SIC’s Expert Contribution to Basin Dialogues on the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya: Results of the 3rd Meeting in Tashkent

On 2 December 2025, the third meeting of the Basin Dialogue for Amu Darya and Syr Darya River Basins took place in Tashkent as part of the GIZ Regional Program “Climate-Sensitive Water Resources Management in Central Asia.” The program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The dialogue brought together representatives of foreign ministries and relevant sectoral ministries of Central Asian countries, along with international development partners. SIC ICWC delegation was headed by Director D. Ziganshina and included leading specialists Z. Yarullina and A. Dolidudko.

Participants reviewed the results of GIZ and EU projects implemented in 2025 and discussed plans for 2026. They also examined the outcomes of grant projects supported by partners from Finland and Slovakia. A central part of the agenda was the presentation of three analytical studies on priority topics carried out by experts from the basin countries under the coordination of SIC ICWC.

Preservation of the Amu Darya ecosystems. Z. Yarullina, leading specialist of SIC ICWC, presented the findings of a large-scale study on “Joint work to preserve ecosystems of the Amu Darya River Basin, including zones of flow formation and dispersion.” The study was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of experts from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The study proposed a package of joint actions aimed at environmental improvement in both the flow formation and dispersion zones. The presentation was complemented by the premiere of the documentary “From the Pamir Heights to the Amu Darya Lowlands,” which was filmed during field expeditions and illustrated the critical environmental challenges facing the river.

Participants highly appreciated both the analytical work and the compelling visualization of water–ecosystem interlinkages in the Amu Darya basin. They emphasized the need to further refine the recommendations presented during the Dialogue so they may be considered by national governments and development partners. These proposals could later be presented at major environmental events planned for 2026.

Economic mechanisms on the Amu Darya River Basin. Director of SIC ICWC D. Ziganshina presented conceptual proposals on organization of joint work on the priority topic: “Consideration of economic interaction/tools/mechanisms on the Amu Darya River Basin, considering existing agreements and decisions made at the level of heads of state.” The SDC representative recommended examining, where possible, the key areas targeted by public financing and foreign investment to identify potential gaps and justify the need for additional grant resources.

Infrastructure and climate resilience in the Syr Darya Basin. A. Dolidudko, leading specialist of SIC ICWC, presented preliminary results of the study “Infrastructure issues, resilience to climate change (Nexus approach) in the Syr Darya basin.” The work was carried out by national experts from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan under coordination of SIC ICWC. The analytical contributions were highly valued by all participants of the Basin Dialogue.

The materials and concepts presented by SIC ICWC were reviewed by authorized national representatives, who underlined the importance of the Center’s analytical efforts in shaping scientific evidence-based approaches to transboundary water management. Based on the outcomes of the meeting, a set of protocol decisions will be drafted to guide the implementation of proposed measures throughout 2026.

More details about three analytical studies

Background: Implementation of the GIZ Regional Program “Climate-Sensitive Water Resources Management in Central Asia” began in 2023 to strengthen partnerships and coordinate next steps in water management. The first Basin Dialogue on the Amu Darya and Syr Darya River basins held on 30 November 2023 in Tashkent approved the modalities and key research topics.

The second meeting of the Amu Darya Basin Dialogue took place in December 2024 in Urgench while the second meeting of the Syr Darya Basin Dialogue was held in Tashkent in 22 January 2025.