UNDP’s overarching strategic approach in the Central Asian water sector is to tackle transboundary, disputable water issues by focusing on non-divisive, mutually beneficial and concrete action at national or local level. Besides the immediate aim to improve the concrete living conditions for people on the ground, the intention is to gradually build national capacities along with the governments’ information base and willingness to tackle more complex, transboundary aspects in time. This project consists of four components.

National Component: Transboundary Dialogue and Cooperation in the Ili-Balkhash Basin

The Ili-Balkhash basin is located on the territories of Kazakhstan, China, and, partly, Kyrgyzstan. The Ili river basin provides about 80% of the total inflow to the Balkhash Lake. Agriculture, water-power engineering, growing population, and increased industrial pollution negatively affect the basin ecology and threaten the existence of the Lake. Therefore it is essential to take joint measures for establishing the institutional and political foundation for a sustainable management of the river basin.

To learn more about the component, please, click here.

National Component: Development and Implementation of IWRM Strategy in Kyrgyzstan

The objective is mainly to develop and implement IWRM and Water Efficiency Strategies at national and basin level. The project focuses in parallel on IWRM governance and institutional reform processes, as well as on concrete interventions to improve the situation of irrigated agriculture and living conditions of people in rural areas, with special attention to water supply, sanitation, and energy service delivery (through small-scale hydropower). Interventions include cooperative activities in selected transboundary river basins aimed to demonstrate IWRM principles and their implementation at local and basin level.

To learn more about the component in Kyrgyzstan, please, click here.

National Component: Development and Implementation of IWRM Strategy in Tajikistan

This project will support the development of National IWRM plan for Tajikistan, and promote the linkage with similar on-going activities as well as transboundary dialogue and coordination in Central Asia in general. The overall project goal is to establish national processes and institutional mechanisms in Tajikistan, and strengthen transboundary dialogue, knowledge exchange and coordination in Central Asia to strategically plan, manage and utilize water resources in an integrated and efficient manner.

To learn more about the component in Tajikistan, please, click here.

Regional Component: Promoting IWRM and Fostering Transboundary Dialogue in Central Asia

At the regional level, the project is aimed at providing a platform for regional dialogue on IWRM and complemented by capacity building measures – a joint IWRM training plan with several partners and initiatives is under preparation – knowledge management and experience exchange support, as well as coordination interventions. This project will be implemented in close cooperation with UNDP Uzbekistan project on IWRM, in order to stimulate the regional perspective and transboundary cooperation in shared basins.