Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – On September 5, a round table on the presentation of the Community of Practice platform organized by the USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity (WAVE) in cooperation with the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) was held.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the following organizations: State Committee for Water Resources of Turkmenistan, Civil Service Academy under the President of Turkmenistan, Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, Turkmen universities, National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development, International organizations, including the United States Agency for International Development.
During the meeting, the participants were introduced to the Central Asian Community of Practice, established in Central Asia in 2022 with the support of USAID/WAVE. Based on the members of the Network of Academic Societies (NAS), the Community of Practice has expanded its membership and today includes representatives of educational and scientific institutions, government agencies, international organizations and experts interested in promoting water, energy, food and environmental security in Central Asia.
The Manager of the Environmental Management Program at CAREC, Mrs. Ludmila Kiktenko, spoke about the activities and key achievements of the Community and the possibility of representatives of Turkmenistan joining it. The Community of Practice unites higher educational and research institutions in the region in order to promote issues of water, energy, food, environmental (WEFE) security and sustainable development in educational and scientific processes and promotes knowledge exchange and interaction.
“The Community of Practice unites representatives of academic, scientific, management structures, students and experts and provides them with access to advanced knowledge and tools for effective management of water, energy, food and environmental security and sustainable development of Central Asian countries,” said Mrs. Kiktenko.
Presenting the Community of Practice electronic platform located on the Eurasian River Basin Management Portal, the Coordinator for Development of Community of Practice and Network of Academic Society of CAREC, Ms. Zamira Zholdaskyzy, spoke about the tasks and principles of the electronic platform and the opportunities it provides to registered members.
“The electronic platform of the Community of Practitioners is an information base and networking platform where educational and training materials, research and analytical work on water resources and sector interconnections, as well as summaries of Community members can be found. Here you can not only receive useful information, but also share your expertise and interact with colleagues from other Central Asian countries,” Ms. Zholdaskyzy said.
According to the speaker, over the past six months, the number of users on riverbp.net has doubled, which proves the growing interest to the Community of Practice platform from universities and its practical benefits. This is also partly due to the creation of a group on the Telegram social network, which simplified the networking process between the NAS members and the Community of Practice.
In addition, during the meeting, training modules and other materials were considered, which will later be published on the Community of Practice platform for users from Turkmenistan. These knowledge products will contribute to the improvement of professional skills and the exchange of experience among the participants of the platform, providing them with the necessary resources for more effective work and interaction in the field of sustainable development.
For reference:
The Network of Academic Societies (NAS) has been operating since 2013 with the support of development partners such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swiss Agency for Development (SDC), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the European Union (EU), the World Bank (WB), on the platform of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia.
The Community of Practice platform was created in 2022 by USAID WAVE in collaboration with CAREC on the basis of the Eurasian River Basin Portal (riverbp.net).
Additional information: Ludmila Kiktenko, Environmental Management Programme’s Manager, CAREC, lkiktenko@carececo.org
#CoPP #USAID #WAVE #CAREC #CommunityOfPractice #NAS
