Two new country water partnerships

Since 2004 the Finnish government has provided support to GWP Central Asia and Caucasus (GWP CACENA). One result has been the establishment of five Country Water Partnerships, including Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 2008.

These CWPs give governments much-needed support in preparing water resource management plans, and enable GWP CACENA to boost awareness among high-level policy makers, and build capacity in environmental and water organisations. GWP CACENA has communicated its experience in the new book IWRM: Putting Good Theory into Real Practice, Central Asian Experience, published in Russian and launched in September 2008 at the meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Children on boat in river, CACENA

GWP CACENA also supported the English translation. Focusing on case studies and analysis by specialists and scientists, the book examines experience of adapting IWRM principles to the arid conditions in the Fergana Valley of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, where pilot projects were launched in 2002. GWP CACENA was involved in capacity building components of these projects.