Global Water Partnership - GWP

Advancing young specialists’ use of management tools in Kyrgyzstan 

CWP Kyrgyzstan team presents results at high-level meeting

The Kyrgyz Republic is highly vulnerable to climate change, and many rural communities already lack access to safe water and good sanitation. A new generation of water specialists need the right integrated water resources management (IWRM) tools to make progress on these issues. Country Water Partnership (CWP) Kyrgyzstan’s experts have therefore developed nine training modules on economic and financial water resources management tools, aimed at undergraduate and graduate students. 

Gaining an understanding of the basic financial and economic principles associated with IWRM is in high demand among students and experienced water specialists alike in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Previously, no such training was available, so CWP Kyrgyzstan set out to change this. By providing logistical support and the expertise of experienced trainers from CWP Kyrgyzstan, these new modules will advance understanding of IWRM in the region. 

In addition to creating the new training modules, in 2023 more than 45 undergraduate and graduate students took part in five courses using the modules, and 80 water sector specialists, including representatives from government bodies, developed their qualifications. The CWP Kyrgyzstan team presented these results at two high-level meetings, including the 4th meeting of the National Intersectoral Committee of Kyrgyzstan in September 2023. 

Mainstreaming gender in Turkmenistan’s climate adaptation plan 

Workshop held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Irrigated agriculture is a driver of Turkmenistan’s economy, especially due to women’s labour and management efforts. Despite wide recognition of the role of women in water resources management, however, gender-related issues still arise, especially when water becomes scarce and competition among users increases.  

An opportunity to address gender issues better opened up this year during the development of Turkmenistan’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP), a plan laying out actions the country will take to adapt to the impacts of climate change. In December 2023, a workshop titled Gender and Water Resources in the Process of Adaptation to Climate Change was held at the United Nations office in Ashgabat as part of the NAP’s development. GWP Central Asia and Caucasus contributed its expertise by organising training on gender mainstreaming at the workshop, with Country Water Partnership (CWP) Turkmenistan Chair Dr Musabayeva, a GWP expert in gender, water, and climate change, serving as a key trainer. 

The training promoted gender mainstreaming in the NAP process, encouraged a greater understanding of gender issues in water management, and lay the foundation for further cooperation in successful gender-sensitive water management among national stakeholders. GWP Central Asia and Caucasus will continue to champion gender mainstreaming by analysing NAP-related climate risk assessments and highlighting the costs, benefits, and unique risks faced by women.