Community of Practice

ASHGABAT, TURKMENISTAN (December 14, 2022) – Yesterday, 13 representatives from the Academy of State Service under the President of Turkmenistan and the project institute “Turkmensuwylymtaslama” of the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan met to learn more about optimizing water efficiency while maximizing productivity for agriculture, energy, and other sectors of the economy.

In a session organized by the European Union (with assistance from the USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity), the officials on hand participated in the Nexus Simulation Game, which asks players to confront a series of hypothetical scenarios for managing upstream and downstream relationships while addressing water needs of residents, industry and agriculture within the framework of a changing climate.

In practice, the game provides players with training about how to apply different types of water policy and regulation to facilitate sustainable development of water and other resources.

“The Nexus Simulation Game is an excellent tool for training future specialists who will work in key sectors of the economy and manage such vital resources as water, energy and food. Ensuring the interconnection of these resources will help Central Asian countries overcome environmental challenges and make their economies more resilient to climate change,” said Berdyev Babakhan, International Relations Coordinator at the Academy of State Service under the President of Turkmenistan.

The participants not only played the game, but also received training on how to conduct the game with others so they can play with students, present and future:

“Given the challenges faced by the environment today, the relevance of implementing the integration of the cross-sectoral Nexus approach is critical to ensure water, energy and food security in Turkmenistan”, said Georgiy Kurtovezov, Head of the Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Use of the project institute “Turkmensuwylymtaslama” of the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan.

The EU and USAID have conducted similar training sessions with more than 100 participants from leading universities and civil service academies throughout Central Asia.

The EU-funded project “Nexus Dialogue in Central Asia” is being implemented by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC). The project’s duration: June 2020-May 2023; total budget: EUR 1.25 million with the EU’s contribution of EUR 1 million.