CAWATER-INFO – 20 YEARS
On May 27, the Portal of knowledge for water and environment in Central Asia CAWater-Info celebrated its 20th anniversary.
The web-portal provides access to diverse products with systematized information in a number of areas (e.g., water management, irrigated agriculture, etc.). Currently, the web-portal includes:
- Thirteen databases
- Nineteen thematic knowledge bases
- Regional Information System on Water and Land Resources in the Aral Sea Basin (CAWater-IS)
- Analytical section and a modeling block (3 tools)
- 14 regional project sites
- Two official web-sites (ICWC and SIC ICWC)
- Reference block “Water World” with information about regional and national organizations in the field of water, energy and agriculture, etc. (+ web-sites of eight international organizations in Russian)
- Expert Platform on Water Security, Sustainable Development and Future Studies, as well as two networks (“Gender and Water”; EECCA NWO)
- Water Yearbook: Central Asia and around the Globe
- Newsletter "Water, Energy, Food, Climate, Ecosystems in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia" published on a weekly basis.
- other resources.
The total volume of the information is 76.4 gigabytes.
The key achievements include:
- Development and maintenance by the staff of a regional organization with appropriate mandate (SIC ICWC) that ensures sustainable operation for many years;
- Wider reach, both geographically and professionally [from decision-makers and water experts to university students];
- Regional coverage: e.g., the Regional Information System provides data for all five countries; knowledge bases contain information on all five countries in the region; extensive information on international experience;
- Relevance of information its regular provision to users: daily and weekly news digests, coverage of world level events. E.g.: ICWC Bulletin; 2023 UN Water Conference brochure or series of COP26, COP27 brochures, etc.;
- Continuing development of new information products (e.g. WUEMoCA- Water Use Efficiency Monitor in Central Asia, E- Rules of Intra-annual flow regulation in the Amu Darya River Basin, etc.);
- Uniqueness of information products: knowledge bases, databases, yearbook that have no analogs;
- Caring for the past scientific heritage: digitized scientific publications since the 1920s.
Currently, we are on the threshold of radical changes of our portal and information system. Follow the updates!
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