BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1. Uzbek officials and
representatives of the United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE) met on June 30 to discuss strengthening cooperation
on the sustainable management and protection of transboundary
groundwater resources.
This was reflected in the statement by the Ministry of Mining
Industry and Geology of Uzbekistan.
The meeting focused on the implementation of a project aimed at
protecting and ensuring the sustainable use of the transboundary
Pretashkent aquifer, a shared underground water resource of
regional importance.
The discussions were chaired by Deputy Minister of Mining
Industry and Geology R. Yusupov and attended by representatives of
the state institutions Uzbekhydrogeology and the HYDROINGEO
Institute, as well as Caritas Switzerland and experts involved in
the UNECE Water Convention.
According to the ministry, participants reviewed progress on the
project and discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation on
groundwater management in line with the U.N. Sustainable
Development Goals.
"The participants exchanged views on the implementation of the
project for the protection and sustainable use of the Pretashkent
transboundary aquifer," the ministry said in a statement.
The meeting also addressed the use of indicators for assessing
transboundary water cooperation, closer coordination with
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, and the
establishment of a national working group bringing together
relevant Uzbek ministries and agencies to coordinate groundwater
policy.
"The parties emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation
with neighboring countries and scaling up future projects aimed at
the rational use and protection of shared groundwater resources,"
the ministry said.
The participants also highlighted the need for stronger
institutional cooperation and technical exchanges to improve the
long-term management of transboundary aquifers and enhance regional
water security.
