Omonullo Nasritdinkhodjaev, First Deputy Minister of Mining and Geology of Uzbekistan, held a meeting with Joachim Fritz, head of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Uzbekistan, and Caroline Milow, head of the “Green Central Asia” program on September 20. This meeting marked a step in reinforcing cooperation between Uzbekistan and Germany in the area of sustainable water resource management.

During the discussions, both parties highlighted recent achievements in Uzbekistan’s efforts to utilize water resources more efficiently. These include the establishment of a state water cadastre and the development of waterbase.uz, a regional information system for groundwater. The system aims to foster improved water resource management across Central Asia. The officials emphasized that these initiatives are vital for Uzbekistan’s adaptation to climate change and protection of its water resources.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed, aiming to further strengthen collaboration and launch new projects specifically targeting groundwater management. This agreement sets the stage for increased cooperation between the Ministry of Mining and Geology and GIZ, with a focus on addressing key challenges related to climate change and water security.

Additionally, the meeting underscored Uzbekistan’s commitment to advancing cooperation with international partners in the environmental sector. Over the past few years, the country has implemented several projects to rationalize water use, safeguard water resources, and address the impacts of climate change. These efforts are expected to bring long-term benefits to both Uzbekistan and the broader Central Asian region.

Despite the promising cooperation in water resource management, trade relations between Uzbekistan and Germany have experienced a slight decline. From January to August 2024, trade turnover between the two nations amounted to $679.4mn, a 4.2% decrease compared to the same period in 2023.