 24 gender-sensitive trainings will be conducted at national, transboundary, and regional levels.
Contact information:
Irina Yugay - Project Manager, Water Initiatives Support Program, CAREC, wisspecialist@carececo.org

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