Turkmenistan: Building regional cooperation for sustainable water management

How can Turkmenistan strengthen water resilience in the face of climate change and the rapid retreat of glaciers across the Central Asian region? JST Fellow Diana Charyyeva is building international connections to support regional cooperation on this shared challenge.

Diana Charyyeva is Turkmenistan’s national coordinator for the UNESCO Global Environment Facility (GEF) project on the Central Asian cryosphere. She works on issues related to climate resilience, sustainable water management and regional cooperation in Central Asia.

The cryosphere includes glaciers, snow cover, permafrost and other frozen components of the Earth’s system. While Turkmenistan has limited cryospheric zones, regional glacier-fed river systems, including the Amu Darya basin, play an important role in water availability across Turkmenistan and the Central Asian region as a whole. Climate change and glacier retreat are increasing the need for strengthened regional cooperation, climate adaptation and sustainable water management.

Diana’s work at UNESCO focuses on water efficiency, sustainable agriculture and community resilience. She is working with ministries, scientists and local communities to better understand the potential impacts of glacier retreat on the Amu Darya River basin and to support sustainable water resources management in Turkmenistan.

Diana was one of 10 JST Fellows who took part in our 2026 Wider Europe and Central Asia fellowship programme, which focused on climate action and environmental sustainability. During the programme, her plan was to create a pilot project to demonstrate sustainable water management approaches for agriculture in rural communities.

Diana’s JST cohort began the programme with a series of online sessions on leadership, systems thinking and collaborative problem-solving. Fellows then travelled to the UK, where they saw the Scottish and UK parliamentary systems in action, and met researchers and practitioners who could offer insights in their chosen field, as well as potential future collaborations.

For Diana, this included meetings with senior researchers at Edinburgh, Dundee, Cranfield and St Andrews universities and representatives from Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Protection agency. She also attended the Verture Flood Resilience Conference to learn about Scotland’s approach to adaption planning.

Diana says: “The absolute highlight for me was visiting different institutions and seeing real-world solutions in action. For example, learning about hydrogen and renewable energy at Eden Campus (University of St Andrews) was eye-opening.”

Transboundary water research

At the University of Edinburgh, Diana met with Professor Margaret Graham, Director of the Edinburgh Earth Initiative. “The meeting was incredibly useful and inspiring,” she says. “I gained guidance on how Turkmenistan, specifically the Amu Darya Basin, could be included in regional research and basin networks. I am eager to learn about international procedures for taking part in transboundary water research.

“Since the programme, Margaret has been very supportive, sharing valuable insights and publications, including work on sustainable universities and the transition to net zero. She connected me with her colleagues working on sustainable agriculture, food systems, and climate-resilient development, which is relevant for my work.”

Diana also met with Professor John Rowan, director of the UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science at the University of Dundee. “We shared our ideas with each other and found real potential to cooperate further in Turkmenistan,” she said. “I better understood the importance of water governance, legal frameworks, and international cooperation in managing shared water resources.”

Practical water management

As well as gaining insights into governance, policy and research, Diana learned about practical approaches to water management through meetings with Scottish Water and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

“I had an excellent and very informative meeting with Scottish Water,” she says. “The discussion focused on practical aspects of water management, including community engagement, cooperation with regulators and local authorities, and approaches to promote efficient and responsible water use.”

Building connections

Another highlight for Diana was the chance to build connections with Fellows from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. She says: “We exchanged experiences, challenges, and practical approaches from our countries, which helped me see solutions I had not considered before. Those conversations were not just inspiring – they gave me concrete ideas I can apply in Turkmenistan.

“For example, Dr Shokhrukh Avazov, a Fellow working on water management in Uzbekistan, introduced me to the ModSnow programme, used for hydrological forecasting. After returning to Turkmenistan, I could discuss this tool with national partners and explore opportunities to integrate it in national forecasting models.”

Sharing expertise

She adds: “From fellows in Tajikistan and Georgia, I learned practical approaches on working with communities and farmers, which gave me ideas on advancing local engagement and awareness in effective water management.”

Diana also enjoyed the opportunity to connect with participants of our Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Leadership Programme. “I was very inspired by the Ukrainian team and their strong expertise in energy and hydrogen,” she says. “Their experience motivated me to learn more in this field and explore how such knowledge can be relevant for our region.

“Overall, the programme wasn’t just about lectures or workshops. It was about seeing, experiencing, sharing, and connecting. And that made it unforgettable.”