Duration: October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2020

Total Budget: $9.5 million (regional)

Budget for Kyrgyz Republic: $2 million

Implementing Partner: Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC)

Key Partners: State agency for environment protection and forestry under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, Department of water management and melioration of the Ministry of agriculture, food processing and melioration of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Activity Locations: Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

The project aims to address the knowledge dis-lock in Central Asia and Afghanistan in water sector, build working relations among water managers and specialists, and demonstrate the potential of basin management approach and cooperation with the academia.

MAJOR FOCUS AREAS

On the regional level the project works to enhance the human resources in water sector by training professionals capable of applying integrated water resource management principles in their everyday work and apply science-based instruments in water management. It also helps to increase the linkages and dialogue among water organizations, water professionals and academic communities in the region.

On the country level, the project supports the Government of Kyrgyz Republic in mainstreaming integrated water resource management principles at all levels as well as introducing long-term sustainable planning at river basin level on a series of transboundary watercourses.

EXPECTED RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• The project supports capacity building of water users and managers at all levels in the Kyrgyz Republic, including specialists from the State agency for Environment Protection and Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Processing and Melioration, representatives of academic institutions, state authorities and farmers. Various capacity building activities engaged more than 500 participants from the Kyrgyz Republic.
• 21 events were organized in the Kyrgyz Republic alone (which constitutes over a third of all country-specific activities implemented by the Project across all project countries) with the total number of over 400 people locally involved. 
• More than 20 participants attended the series of Training-of-Trainers (ToT) seminars in “Basin Planning” and “Basin Council Establishment” over the years. They helped to reach over 1200 people including members water users association across the country.
• As part of the project, three staff of the Water Department under Government of the Kyrgyz Republic are enrolled in one of the leading graduate schools in Kazakhstan to study water resource management. Upon graduation they will return to their respective areas of work to apply their  knowledge and skills .
• Five out of eight pilot territories (62.5%) of the project are located in the Kyrgyz Republic. The project helped to form Small Basin Councils consisting of local community representatives at all pilot territories. Planning activities under the project indirectly benefit 600,000 people who reside in the pilot areas. 
• The Project facilitates data exchange and communication flow among water and environmental departments by providing the hardware support to the State agency for Environmental Protection and forestry under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, aiming at better water resources management. 
• The project provides technical assistance to the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in developing regulatory acts on economic mechanisms of water resources management.