3rd Meeting of the CAREC Water Pillar Working Group

The Third CAREC Water Pillar Working Group Meeting was held on 15–16 July 2026 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, under the chairmanship of the Government of Kazakhstan. The meeting provided a platform for CAREC member countries and development partners to review progress under the CAREC Water Pillar and provide strategic guidance for the next phase of regional cooperation.

Participants reviewed the findings of pre-feasibility studies for potential regional investment projects, the Water–Energy Nexus Modelling exercise, and the initial findings under TA 10567, Strengthening Transboundary Water Collaboration for Climate-Resilient Water Management. The meeting also introduced the Glaciers to Farms (G2F) Program and discussed the potential role of the Working Group in supporting its implementation.

Through country presentations and breakout discussions, participants provided guidance on refining regional initiatives, strengthening cooperation, and advancing an investment-ready pipeline of projects to promote climate-resilient and sustainable water management across the CAREC region.

In their opening remarks, ADB Kazakhstan Country Director Utsav Kumar and Kazakhstan Vice-Minister Zhandos Salimov emphasized the importance of stronger regional cooperation, climate-resilient solutions, and sustained investment in water security. In his closing remarks, SD2-AFNR Director (Central and West Asia) Jiangfeng Zhang highlighted the need for closer coordination among governments, development partners, and ADB to mobilize financing and advance climate-resilient water management.

The event was attended by 79 participants, including 69 participants attending in person and 10 joining virtually. Participants included members of the CAREC Water Pillar Working Group and focal points from the seven CAREC member countries participating in the Water Pillar: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The meeting also brought together representatives of regional organizations, including the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC-IFAS), the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (SIC-ICWC), the Basin Water Organization (BWO) Amu Darya, and the Basin Water Organization (BWO) Syr Darya. Development partners, Asian Development Bank (ADB) staff, and consultants engaged under the CAREC Water Pillar technical assistance also participated in the meeting.