Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan has presented the textbook “Integrated Water Resources Management,” developed with consideration of modern approaches, international experience and the country’s own practices. The authors are Shukhrat Muradov, A. Abdukhakimov and U. Turaev.
The presentation of the book was held at Green University. The event was attended by Jussipbek Kazbekov, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change; Akiko Fujii, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan; Bakhtiyor Pulatov, Rector of Green University; representatives of relevant organisations, the scientific and educational community, as well as teachers and students. More than 300 people attended the event.
According to one of the textbook’s authors, Professor and Doctor of Technical Sciences Shukhrat Muradov, the need for specialised literature on water resources is increasing amid climate change and growing water scarcity.
The publication examines the theoretical foundations and practical tools for sustainable water resources management.
It covers the principles of integrated water resources management, basin planning, transboundary water resources management, water legislation, as well as the experience of Uzbekistan, Central Asian countries and other states.
The textbook has been recommended for publication by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan. It was published with financial support from the Aral Sea Wetlands project, implemented by the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, UNDP and the Global Environment Facility.
The publication is the first textbook in Uzbekistan on integrated water resources management in the Uzbek language and is recommended for master’s students in 19 specialisations at the country’s universities. Russian- and English-language versions are planned for the future.
Training specialists
The preparation of the textbook was part of the educational activities of the Aral Sea Wetlands project. Since the beginning of 2026, the project has conducted 17 specialised training sessions on water resources and land management. About 700 specialists from different regions of Uzbekistan have participated.
The programme covered hydrometry, effective management of irrigation regimes, land degradation neutrality, integrated water resources management, land resources planning and sustainable pasture use.
Separate training programmes on integrated water resources management were held in Bukhara region and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. They brought together specialists from water management organisations, representatives of local authorities, farmers and other relevant institutions.
Participants studied methods for monitoring and allocating water, managing demand for water resources, modern irrigation approaches, engagement with water users and mechanisms for preventing conflicts amid water scarcity.
Women in water resources management
The educational programmes also place particular emphasis on increasing women’s participation in water resources management.
Professor Malika Ikramova, author and developer of the “IWRM Concept for the Lower Amu Darya Basin,” approved by Uzbekistan’s ministries of agriculture and water resources and the Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, highlighted the need for greater involvement of women in decision-making in the water sector.
According to her, women play a significant role in agriculture and ensuring food security for rural families, while their participation in water resources management remains limited.
“When we talk about integrated water resources management, we are talking not only about technologies and infrastructure, but also about people who work with water every day,” Ikramova said.
She stressed the importance of creating opportunities for women’s professional development, expanding access to training and increasing their participation in water resources management at different levels.
The project considers specialist training, the development of modern educational literature and the dissemination of practical tools as interconnected areas of long-term development of the water sector.
The new textbook is intended to systematise modern knowledge in this field and be used in training specialists who will work amid climate change and growing water scarcity.
