USE OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA - FOCUS OF OSCE SEMINAR IN TURKMENISTAN

On 14-15 November 2019, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat provided a platform for regional dialogue on the best practices and standards in use of innovative water management technologies.

Representatives of the State Committee of Water Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) and other Turkmenistan agencies were joined by their counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

International experts focused on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) presenting innovative solutions ensuring sustainable water supply for irrigation, sustainable urban water management, and innovative renewable energy technologies for the water industry as well as the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within the field of sustainable water management.

Representatives of Central Asian countries shared their experiences in developing relevant national strategies, adapting regional programmes and implementing projects on innovative water management technologies.

“It is impossible to ignore the reality of the 21st Century, the age of ‘high technology’, in which innovative decisions and technological know-how, digital and robo-technology are an essential prerequisite for technological progress in any field”, said Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. Ambassador Drozd mentioned a number of OSCE’s successful initiatives in the environmental sphere, including supporting Turkmenistan within the framework of its IFAS chairmanship.

Experts facilitated discussions and the exchange of information on national experiences in the area of water management and practical applications of technological solutions in the Central Asia region.