On June 9, 2025, the first in a series of climate risk assessment trainings across transboundary river basins in Central Asia kicked off in Samarkand. The training focused on the Zeravshan River Basin, which spans Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and brought together key local stakeholders from water, environmental, and municipal authorities involved in development planning at the basin level. The training series are organized within the framework of the regional programme “Climate risk management in Central Asia”, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Government.
The Zeravshan River basin is one of the most climatically sensitive in the region, originating in the glaciers of Tajikistan’s Pamir-Alai Mountains and carrying its waters to the densely populated areas of Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan, which are home to approximately 6 million people. Glaciers contribute an average of 43% to the river’s summer runoff, and up to 61% in particularly dry years [1]. Over recent decades, the glaciers feeding the river from the Pamir Mountains have been retreating rapidly. This has led to increasing hydrological instability, reduced water availability, ecosystem degradation, and heightened transboundary tensions.
A key focus of the training is not only to assess these climate vulnerabilities, but also to jointly develop practical adaptation measures with the involvement of local communities, water management agencies, and environmental services. Adaptation measures are especially critical in the context of unstable water regimes, glacial retreat, and increasing frequency of extreme weather events. They enable proactive infrastructure planning, protect populations and agriculture, preserve ecosystems, and help prevent transboundary conflicts.
It is planned to conduct three more trainings in river basins that are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts — including floods, mudflows, droughts, and ecosystem degradation:
- June 10–12, 2025 – Training in Taraz on the Chon-Kemin / Chu River Basin (Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan);
- June 17–19, 2025 – Training in Mary on the Murghab River Basin (Turkmenistan);
- June 23–25, 2025 – Training in Fergana on the Isfayram-Sai and Shahimardan River Basins (Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan).
[1] Glacier Runoff Variation Since 1981 in the Upper Naryn River Catchments, Central Tien Shan
