Shakhimardan river basin in the spotlight of the EU funded “Hydro4U (Hydropower for you)” project
A workshop on the assessments and benefits sharing in the context of the Water-Food-Energy-Climate NEXUS in Shakhimardan river basin was held on March 09, 2022 in Ferghana city. The event was organized by the International Water Management Institute Office for Central Asia (One CGIAR), ‘UZBEKGIDROENERGO’ JSC, and ‘TIIAME’ NRU under the EU funded “Hydro4U (Hydropower for you)” project in order to discuss with local stakeholders about the importance of understanding the nexus between Water-Energy-Food and Climate with regard to the installation of Small Hydro Power (SHP).
The Hydro4U project adapts European technologies to Central Asia, demonstrating viability in a forward-looking cross-border water-food-energy-climate nexus. Price-competitiveness will be assured through design alterations based on a prior analysis of unexploited sustainable small-scale hydropower potential in Central Asia. Hydro4U will install and assess two demonstration small hydro plants (SHP): an eco-friendly low-head run-of-river plant and a medium-head plant, both with radically reduced planning and construction costs that do not compromise efficiency. These solutions will be fit-for-purpose based on innovation, modularisation, meaning a radically simplified structural concept, with longevity, eco-compatibility and socio-political acceptance. Under the coordination of Technical University of Munich (TUM), 13 partner organisations from 8 countries are collaborating to boost small-scale hydropower in Central Asia.
As Work Package Leader in the project, IWMI is responsible to carry out the quantification of shared benefits and trade-off analyses from SHP. The cross-sectoral nexus dimensions need to be fully understood, not only at regional level, but also in the specific local contexts where SHP solutions are planned. Therefore, one of the demonstration sites chosen under the Hydro4U project is Shakhimardansay. The purpose of the consultation meeting was to discuss with local stakeholders from Ferghana district of Uzbekistan the importance of understanding the nexus between Water-Energy-Food and Climate with regard to the installation of SHP. It is important to understand how SHP will influence other sectors in the region and how it will improve socio-economic conditions of the Shakhimaradansay enclave.
