The event is organized by IICA in cooperation with the Regional Office of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Central Asia.

The meeting will take place ahead of the Council of Heads of State of the founding countries of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), scheduled for April 22 this year in Astana, where the Fund’s chairmanship will be transferred to Uzbekistan for the next three years.

The roundtable aims to develop coordinated expert approaches and practical recommendations on ensuring water security in Central Asia, as well as addressing the impacts of climate change, which are progressing faster in the region than the global average.

Participants will discuss priorities for regional cooperation in water resource management in the context of climate change, the continued coordinating role of IFAS in advancing regional cooperation in the water and environmental sectors, and prospects for strengthening partnerships between Central Asian countries and Afghanistan in the water domain.

The agenda will also cover new formats of cooperation with Afghanistan, its potential engagement within the IFAS framework, and participation in regional dialogue on the joint use of water resources of the Amu Darya basin.

The event will bring together representatives of leading research institutions from Central Asian countries, specialized regional and international organizations such as the United Nations and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), members of the diplomatic corps, as well as experts from Afghanistan.

The outcomes of the discussion are expected to contribute to shaping consolidated regional approaches and formulating practical proposals ahead of the upcoming IFAS Summit.