On May 24 – 25, the USAID CASA-1000 Secretariat Project with its implementing partner, the Energy and Security Group (ESG), hosted the CASA-1000 Communications Workshop in collaboration with the World Bank.  The workshop was attended by over 40 participants located in the three non-Afghanistan CASA-1000 Countries (Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Tajikistan), including representatives of the partner CASA-1000 National Transmission Companies, senior government ministry representatives, as well as Communications consultants in each country and Secretariat staff.

The workshop, designed to improve strategic communication efforts among CASA-1000 countries, helped raise participants’ awareness of the critical need for strategic communication among CASA-1000 countries and share best practices on stakeholder awareness.  Working with communication teams in the three non-Afghanistan CASA-1000 Countries, the workshop helped strengthen a shared understanding of communication issues between the countries on the CASA-1000 project. Discussions focused on implementation needs within each country, the challenges they face, and the actions required to address the communications challenges identified both in each country as well as across the region.

The CASA-1000 Secretariat and ESG managed logistics and planning for the event, as well as moderating a session to identify common communication challenges across the three countries.

The CASA-1000 project is a new $1.2 billion electricity transmission system designed to connect Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with Afghanistan and Pakistan. This system will make efficient use of clean hydropower resources in Central Asia, enabling Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to transfer and sell their electricity surplus during the summer months to deficit countries in South Asia. The CASA-1000 Project complements the countries’ efforts to improve electricity access, integrate and expand markets to increase trade, and find sustainable solutions to water resource management.

Why this issue is important: With construction activities progressing across many communities in the CASA-1000 Countries, effective communication is playing an increasingly important role in promoting effective and positive community engagement with citizens and stakeholders.