Apr 17
Climate Change
Online

Seminar: Water challenges in Central Asia

Register here
The Aral Sea was an endorheic lake, lying between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south / Arian Zwegers, FlickR
Seminar: Water challenges in Central Asia
Date
17 Apr 2025
Time
10:00 - 13:00
Location
Online
Address
Zoom
Register here

This hybrid event is organised in collaboration with the International Tax and Investment Center, an independent, nonprofit research and education organisation, based in Washington, D.C. 

Water security is a key challenge for the more than 82 million people living in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Unequal water distribution, infrastructure problems, the legacy of Soviet-era water management systems and other issues have heightened competition over water resources in Central Asia.

These challenges are further exacerbated by climate change and population growth, threatening agricultural production and food security, energy generation, and overall socio-economic development across Central Asia. What can Europe and the international community do to address these challenges?

Programme

 

  • Welcome and introductions
    • Louise van Schaik, Head of Unit EU & Global Affairs Unit, Clingendael Institute
    • Farah Karimi, Special Representative on Central Asia at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
  • Panel 1: Water issues in Central Asia
    • Aliya Assubayeva, Assistant Professor, Nazarbayev University (online from Kazakhstan)
    • Gemma Bingham, Senior Analyst, London Politica
    • Irna Hofman, Research Associate, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford
    • Iskandar Abdullaev, Senior Researcher, International Water Management Institute Central Asia (online from Uzbekistan)
    • Tobias von Lossow, Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute (moderator)
  • Panel 2: Regional cooperation
    • Yerssultan Zhanseitov, Chief Expert and Head of the Chinese and Asian Studies Program, Institute of World Economics and Politics (online from Kazakhstan
    • Dinara Ziganshina, Director, Scientific Information Center of Interstate Сommission for Water Coordination in Сentral Asia (online from Uzbekistan)
    • Temur Umarov, Fellow, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
    • Ariel Cohen, Senior Fellow and Managing Director of the Energy, Growth and Security program, International Tax and Investment Center
    • Niels Drost, Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute (moderator)

 

Watch

 

 

Organizers