REFLECTING ON 2023 AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEW YEAR
First and foremost, we would like to thank you all for your dedication and contribution towards a more water secure environment in Central Asia.
2023 marked 30 years anniversary of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) established by five countries of Central Asia. SIC took active part in anniversary events, published a collection, a paper, and contributed to the bulletin “IFAS Celebrates its 30th Anniversary”. We also contributed to two meetings of ICWC.
In 2023 we worked more rigorously on water analytics and research. In addition to seasonal water analysis for the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins, we published series of research papers and policy briefs, four early warning bulletins, continued RS-based monitoring of the South Aral Region, the Aral Sea and other water bodies, organized two expeditions to the exposed seabed.
The discussion document “Rethinking Institutional and Financial Mechanisms on Water and Energy Cooperation in Central Asia” prepared with the support from the OECD and country experts was broadly discussed. Our experts assisted in drafting the new Water Code of Uzbekistan and the 2024-2026 Strategy of Water Management and Irrigation Development in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
We continued developing decision support tools. Thus, the information-software package called “Water management E-rules for the Amu Darya River” started to be used in routine work of the BWO Amu Darya and our personnel began applying the MODSNOW tool to forecast water availability.
Our CAWater-Info Portal became richer by 2 Gb of information and a new telegram channel was opened on water, energy, food and ecosystem nexus (please join!).
The ICWC Regional Training Center stepped up its activities: 8 workshops and roundtables were organized on topical issues, including the adaptation to climate change.
We continued cooperating with the UN agencies. Upon invitation of the 77th UNGA Session Chairperson, our director reported at the session and continued contributing as a vice-chair of the Implementation Committee under the Water Convention; SIC took on voluntary obligation to advance evidence based transboundary water cooperation at the UN Water Conference in New York.
As a member of the WWC Board of Governors, SIC takes part in the topic coordination group on enhancement of cross-sectoral collaboration and diplomacy as part of preparation to the 10th World Water Forum in Bali in 2024 and the task force on Water for Human and Nature. SIC was awarded the certificate of appreciation for contribution to the IWRA XVIII World Water Congress as a member of the international scientific committee.
Our team was enriched by new young professionals; two staff members successfully defended her dissertation (our congratulations!), and young researchers continued improving their professional skills, including language skills through the C5+ONE (Opening Networks through English) program.
To better serve our communities in 2024, we call for stronger partnerships in advancing our mission and focus areas, including but not limited to:
- enhancement of analytical and expert support to the CA countries on water issues
- coordinating our actions through the development of the Water Yearbook
- upgrading CAWater-Info Portal, the key source of information on water issues in CA
- jointly working within the new initiatives: Regional mechanisms for the low-carbon, climate-resilient transformation of the energy-water-land nexus in Central Asia (Nexus) and Cross-regional learning for transformative water diplomacy (CroWD).
From the whole team, we wish you a happy New Year!
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