XII Astana Economic Forum in Nur-Sultan

The panel session, chaired by Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Saparkhan Omarov and moderated by Dr Guy Bonvin, the Swiss Special Envoy for Water in Central Asia, convened high-level officials from key ministries of the five countries of Central Asia as well as international experts.

In his welcoming speech to the participants of the session, Saparkhan Omarov noted: “Considering that in the Central Asian region the main sources of water resources are transboundary, the issue of water management in the region requires a holistic approach. The water sector of the region, which combines water, food and energy, should be seen as inextricably linked with national security, regional stability and sustainable economic growth”.

The importance of water availability as a key factor for sustainable economic development worldwide and also in Central Asia was evidenced through expert contributions from the World Bank, the European Union and the Geneva Water Hub.