Youth and Water Diplomacy: Roundtable at TIIAME on “Water Diplomacy and Opportunities for Regional Cooperation”

On May 1, a roundtable discussion titled «Water Diplomacy and Opportunities for Regional Cooperation» was held at the National Research University “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” (TIIAME). The event, initiated by the “People’s Diplomats” Club under the SCO Center for Public Diplomacy in Uzbekistan, brought together young scientists, water experts, and students to discuss innovative approaches to transboundary water management in Central Asia

The roundtable was opened by Dr. Prof. Abdulkhakim Salokhiddinov, Vice Rector of TIIAME, and Kobiljon Sobirov, Director of the SCO Center for Public Diplomacy in Uzbekistan. The discussion featured leading experts, including Iskandar Abdullaev, Senior Researcher at the Central Asian Office of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and Fazilat Abdullaeva, Head of the Training Center of SIC ICWC.

The speakers emphasized that currently water resources have become an issue of strategic importance and security. For Central Asia, effective and equitable water management remains a key foundation for interstate stability and sustainable development.

During the discussion, participants highlighted several key issues:

• Institutional framework: The importance of implementing international legal mechanisms and applying modern scientific approaches to water management.
• Role of public diplomacy: Kobiljon Sobirov underlined the significance of water diplomacy in strengthening mutual trust among the countries of the region and presented the environmental initiatives of the SCO Center for Public Diplomacy.
• Scientific potential of youth: Participants discussed opportunities for launching joint educational programs aimed at training a new generation of experts on water diplomacy and water negotiations.

The roundtable also served as a platform for presenting practical solutions. Young researchers presented innovative ideas and scientific developments aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and balancing the interests of all countries sharing transboundary river basins.