Nineteen participants from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were introduced to innovative methods and tools for the analysis and monitoring of water and land resources in Central Asia. The Summer School was hosted by the Kazakh-German University (DKU) in Almaty with lecturers from the GFZ, Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), DKU and the Institute of Geography of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The School started with the opening ceremony that was moderated by Dr Abror Gafurov (GFZ-CAWa Green project lead) and talks from the General Consul of Germany, Mr Mario-Ingo Soos,  Head of Kazakh political Cooperation Sector, Ms Almasha Arenova, and online talks from Dr Caroline Milow, Green Central Asia Program Director and Dr Barbara-Janusz Pawletta, Vice-rector of DKU.

During 10 days, participants were actively involved in lectures and exercises with individual and group work, interactive exercises such as a climate quiz and a final group presentation. Traditionally, one day is reserved for an excursion when the group did a hike to a waterfall at the nearby nature reserve.

Apart from learning new tools and how to apply them, students had a chance to actively participate in the round table discussion on “Global food security on a global scale” with Dr Ophelia Nick- Parliamentary Secretary of State to the German Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, who visited the school together with representatives of the Department of International Cooperation and World Food, the Department for International Work on expanding cooperation with Eastern Europe, Central and East Asia and with scientists of Julius Kuhn Federal Research Institute of Cultivated Plants.

All participants finished the intensive program successfully and we hope that the knowledge will help them in their future carrier as water specialists in the region. Finally, we hope to continue the tradition of this school and already next year welcome more water enthusiasts and future water experts!