On July 1, The Blue Peace Central Asia (BPCA) initiative marked an important step for regional water cooperation with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Memorandum brings together leading academic and research institutions to strengthen transboundary dialogue, advance water diplomacy, and support climate change adaptation across Central Asia. It establishes a framework for cooperation between educational, scientific, and expert institutions on the sustainable management of shared water resources, climate resilience, and regional security.
The agreement was signed by Ruslan Maratbekovich Rakhimov, Rector of the K. Dikambaev Diplomatic Academy of the MFA of the Kyrgyz Republic; Nurzat Ermekovna Totubaeva, Rector of the K. Skryabin Kyrgyz National Agrarian University; and Dr. Barbara Janusz-Pawletta, Regional Representative of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Central Asia.
The partnership opens new opportunities for academic and expert collaboration in water diplomacy, transboundary water management, and climate adaptation. A central aim is to prepare a new generation of specialists able to work at the intersection of international relations, ecology, law, and sustainable development - fields that are increasingly interconnected as Central Asia confronts shared water and climate challenges.
Under the agreement, the parties plan to develop joint educational and research initiatives and to organize scientific and practical events, expert discussions, lectures, seminars, and other forms of engagement. Together, these efforts are designed to build the capacity of young professionals and to foster a culture of dialogue on water issues throughout the region.
The Diplomatic Academy places particular importance on advancing water diplomacy, given its relevance to foreign policy, regional cooperation, and the sustainable development of the Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia as a whole.
Blue Peace Central Asia is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by IWMI and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in partnership with the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC). The signing of the Memorandum represents a meaningful step in strengthening inter-university and international partnership, and in advancing the scientific and educational agenda for water diplomacy and climate resilience in the region.
