On the 12th Meeting of the Working Group on Improving the Organizational Structure and Legal Framework of the ARAL Fund

On the 12th Meeting of the Working Group on Improving the Organizational Structure and Legal Framework of the ARAL Fund

ASTANA, September 4, 2024 – As per the mandate of the Heads of the Central Asian Founding States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), the 12th meeting of the Working Group on Improving the Organizational Structure and Legal Framework of IFAS is taking place in Astana. This meeting is co-organized by the IFAS Executive Committee and the Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) of the World Bank.

For the first time since the independence of the Central Asian countries, representatives from government agencies and experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, responsible for water, energy, environmental, and financial issues, are participating in the meeting.

The meeting will feature 5 sessions during which current issues regarding the Fund’s activities will be discussed with the aim of increasing its effectiveness. Experts have reviewed integrated management models for water and energy resources, actively discussed potential mechanisms for regional cooperation in Central Asia’s water and energy sector, and outlined future steps based on a joint approach.

The outcomes of the discussions and the recommendations will be submitted to the IFAS Board for decision-making, with the Board meeting scheduled to take place on September 18, 2024, in Astana.

For reference:
The Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) is a partnership between the World Bank, the European Union, Switzerland (through SECO), and the United Kingdom, aimed at enhancing water and energy security at the regional level and in beneficiary countries amid a changing climate. The program supports initiatives that improve the management of water and energy resources under climate change, strengthen national and regional institutions, and promote regional dialogue on water and energy security issues.