BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1. Uzbek officials and representatives of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) met on June 30 to discuss strengthening cooperation on the sustainable management and protection of transboundary groundwater resources.
This was reflected in the statement by the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology of Uzbekistan.
The meeting focused on the implementation of a project aimed at protecting and ensuring the sustainable use of the transboundary Pretashkent aquifer, a shared underground water resource of regional importance.
The discussions were chaired by Deputy Minister of Mining Industry and Geology R. Yusupov and attended by representatives of the state institutions Uzbekhydrogeology and the HYDROINGEO Institute, as well as Caritas Switzerland and experts involved in the UNECE Water Convention.
According to the ministry, participants reviewed progress on the project and discussed ways to strengthen regional cooperation on groundwater management in line with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
"The participants exchanged views on the implementation of the project for the protection and sustainable use of the Pretashkent transboundary aquifer," the ministry said in a statement.
The meeting also addressed the use of indicators for assessing transboundary water cooperation, closer coordination with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, and the establishment of a national working group bringing together relevant Uzbek ministries and agencies to coordinate groundwater policy.
"The parties emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation with neighboring countries and scaling up future projects aimed at the rational use and protection of shared groundwater resources," the ministry said.
The participants also highlighted the need for stronger institutional cooperation and technical exchanges to improve the long-term management of transboundary aquifers and enhance regional water security.
