Community of Practice

In recent years, cluster development in agriculture has been actively introduced in Central Asian countries. This approach involves the creation of integrated systems that bring together farmers, agro-producers, suppliers, and exporters to improve the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural processes.

USAID’s WEFE Nexus lecture 24 is being held in cooperation with the WEFE4MED community and will focus on the role that CoPs can play in relation to advancing social learning and WEFE Nexus implementation. The lecture will address some of the learning theory that supports the CoP concept and discuss some practical examples of GWP-supported CoPs, as well as experiences and lessons from the WEFE4MED Community.

Research from Central Asia and beyond the region reveals significant opportunities for improving cooperation on water and energy. For example, a water and energy consortium could be a mechanism for cooperation to bring together the interests of all countries in the region. There are also many successful examples of water and energy mechanisms in the world, which can be used to inspire the creation of sustainable cooperation mechanisms relevant to Central Asia.

In recent years, the Voluntary Carbon Market has become a popular topic in Central Asia, as the program heralds some promise for farmers and environmental groups alike. While farmers can generate additional income, environmental groups appreciate the convenient way for industry to reduce its carbon emissions.

Climate change issues are becoming increasingly relevant in the countries of Central Asia, negatively affecting the countries’ economy, in particular, the agricultural sector. The decrease in irrigation water supply in the Aral Sea basin and the unfavorable environmental situation in the region are causing significant annual losses in the quality and quantity of many economically valuable agricultural crops.

The future of Central Asia will be largely influenced by the rational and coordinated use of water and energy resources. Accordingly, Central Asia’s infrastructure for water delivery and transport will play a key role for supporting livelihood and promoting sustainable use. To strengthen the water management complex in Central Asia, countries are devoting significant effort and money to designing new hydrotechnical structures and developing long-term plans hydropower, irrigation and water management. More than 100 large dams and thousands of small low-pressure hydraulic structures now operate in Central Asia, each one contributing to the long-term and seasonal regulation of river flow, serving agricultural and industrial needs for water (and electricity), and meeting the social, safety and economic needs of communities.