The Water, Energy, Land-use Nexus programme in Central Asia project, in collaboration with the Service of Water Resources under the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) organised this one-day hybrid meeting on 13 March 2026 in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Dialogue convened over 50 participants from Kyrgyz line ministries, development partners and academic institutions. This event was devoted to discussing various facets of water management, including the implementation of the new Water Code, basin governance, water permits and inter-ministerial co-ordination. Discussion points included nature-based solutions (NbS) for sustainable resources management, water-saving technologies, and integration of scientific research and international co-operation into dam safety.
Key messages from the event:
- Support for the implementation of the Water Code is necessary at both central and basin levels to operationalise basin councils and ensure quality basin plans.
- Tackling gaps in hydrological monitoring and water information management necessitates technical support in improving water data systems, water technologies and climate-risk information.
- NbS for pasture restoration, agroforestry, artificial glaciers and riverbank reinforcement is a high-priority investment area but requires alignment of national criteria with international standards, monitoring/verification approaches and the national green taxonomy.
- Collaboration with international development partners, including the OECD, is instrumental in analysing barriers and conditions for enabling investments in the water sector and mobilising financing to support the implementation of the new Water Code, basin management, water-saving technologies and climate adaptation measures.
Further information about this event can be found here.