Project Office of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) in Turkmenistan and the Central Asian Institute for Environmental Research (CAIER) of Kazakhstan discussed preparations for a pilot project on rainwater harvesting and use, during an online meeting held on July 22, the regional center reported.
The participants reviewed prospects for long-term cooperation, implementation of joint international projects and the introduction of innovative technologies for sustainable water resource management, climate change adaptation and environmental protection. Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan Mergen Kepbanov said one of the most promising areas of cooperation is a joint rainwater harvesting project in Turkmenistan.
CAREC expert Alexey Sopyev presented the pilot project's concept, outlining technologies for collecting and storing rainwater and preliminary technical solutions for installing rainwater harvesting systems in Ashgabat and the Avaza National Tourist Zone. The next stage of preparation includes collecting baseline data, such as rainfall levels, green space coverage, terrain characteristics and other technical parameters.
CAREC expert Dovlet Jumakuliev highlighted the practical importance of implementing the pilot project and said that the creation of demonstration sites would allow specialists to assess the effectiveness of rainwater harvesting technologies in practice. He also emphasized the importance of using Kazakhstan’s experience in this area and exchanging practical expertise between specialists from the two countries. According to Jumakuliev, the successful implementation of the pilot phase will serve as a foundation for expanding the project to other regions of Turkmenistan.
CAIER Managing Director Daulet Asylbayev expressed interest in developing cooperation and noted the importance of combining the institute’s scientific potential with CAREC’s practical experience to prepare projects in the areas of water security, climate change adaptation and sustainable development.
Following the meeting, the sides agreed to prepare and sign a Memorandum of Cooperation, identify pilot locations, exchange hydrometeorological and technical data, jointly develop the project concept and prepare an application to attract international funding.
