According to the World Bank, the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) rank among the most climate change vulnerable in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. The countries have identified a need for capacity building on assessment of the hydropower potential of planned and existing reservoirs systems under a climate change context.
The Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin (CAMP4ASB) aims to enhance regionally coordinated access to improved climate change knowledge services for key stakeholders in participating Central Asian countries as well as to increased investments and capacity building that, combined, will address climate challenges common to these countries.
Building resilience to climate change risks is essential
For the project, Multiconsult will collaborate in a Joint Venture with Deltares, a Dutch water research institute, and PESHSAF and TajHydro from Tajikistan. Multiconsult involvement in the project will include capacity building in modeling watercourses and the use of models to optimize and promote sustainable use of water resources.
Gro Dyrnes, Vice President Water Resources, Dams and Environment at Multiconsult says: “We are excited to participate in this important plan for the Aral Sea Basin with Deltares, bringing together our combined hydropower and water resources management (WRM) expertise. Climate change and its impacts poses the greatest threat to how we live and how our environment will flourish, building resilience to climate change risks is therefore, essential. Our capacity building and research will contribute towards efforts to improve how countries manage their water resources and protect the local communities and nature from future extreme weather events.”
This strategic project acquisition is a direct result of Multiconsult and Deltares collaborative agreement signed earlier this year, expanding also into new fields of WRM and a new and important geographic area. Multiconsult together with Deltares has become a world leading entity in especially early phase practical WRM studies, which is also a result of Multiconsult’s many years of strategic focus within this field.
The project will be completed in December 2020.