AIT welcomed Uzbekistan officials from the
Ministry of Agriculture, the Tashkent
Institute of Irrigation and Melioration and the
Embassy of Uzbekistan in Thailand
late March 2009.
Dr. Shermat Nurmatov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture
of Uzbekistan and Mr. Abdulkhakim Salokhidinov, Vice
Rector for Research of Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and
Melioration, Mr. Saidrakhim Ikramov, Consular, Embassy
of Uzbekistan in Thailand and Mr. Bahityor Karimov,
Translator were able to meet with the AIT team led by Ait President
Prof. Said Irandoust.
The AIT Team was comprised of the following senior educators,
administrators and researchers: Prof. Worsak
Kanok-Nukulchai, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology
(SET), Prof. Sivanappan Kumar, Dean School of
Environment and Resources Development (SERD), Prof. Vilas
Salokhe, Director-Unified Program-AIT, Dr. S.L.
Ranamukhaarachhi, Dr. Sylvain Perret, Visiting
Associate Professor, Water Engineering and Management (WEM),
Dr. Pritam Shrestha, Head-External Relations and
Communication Office (ERCO), Mr. Tenzin Rabgyal,
Program Officer, ERCO, and Mr. Batyr Hadijyev, Program
Officer from United Nations Environment Programme Regional Resource
Centre for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP-RRC. AP). Many staff and students
from Agriculture Engineering System and Water and Engineering
Management fields of studies were also invited to the meeting.
During the visit, Dr. Shermat Nurmatov and Mr. Abdulkhakim
Salokhidinov presented the current problems in Central Asia, especially
those related to water and agriculture. Mr. Abdulkhakim Salokhidinov
mentioned that there is shortage of water supply in Uzbekistan and that
the resources are unevenly distributed.
He further illustrated the complexities of Uzbekistan’s natural
environment which has very few bodies of water and vast plains occupy
two-thirds of Uzbekistan's territory. Two rivers that originate from
the mountains of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Amu Darya and the Syr
Darya, contribute largely to the country’s food production. These
rivers form the two main river basins of Central Asia, primarily used
for irrigation, and several artificial canals have been built to expand
the supply of arable land.
AIT expressed interest exploring various research projects on the
preservation of water and natural resources, capacity building, and new
technology for water treatment for Central Asia and Uzbekistan
specifically. An initial official trip wherein AIT faculty can identify
topics for joint-research with the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and
Melioration (http://www.tiim.uz/en/about/) is
one way to begin the partnership.
During the course of the meeting, Prof. Said Irandoust invited the
Government of Uzbekistan to be member of AIT’s new intergovernment
Charter.
AIT President Said
Irandoust (center) wearing the Uzbeki traditional robe,
a gift from the Government of Uzbekistan, with the AIT team and
the
officials from the central Asian country.