On November 29, 2024, the second meeting of the members of the Basin Council (BC) of the Uzbek part of the Zarafshan River was held in Samarkand. The meeting was organized with the support of the project “Climate-Resilient Integrated Water Resource Management in the Zarafshan River Basin”, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by a consortium including Caritas Switzerland and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC).
The project aims to strengthen water resource management capacity through community participation, more effective water resource planning and management that accounts for climate change impacts across various economic sectors, and fostering more efficient transboundary cooperation.
At the second meeting, opening and welcoming speeches were delivered by representatives of the Ministry of Water Management, the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the Ministry of Mining and Geology, and others. Attendees included all members of the Basin Council, representatives of NGOs such as the “Eco-Movement of the Republic of Uzbekistan” and “Women of Uzbekistan’s Agricultural Sector,” research organizations, as well as experts and specialists from government agencies in the fields of ecology and water management.
During the meeting, participants were presented with general information on the project’s progress and completed activities. A training session on the basin planning cycle and the development of a basin plan was also conducted. As part of the agenda, new members representing the private sector, major water users, and NGOs were admitted to the Basin Council. Additionally, the Council elected a chairman and secretary.
As a result of the second meeting, decisions and recommendations were adopted based on the opinions and proposals of the participants. It was agreed that the next meeting of the Zarafshan River Basin Council will be held in early April in the city of Bukhara.
Greeting of Meeting Participants
Speeches by BC Members on the Agenda Items of the Meeting
Discussion and Voting on the Candidate for the Position of BC Chai
General Overview of the Zarafshan River Basin Council Meeting
Contact person – Irina Yugay, Project Manager (Water Initiatives Support Program), wisspecialist@carececo.org
