Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  Central Asia transforms into a hub for water-climate diplomacy. This view was expressed by Akramjon Neymatov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies (ISMI) under the President of Uzbekistan, during an expert dialogue on water scarcity issues in Central Asia, which took place on 28 November at the headquarters of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Berlin.

Speaking at the panel session, which included experts from Central Asia, members of parliament, specialists from ministries and departments of Germany, and representatives from leading scientific, educational, and analytical centers of Germany, Neymatov provided a detailed overview of Uzbekistan’s comprehensive strategy in the water sector.

According to him, significant transformations have occurred in this sector in recent years. For the first time in Uzbekistan’s national development strategy, water conservation has been made a separate priority in state policy. The Concept for the Development of Water Management until 2030 has been adopted and is being implemented consistently. Based on this, short-term strategies for managing water resources and developing the irrigation sector are being developed, and institutional mechanisms for integrated water management are being improved.

He noted that a key item on the agenda is the adoption of a Water Code, designed to systematize fragmented regulatory and legal acts, thereby increasing the effectiveness of a unified state water policy.

The expert emphasized that the new legislative act, which includes the establishment of a water management council, will contribute to strengthening the integrated and cross-sectoral approach to water resource management. It aims to introduce market economy principles and public-private partnerships (PPP) in the water sector and enhance the accountability of water users.

Neymatov also highlighted the significant increase in cooperation between Central Asian countries in the water sector, the measures to improve the activities of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, and the development of a regional agreement on the rational use of water resources.

It was noted that to effectively coordinate actions in this direction, the water-climate dialogue in the region is being supported and expanded. The Central Asian University for Environmental Studies and Climate Change has been established in Tashkent, and for the first time, the Regional "Green Agenda" for Central Asia and the Regional Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation have been adopted.

In the expert’s opinion, Central Asia is effectively becoming a hub for water-climate diplomacy and is actively engaging in the global dialogue on climate change issues. Specifically, between 2025 and 2028, five major forums on water-climate issues will be held in Central Asian countries under the auspices of the United Nations.

Discussing future cooperation prospects in the water sector, the expert identified several promising directions:

Firstly, Neymatov believes that the countries of Central Asia have a deep understanding of the problems in the water sector and have large-scale plans for addressing them.

At the same time, he pointed out that the most urgent task today is attracting financing to the water sector. Referring to data from the EDB, the expert noted that the investment gap in water distribution for Central Asia in the next six years will reach approximately $12 billion, or $2 billion per year, which is significantly higher than the $4 billion allocated by international financial institutions over the previous 15 years for these tasks.

In light of the outflow of investments from developing countries, this poses a major challenge, and the ISMI representative emphasized the importance of developing and implementing "blue" financing instruments in Central Asia. This includes studying and applying best practices for involving private capital and the financial market in investing in water-climate projects, stimulating the development of public-private partnership mechanisms and outsourcing in the water sector, and fully utilizing internal reserves.

Secondly, the expert emphasized that for making scientifically grounded decisions in the field, it is crucial to accurately assess the long-term impacts of climate change on Central Asia’s water resources. In this regard, he argued that it is necessary to create a common regional research platform, a unified database, and to coordinate cross-border research efforts based on an interdisciplinary approach.

Thirdly, according to the ISMI representative, creating a common educational space in the water sector in Central Asia has become particularly relevant.

Experts predict that by 2035-2040, the expected demand for specialists in Central Asia’s water management could reach about 180-200 thousand people. “In this context, the key task is improving national educational programs and training standards for water sector specialists,” emphasized Neymatov.

He noted that the Central Asian University for Environmental Studies and Climate Change, established in 2023 by the decree of the President of Uzbekistan, as well as the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers, which ranks among the top 500 universities worldwide, could become the driving forces for such a process.

He stressed that joint educational programs would not only enhance the scientific potential of our countries but also strengthen future collaborative interactions among specialists in the water sector.

Fourthly, there is a growing demand for developing rapid and adequate response measures to extreme weather events, droughts, precipitation, and mudflows.

Neymatov pointed out that Central Asia is particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, facing an increase in extreme weather events that affect the existential foundations of the livelihoods of the region’s countries.

At the same time, a new trend has emerged in recent years — heavy downpours that lead to flooding and mudflows.

In this context, he emphasized the need not only to thoroughly study the consequences of these phenomena but also to establish a regional system for forecasting, warning, early notification, and coordinated responses to natural disasters and extreme climate events.

Fifthly, the expert focused on the importance of widely implementing advanced practices to improve the efficiency and productivity of water use, especially in agriculture, which today consumes more than 90% of the region’s water resources. Neymatov pointed out that, according to international organizations, by 2050, water resources in the Syr Darya basin are expected to decrease by 5%, and in the Amu Darya basin by 15%. By 2100, they may decrease by 30% and 40%, respectively.

In the ISMI representative’s opinion, the solution to this serious situation could lie in the widespread adoption of water-saving technologies.

“The main task is to create effective mechanisms for the transfer of water-saving technologies, which can ensure the practical implementation of best practices for efficient water use and management, and reduce irrational consumption. This will allow us to maximize the benefits of the existing water infrastructure,” Neymatov believes.

Sixthly, as the expert indicated, the issues of improving mechanisms for accounting and distributing water have become particularly pressing.

According to the ISMI representative, at present, the accounting of water from transboundary rivers in Central Asia is conducted through automated hydrological posts, the number of which is limited and does not allow for obtaining complete information on water use across all sections of the rivers.

This situation, according to the expert, hinders the collection of accurate and reliable data along the entire length of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, making it difficult to manage transboundary water resources effectively.

“It is necessary to increase the number of automated hydrological posts for monitoring the flow of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, implement new technologies for controlling water use, and manage water distribution for agricultural and energy needs,” concluded Neymatov.