From April 23 to May 13, 2018, National student Contests on Integrated water resources management were organized in Central Asia. The total number of participants reaches more than 150 young researchers, of which only 4 winners took part in The regional stage of the Contest.

On April 23, the IWRM student Contest was held in Tajikistan with the support of the Ministry of energy and water resources, the Ministry of education and science of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Global water partnership and the Tajik Agrarian University. The winner was the student of TAU is the Mirazizov Shahrom. Also, one of the first Contests was held in Kyrgyzstan on April 24, 2018 at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, where the Winner was determined by the decision of the Commission consisting of representatives of the Water partnership of Kyrgyzstan, the Water Department at the Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, the German academic exchange service. Ms Solida Zhumabekova was awarded and invited to the Regional Contest. Right after the Contest in Kyrgyzstan, the National stage of the Contest was organized on May 5 in Kazakhstan. Among the participants were students from Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Kyzylorda, Shymkent, Astana, Taraz and Almaty universities. The winner was a student of the East Kazakhstan state technical University  – Sergeant SherKhan, which presented good results in the test and the oral parts of the Contest. The closing national Contest was the one in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which was held on May 13 at the Kabul Polytechnic University with the assistance of the German academic exchange Service. The winner was the student of the KPU -  Mohammad Najim Nasimi. As a result of all National IWRM Contest, the winners of the National stages were gathered in Dushanbe at the Regional IWRM Contest in Dushanbe, combined with the Youth session of UN international water decade.