Supporting sustainable water resources management in Central Asia

The water crisis in Central Asia, resulting of climate change, inefficient water management and increasing consumption, is a tangible problem the most obvious manifestation of which is the drying-up of the Aral Sea.
As a regional cooperation organization, IFAS addresses key challenges faced by the region amid climate change acceleration and water resource shortages increase.

AFD has been active in Kazakhstan since 2024, particularly in the area of integrated water resource planning and management. It has also been working in Uzbekistan since 2016, financing public investments in water supply and sanitation sectors. Enhancing regional water resource management is a fundamental aspect of IFAS's mandate and a key focus of AFD’s global water sector support.

AFD’s support to IFAS will take the form of a 2MEUR grant to imple-ment two activities under the Action Program for Assistance to the Countries of the Aral Sea Basin (ASBP-4) developed by IFAS.

The project aimed at achieving two primary goals:

• A detailed analysis of the water requirements of pilot sub-catchment areas of the Aral Sea basin, in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, using mapping to define the actual needs of agricultural users in these areas. Ultimately, the project aims to change the national regulatory frameworks for irrigation regimes by adapting practices, crops and their cultivation methods to the increasing scarcity of water;
• An educational initiative to raise awareness on the need to preserve water resources among school stu-dents in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This initiative aims at fostering environmental awareness and respon-sible water use while promoting sustainable water management through educational efforts. UNICEF will implement this initiative.

As a regional organization dedicated to good water resource governance, IFAS has a strategy and scientific data to propose detailed and appropriate changes to Uzbek and Kazakh national regulations on irrigation in areas dependent on the Aral Sea watershed. By reducing overconsumption where possible, more water is available for other functions of the tributaries, particularly ecosystem functions.

IFAS also has a replicable method and educational materials for scaling up environmental and water resource protection education to school populations at the regional level.