OSCE promotes water resource management in Central Asia

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 12 November 2013 – An OSCE-supported publication on advanced practices in integrated water resource management (IWRM) was presented at the Kazakh-German University in Almaty today.

The publication, “Applying the Concept of IWRM in Central Asia - Current Practices and Future Development”, is aimed at policy makers, water authorities, researchers and experts working on water management issues and environmental governance. 

“Dialogue and co-operation is essential to ensure water and energy security in the region. The publication will serve as a useful resource for knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in this sphere,” said Jeannette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

“Environmentally sustainable water management is critical for the transition to a green economy and Kazakhstan has taken important steps to implement integrated water resource management principles,” said Amirkhan Kenshimov, Deputy Director of the Executive Directorate of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.

“IWRM has its own history in Central Asia. Past projects in the region have found solutions to problems while properly considering the local conditions and culture. As a result, the knowledge garnered from these experiences can be utilized in future IWRM initiatives,” said Professor Johan Gerlach, Dean of the Kazakh-German University.

The OSCE Centre in Astana and the OSCE Office in Tajikistan supported the publication in co-operation with the Kazakh-German University, German Society for Co-operation, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Development Programme and the Goethe Institute, as part of the Centre’s activities in support of the regional dialogue on transboundary water management.