The main objective of the DAAD project is the subject-related support of the German-Kazakh University (DKU) in Almaty for the implementation and further development of the interdisciplinary master program "Integrated Water Resources Management" (IWRM) in Central Asia, established in the academic year 2011/12. The project is part of the "Water Initiative Central Asia" initiated by the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2008, whose aim is to prevent ecological, socio-economic and legal conflicts in the use of water resources as well as cross-border understanding of water issues in the region.

The master's program is mainly aimed at graduates of undergraduate agricultural, engineering and scientific degree programs from Central Asian universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Since integrated water management requires project-oriented, multifunctional and interdisciplinary skills, the goal is to further qualify students to become "water managers" with an interdisciplinary focus. The focus of the postgraduate course is the presentation of interdisciplinary questions of planning and controlling processes for the provision, distribution and rational use of water resources in the region. The degree program is currently supported by internationally renowned lecturers, whose work is carried out via the DAAD project, which is connected to the Freie Universitaet Berlin.

DKU-Students visiting glaciers in the Zailisky Alatau south of Almaty (Sept. 2017)

DKU students on a field exercise in central Kyrgyzstan (Aug. 2015)

Hydrological investigations in the Kaskelen valley, Kazakhstan (June 2017)

Selected Publications:

Abdolvand, B., L. Mez , K. Winter, S. Mirsaeedi-Gloßner, B. Schütt, K.T. Rost & J. Bar (2015): The dimension of water in Central Asia: security concerns and the long road of capacity building. Environ Earth Sci. 73:897–912.

Ebermann, K., M. Kasymov, O. Topbaev & K.T. Rost (2014): Aktuelle Probleme der Wasserversorgung im ländlichen Kirgistan am Beispiel des Dorfes Kara-Suu (Naryn Oblast). Aktuelle Forschungen zu den Mensch-Umwelt-Verhältnissen in Kirgistan.- Hann. Geogr. Arb. 62:80-89.

Janusz-Pawletta, B. (2014): Current legal challenges to institutional governance of transboundary water resources in Central Asia and joint management arrangements. Environ Earth Sci 73, DOI: 10.1007/s12665-014-3471-7.

Rost, K.T. (2004): Wasserkonflikte in Zentralasien am Beispiel des Amu-Darja und Syr-Darja Einzugsgebietes.- In: Deutsch, M., H.- P. Hack, K.- H. Pörtge, K.T. Rost & H. Teltscher (Hrsg.): Wasser – Lebensnotwendige Ressource und Konfliktstoff.- Erfurter Geographische Studien 11:43-54.

Rost, K.T. (2014): Einrichtung von Masterstudiengängen als Capacity Building Maßnahme für eine nachhaltige Wasser- und Naturressourcennutzung in Zentralasien. In: Schmidt, M. (Ed.): Aktuelle Forschungen zu den Mensch-Umwelt-Verhältnissen in Kirgistan.- Hann. Geogr. Arb. 62:62-66.

Rost, K.T.; G. Ratfelder & O. Topbaev (2015): Problems of rural drinking water supply management in Central Kyrgyzstan: a case study from Kara-Suu village, Naryn Oblast.- Environ Earth Sci. 73:863-872, DOI 10.1007/s12665-014-3299-1.