In the period of 2009-2012, following the Resolution of the Heads of States of 28 April 2009, the Executive Committee of the IFAS (EC IFAS), with the participation of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC), the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), in cooperation with national experts from Central Asian countries and donors, prepared a draft of the ASBP-3, which was supported by the international donor organizations (Joint Statement of Donors, Ashgabat, July 20, 2010) and approved by the Decision of the Board of IFAS on May 15, 2012. The program works in four directions: (I) Integrated Use of Water Resources; (II) Environmental protection; (III) the Socio-Economic Development; (IV) Improving institutional and legal instruments.

Direction I – Integrated Use of Water Resources – includes projects aimed at addressing the problems associated with transboundary water resources management, improvement of irrigated lands, establishing monitoring systems and databases, modeling, basin plans development, and ensuring the safety of water facilities.

Direction II – Environmental protection. The second group of projects addresses the problems associated with the environmental protection and improvement of the environment, including biodiversity conservation, and natural disasters risks reduction.

Direction III – Socio-Economic Development. The third group of projects addresses socioeconomic issues, including a focus on improving living conditions, ensuring sustainable development, increasing employment, and improving water and power supply systems, education and public health.

Direction IV – Improving institutional and legal instruments. This direction includes projects aimed at addressing the issues associated with institutional development, improving regulatory frameworks and institutional structures, strengthening the capacity of regional IFAS bodies. Moreover, the projects will contribute to the strengthening of regional cooperation, the development of strategies for sustainable development, training and retraining of personnel responsible for the water resources management, and increasing public awareness.

EC IFAS asked member countries to prepare project proposals in accordance with the Framework document. In response, EC IFAS received a total of 335 project proposals including 149 proposals for Direction 1; 100 for Direction 2; 71 for Direction 3; and 15 for Direction 4. The proposals were clustered and 47 projects were identified.

-     regional projects that will be financed mainly by international donors;

-     projects funded from national budgets;

-     national projects funded by international donors.

The main objective of ASBP-3 is to improve the living conditions of the people in the region by applying the principles of integrated water resources management, to develop a mutually acceptable mechanism for a multi-purpose use of water resources and to protect the environment in Central Asia taking into account the interests of all the states in the region.