GWP CACENA in partnership with the World Bank is commencing the Aral Sea basin-wide “Strengthening Model Capacity Training Program” and invited experts to contribute an interactive discussion to help define a curriculum for strengthening model capacity program. The first - planning meeting was co-hosted with GWP CACENA at the World Bank office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan with videoconference connections at the World Bank offices of the riparian countries (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan).
Participants included AralDIF, ASBmm and BEAM model consultants; GWP CACENA as a training facilitator; Professor Daene McKinney from Texas University, USA for pedagogical guidance, World Bank representatives; regional and national specialists and observers. The regional and national specialists were invited from government institutes, universities, or the national Academy of Sciences. The invited experts have strong analytical and technical capacities, were widely respected by Central Asia water community, and able to represent regional and national interests in planning and preparing a curriculum and for the model capacity training program.
In preparing for the planning meeting, information was distributed to inform on what has been completed to date, why the three models were selected as exemplars, and provide background for meeting discussions. Documents included:
(a) Background History: Road Map executive summary and section of the model discussion provides background on what has been done to date, and how the model training evolved; the WB Model inventory, illustrates the many national models completed and/or are operating in the basin; Comparative analysis of eight key models, selected from the model inventory with a few additional models, were reviewed against as set of parameters to determine how these models function;
(b) Model documents: AralDIF, ASBmm, and BEAM model briefs and others were prepared for a basis of discussion - how proposed training program would be based on their application;
(c) Training material: the draft curriculum, prepared as a basis of discussion to formulate the training program for a range of audience and addressing national and regional interests; schematic of training activities illustrates the training process.
During the meeting the core model expert group (MEG) was created. The MEG members did a review model documents sent in advance of meeting, including the draft training curriculum. The main output of the meeting is final training curriculum and draft plan of pilot training, which should be agreed with ICWC members to push forward its practical implementation starting from January 2015.
The MEG members did a review model documents
Working moment of the meeting