On May 29 of this year, in Dushanbe (Republic of Tajikistan), the Scientific and Information Center of the ICWC took part in a regional dialogue on drought issues.
The event was organized by the World Bank under the Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP), jointly with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in collaboration with regional partners.
Participants included representatives of Central Asian regional organizations, international projects and programs addressing climate, drought, water resources, and sustainable development, specialized research and analytical organizations with a regional mandate, as well as development partners and donor organizations. Zulfiya Yarullina represented the Scientific and Information Center of the Interstate Water Coordination Center (NICWC) in the regional dialogue.
The regional dialogue took place immediately following the conclusion of the Dushanbe High-Level Conference on the International Decade (2018–2028) for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development,” which took advantage of the presence in Dushanbe of key regional stakeholders, development partners, and technical organizations.
The dialogue was organized within the framework of the Drought Risk and Resilience Assessment (DRRA) project and aimed to promote a regional approach to drought risk assessment, resilience building, and the identification of common priorities for subsequent action. Unlike national drought dialogues, which focus on addressing country-specific challenges, the regional event focused on issues requiring interstate and interagency coordination.
During the dialogue, a regional drought profile was presented, including key trends, key risk factors, and potential areas for regional cooperation. The results of a long-term drought environmental impact assessment, based on data collected in Central Asia, were also presented.
The central element of the event was a group work session involving regional organizations and international projects with a regional focus. The group discussions aimed to develop concrete proposals for regional cooperation in drought monitoring, information exchange, institutional coordination, financing and training, and joint measures to enhance resilience.
The group discussions resulted in a common understanding of regional drought-related challenges, identification of priority areas for regional cooperation, and the preparation of draft proposals for further integrating a regional approach into the DRRA process and related partnership initiatives.
The ICWC Research Center presented proposals for priority areas of work related to the impact of drought on the region’s most vulnerable ecological systems. It was also suggested that greater attention be paid to raising awareness of the risks and consequences of drought.
Overall, the event laid a solid foundation for further cooperation between regional organizations and international partners working to build drought resilience in Central Asia.
Google machine translated