Early September, FutureWater supported the Asian Development Bank in an extensive consultation of key stakeholders of the five countries in Central Asia, on possible activities to be integrated in the CAREC Water Pillar: an investment vehicle for regional cooperation and climate resilience for the region.

Many physical meetings took place with the key ministries involved in national water resources management, development partners already working in this field and in the region, and knowledge institutes. A wide range of possible ambitious and transformative activities were discussed around data sharing, information systems, shared management of infrastructure, transboundary management, drought early warning, etc.

The main goal of the trip to the region was to prepare for a two-day workshop in Dushanbe in October: the long-list of potential activities will then be prioritized and crafted to several integrated and regional projects. For this, a selection of high-level decision-makers of the five countries (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan) will come together to discuss priority activities and projects to be financed by the Water Pillar.