On September 8, 2023, a significant Stakeholder Consultation aimed at enhancing water governance and introducing the Count4D tool to the At-Bashi basin was held in the village of At-Bashi. This event, funded by the European Union's Hydro4U project, brought together local and provincial stakeholders from Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan. Attendees included representatives from government offices, educational institutions, water management departments, irrigation systems, engineering, and construction firms.Organized by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Regional Representative Office for Central Asia in collaboration with partners such as the At-Bashi District Governor's Office, At-Bashi District Water Authority, and project consortium partner KSTU, the consultation aimed to present the findings of reports prepared in 2022. These reports focused on the quantification of shared benefits and trade-off analyses from small hydropower plants (SHP) and the institutional analysis for optimal benefit-sharing mechanisms in the cross-border context of the At-Bashi basin. The ultimate goal was to discuss and develop integrated cross-border policies for sustainable benefit sharing, taking into account the Water-Energy-Food-Climate (WEFC) nexus.
During the consultation, IWMI Central Asia Team members Abdikhamid Urazkeldiyev, Saida Usmonova, and Oyture Anarbekov delivered presentations on the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus trade-off analysis and shared benefits analysis for small-scale hydropower installations at the At-Bashi demonstration site. Mr. ?yture ?narbekov, country manager of IWMI Central Asia, led a brainstorming session on fostering water governance for optimal benefits sharing. Additionally, Mr. Maxat Pernebayev, Senior Web Developer from Hydrosolutions Ltd., presented the innovative Count4D tool. This tool, described as a hierarchical digital water accounting and planning platform, facilitates water planning, accurate water accounting for complex irrigation systems, and the monitoring of irrigated land through remote sensing technology.
A central focus of the consultation was the discussion surrounding the deployment of the Count4D tool in Kyrgyzstan, particularly in the At-Bashi district. Valuable feedback from local stakeholders is expected to shape the future development of this tool.
The Hydro4U project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101022905.
