SIC ICWC TAKES PART IN THE TRAINING ON WATER DIPLOMACY
From August 5 to 16, 2024, Tashkent hosted the “Training on Water Diplomacy for the teaching staff of Central Asian universities”. This training was organized by the National Research University “TIIAME” in cooperation with the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) under the Erasmus+ HWCA project. The event brought together the representatives of water management organizations in Central Asia, teachers and doctoral students from 4 universities in Europe and 12 universities in Central Asia.
The program included lectures, seminars and workshops covering a wide range of topics related to water diplomacy. Each day, the participants listened to lectures by leading experts on such topics as water concept and the need for water diplomacy, international water law, the role of water diplomacy in the context of climate change, tools and methods for settling transboundary water disputes, and the role of gender in water diplomacy.
The invited lecturers included international experts such as Nidhi Nagabhatla, Christina Leb, Ana Elisa Cascao, John Marco Church, Emma Hakala, Iskandar Abdullaev and many others. Dinara Ziganshina, Director of SIC ICWC, delivered a lecture “Legal Framework for Regional Water Cooperation in Central Asia”. Her speech aroused special interest among the participants, as she highlighted key legal aspects contributing to strengthening cooperation between the countries of the region in transboundary water management.
In the afternoon, the participants consolidated their knowledge through group work and practical exercises based on real examples and cases.
SIC ICWC staff member A.I. Dolidudko took part in the two-week training and actively participated in group discussions and practical exercises, sharing his experience and knowledge with colleagues from different universities in Central Asia.
On August 10, a field trip was held. During this trip scholars, experts and doctoral students from Europe and Central Asia visited unique water facilities located in the Chirchik River basin. The trip organized with the support of BWO Syr Darya, the Ministry of Water Management of Uzbekistan and the agency “Uzbekhydroenergy”, as well as water reforms carried out in Uzbekistan left a great impression on the participants.
The training ended with a certificate awarding ceremony. Both the participants and organizers noted the importance of further cooperation and knowledge exchange in the field of water management in Central Asia. The participants who successfully completed the program received certificates confirming their qualification in water diplomacy, which underlines the significance of this training for strengthening professional skills and cooperation in the region.
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