On January 20, 2026, the 28th session of the Working Group on Water, Energy and Environment of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, organized with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Representatives of relevant ministries and departments from Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan, international organizations, and regional structures, including the UNECE, ESCAP, SIC ICWC, GIZ, the World Bank, the OECD, and the Finnish Water Forum, took part in the session.
The programme of the 28th session of the SPECA Working Group included four thematic sessions:
- development of a nexus approach in the relationship between water resources – energy – land use – ecosystems;
- application of nature-based solutions (NBS);
- issues of safety of dams and hydraulic structures;
- sustainable development of small hydropower.
The key topic of the first session was the development of a nexus approach to the water-energy-land-use-ecosystems nexus. As part of the nexus approach session, Dinara Ziganshina, Director of the Scientific and Research Center for Water Coordination (SRC ICWC), presented a report on “Systemic Interconnections in Ministry Strategies and Mandates.” In her presentation, she noted the need to move from describing interconnections to implementing a practical “nexus layer” directly into strategic planning systems and departmental activities, and outlined the SRC’s work in this area. Furthermore, it was noted that the IKI project facilitates the development of coordinated solutions for water, energy, and land resource management, taking into account climate risks and sustainable development.
Participants discussed the recommendations of the Regional Working Group on a Mechanism for Mutually Beneficial Water and Energy Cooperation, issues of strategic management, water resource modeling, decarbonization, and connectivity, as well as achievements in linking water and health in Central Asia. Representatives from countries in the region shared their national experiences and discussed the potential for practical application of the approaches presented.
The second session focused on nature-based solutions (NBS). Discussions addressed the current situation and countries’ strategic priorities for NBS implementation, their experiences implementing nature-based approaches, and proposals for developing future regional initiatives and work plans.
A separate section was devoted to the safety of dams and hydraulic structures. During the third session, Alexander Dolidudko, a leading specialist at the Scientific and Research Center for Water Coordination (SRC ICWC), presented the preliminary results of a study assessing the condition and climate resilience of water management infrastructure in the Syr Darya basin. This study is being conducted to inform the basin dialogue on the Syr Darya River with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) as part of the Green Central Asia initiative.
All participants discussed national approaches to supervision and risk management, issues of infrastructure resilience to climate change, as well as international experience in ensuring dam safety and protecting populations and ecosystems.
The final thematic session was devoted to the sustainable development of small hydropower. Participants discussed water resource availability for hydropower, environmental aspects of small hydropower siting, approaches to environmental impact assessment, and prospects for developing regional principles and a framework for methodological guidance on the sustainable development of small hydropower. The possibility of presenting the results of this joint work at the Regional Environmental Summit, scheduled to be held in Astana in April 2026, was noted.
Following the session, recommendations were formulated on key areas of work for the SPECA Working Group, including the development of a water-energy nexus, the promotion of nature-based solutions, improving dam safety, and the sustainable development of small hydropower, and further steps for regional cooperation were identified.
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