This summer, Central Asia, like many other regions in the world, has faced drought conditions during a time of growing demand for water. Growing populations and consumer economies drive the demand for water, food, and energy, while climate change introduces yet further challenges to a sustainable supply of good quality water. There is an urgency to meeting these challenges before they cause severe social, economic, and environmental dislocation and investment is needed in upgrades to critical infrastructure. However, steps must be simultaneously taken to reduce overall water demand through improved conservation and use. Governments alone cannot solve all these challenges—the private sector also has an important role to play in contributing skills and resources and they have a vested interest in doing so; water scarcity, high energy costs, and pollution can pose risks to business, and the way companies manage water and energy inputs can impact their profits. In fact, water scarcity presents one of the biggest risks to companies and the agricultural commodity sector is especially exposed to such risk. This session will explore the issues, challenges, and potential solutions related to sustainable water in Central Asia, and the steps currently being taken by USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity to engage Governments, the private sector and all stakeholders in improved water resources management in the region.

Moderator: Ms. Ekaterina Strikeleva, Capacity Development & Educational Lead, USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity, Kazakhstan

Opening remarks: Mr. Daniel Rosenblum, U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan (pre-recorded)

• Dr. Annette Huber-Lee, Senior Scientist Stockholm Environment Institute, USA
  • Water security in an uncertain future
• Dr. Stefan Uhlenbrook, Strategic Program Director of the CGIAR Research Program and Strategic Program Director – Water, Land and Ecosystems and | International Water Management Institute, (IWMI), Sri Lanka
  • The WEFE nexus approach
• Alexandr Nikolayenko, Senior Regional Adviser, GIZ Green Central Asia: Regional Initiative on Climate and Security in Central Asia and Afghanistan
  • Multi-level basin governance
• Dr. Iskandar Abdullaev, Deputy Director II, Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute, Uzbekistan
  • Contributions from the private sector
• Dr. Barbara Janusz-Pawletta, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, UNESCO Chairholder for Water Resources Management at the Kazakh-German University (DKU)
  • Academia and the next generation of water professionals
• Sulton Rahimzoda, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving Aral Sea (EC IFAS)

Discussion Q&A