Blue Peace Central Asia

Blue Peace Central Asia 2.0 is a regional initiative to improve transboundary water cooperation between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This project aims to enhance collaboration and effective management of water resources across the region. It addresses questions related to increasing competing interests in water, fosters the understanding of the region as interdependent, and supports common solutions on water for the benefit of all.

This project builds on the impact of Blue Peace Central Asia 1.0, which promoted the benefits of transboundary water cooperation. Since 2019, water managers from different countries worked together on cross-border dialogues and study visits, learning about the benefits of joint management and water quality. This initiative has increased the capacity of glacier monitoring and digital hydrometeorological services, through projects like CICADA, Cromo-Adapt, and SAPPHIRE. It has also empowered young leaders and strengthened higher education related to water management.

Timeframe

Inception: August 2024 – April 2025

Implementation: May 2025 – September 2029

Geographic focus

The project will focus on five Central Asian countries of the Aral Sea basin: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Goal

To create a future where water resources are shared fairly and managed effectively, benefiting everyone in the region.

Objective

Central Asian populations benefit from equitably shared and effectively managed common water resources, thanks to climate-resilient and sustainable regional water management, as a basis for socioeconomic development and stability.

Key focus areas

Dialogue and cooperation – Regional level

Project partners will facilitate discussions among countries on water management issues, including water quality and climate change, while enhancing data collection and sharing. Central Asian states will engage in results-oriented policy dialogues on regional water cooperation, which will inform the efficiency of basin-management agreements.

Technical support – Tributary level

Project partners will provide operational and technical assistance for local water management, including developing plans for cross-border rivers and implementing water-saving technologies. Central Asian representatives will collaborate on innovative projects with better access to finance. Transboundary projects will show the technical possibilities and areas of cooperation.

Education and youth engagement – Cross-cutting

The project will create opportunities for academic exchanges and will offer scholarships for master’s degree programs in water resource management. It will also raise awareness about critical water issues and engage young people in entrepreneurial initiatives. A new, stronger community of young water professionals will advance water cooperation in Central Asia.

Project consortium

IWMI is leading a consortium with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC). The three project partners bring combined expertise in hydrodiplomacy, policy and governance — to attain effective water management, security and peace.