As water scarcity, glacier retreat, and climate change reshape resource management in Central Asia, the integration of water and energy systems modelling becomes essential. The TU-NEXUS project, co-led by the University of Oulu and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, addresses these complex interdependencies by developing tools to analyse the Climate-Land-Energy-Water (CLEW) nexus in transboundary basins like the Amu Darya and Zeravshan. The goal is to improve benefit-sharing and decision-making across countries with diverging priorities, using interdisciplinary research and state-of-the-art open-source models.

TU-NEXUS brings together expertise in hydrology, energy systems, agronomy, and governance. It aims to link the CWatM water model with VTT’s IRENA FlexTool, enabling co-design of scenarios that reflect climate trends, socio-economic pressures, and energy-water trade-offs. The use of Spine Toolbox facilitates this integration, making workflows replicable and scalable. This modelling approach directly complements the objectives of the Hydro4U project, which adapts European small-scale hydropower technologies for Central Asia. TU-NEXUS provides the systemic context to assess these solutions under future climate and development scenarios, ensuring they are sustainable and beneficial across borders.

From 6–12 October 2025, TU-NEXUS will organize a research visit to Tashkent and Samarkand, Uzbekistan, featuring a training seminar on water-energy modelling, a model course, public lectures on the use of remote sensing and GIS, and sessions on scientific writing, all open to interested stakeholders. Activities will include a regional workshop titled Co-development of Exploratory Scenarios for the Future of the Amu Darya, which will bring together diverse stakeholders from science, policy, and civil society. The project invites participation from both regional and international actors.

For more information, please contact: aziza.baubekova@oulu.fi

Academic contributions to the upcoming Special Issue in the International Journal of Water Resources Development is also welcome: “From Water Sharing to Water Scarcity: Retreat of Glaciers and Drying of Lakes, Rivers, and Aquifers in Transboundary Systems.”

Author and picture credits: TU-NEXUS