17 March, TASHKENT – The Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade (MIFT) of Uzbekistan and UNDP are co-hosting a series of workshops to facilitate the activities of the Technical Group on Data and Assessments of the Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development of the Aral Sea Region in Uzbekistan. Complementing parallel sessions on systems thinking capabilities, the jointly organized workshops will help establish a data-backed evidence base for identifying priorities for interventions in the Aral Sea region.  

Following the initial session of the Working Group on Sustainable Investments which occurred in late February, MIFT and UNDP have this week held an introductory session for the Technical Group on Data and Assessments. Discussions at the session highlighted the importance of data/evidence-based policy making, with a review of the related current policy landscape and global best practices, and identified gaps in available data on the Aral Sea region’s situation.

This session began with statements by the Deputy Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Mr. Badriddin Abidov, and by the UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Ms. Matilda Dimovska. Mr. Abidov underlined that 'it is essential to provide an extensive evidence base, and establish a reliable, holistic and accessible monitoring data analysis and sharing system to more effectively implement reforms," outcomes that the Technical Group should achieve. 

In turn, Ms. Dimovska emphasized the Technical Group on Data and Assessments’ role in generating insights into the informed decision-making process. “This synergy between the two Working Groups, established under the auspices of MPTF, is key to informed and result-oriented policy making in the Aral Sea region.”  

One of the presentations during the session was delivered by The Earth Institute of Columbia University, which has been engaged by UNDP Uzbekistan to assess the situation of irrigated agriculture and drought-related risks for the Aral Sea region.

The introductory session was attended by 40 representatives from government ministries, agencies, NGOs, international development partners and potential donors, all being members of the Technical Group on Data and Assessments of the Aral Sea region. These sessions will train participants in collecting and analysing interconnected climate and socio-economic data, and in using their new systems thinking capabilities to make sense of this data in the context of the Aral Sea disaster.

“The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insights,” said UNDP Resident Representative Matilda Dimovska.