On November 10, 2026, the third meeting of the Expert Council on “Efficient Use of Transboundary Water Resources and Prospects for the Development of Water Diplomacy” was held at the Center for Sustainable Development of the Water Sector.
Participants included Utkir Sheraliev, Deputy Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Ashok Swain, Professor at Uppsala University, Sweden; representatives of the “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University (TIIAME NRU); and Avazbek Khalbekov, Head of Department at the Sustainable Development Center. They discussed regional water cooperation and the development of water diplomacy.
In his presentation, A. Khalbekov put forward practical proposals for developing a “Matrix for the Efficient Management and Territorial Allocation of Transboundary Water Resources” based on a comprehensive assessment of the economic, social, and environmental efficiency of rational water use, consideration of states’ mutual interests in water allocation, and an interdisciplinary approach.
This approach aims to strike a balance between economic interests, social needs, and environmental sustainability in the use of transboundary water resources, and to shape a water governance policy that is agreed upon among states, mutually beneficial, and grounded in science.
At the close of the meeting, participants exchanged views on the rational use of transboundary water resources and the strengthening of regional cooperation.