6th Kafirnigan River Basin Women’s Forum: Women’s Voices in the Era of Melting Glaciers – Knowledge for Equitable and Sustainable Water Management

On October 16, 2025, SIC ICWC participated in the Sixth Kafirnigan River Basin Women's Forum titled “Women’s Voices in the Era of Melting Glaciers: Knowledge for Equitable and Sustainable Water Management”, which took place in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. The event was organized by the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan, with the support of the GIZ Green Central Asia Initiative.

The forum brought together representatives of government agencies of Tajikistan, international organizations, research institutes, as well as active women leaders from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Iran. Matluba Rakhimova, researcher, participated on behalf of SIC ICWC.

During the sessions, participants discussed pressing issues related to climate change, glacier retreat, sound use of water resources, and the enhanced role of women in decision-making processes in the water sector. The three thematic sessions in smaller groups were as follows:

• Contribution of the Basin Women’s Forum to the Kafirnigan River Basin Plan;
• Cooperation with media to raise youth’s interest in the water sector;
• Proposals on the improvement of activities of the Basin Women’s Forum

During one of the thematic sessions, Ms. Rakhimova shared examples of cooperation with the media to increase the engagement of women and youth in the water sector, and suggested organizing similar events at the regional level. In the course of the discussion, she noted that SIC ICWC is implementing the "Joint work to preserve ecosystems of the Amu Darya River Basin, including zones of flow formation and dispersion" with the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) as part of the Green Central Asia initiative. This work involves a significant number of women researchers.

The Forum participants exchanged best practices in involving women in water management at both national and regional levels. They discussed prospects for strengthening transboundary cooperation and explored ways to further enhance women’s participation in adaptation efforts.

At the end, the participants reaffirmed their commitment to continue active cooperation within basin initiatives and to further develop platforms for dialogue, capacity building, and exchange among women from the countries of Central Asia.