As part of its commitment to advancing inclusive climate governance, the CLIMPACT project at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) co-organized the policy dialogue “Gender and Youth in Water & Energy: Building Inclusive Futures for Central Asia”, held on November 3–4, 2025, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Organized under the Green Central Asia initiative, the event brought together policymakers, researchers, and civil society representatives from across the region to explore how gender and youth inclusion can strengthen cooperation and resilience within the water–energy nexus.
Implemented by PIK in cooperation with GIZ, the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, and the Central Asia and Afghanistan “Women and Water” Association, the dialogue connected science, policy, and practice through participatory and evidence-based approaches.
Participants discussed strategies to enhance regional collaboration among networks such as Women in Water Diplomacy, Drops of the Future, and Central Asian Women in Renewable Energy. Key outcomes included the identification of shared priorities for long-term cooperation: improving coordination and visibility among networks, formalizing partnerships with government institutions, and developing joint training and mentoring opportunities for women and young professionals.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of integrating climate education and gender-sensitive approaches into higher education and basin-level capacity building. Participants proposed establishing new platforms for joint research, regional databases, and small grant schemes to support inclusive innovation in water and energy governance.
By facilitating this exchange, CLIMPACT continues to bridge science and policy—strengthening regional cooperation for equitable and sustainable environmental governance across Central Asia.
