This document summarizes the development of integrated water resources management (IWRM) competence in Central Asia, where water management has occurred for millennia. Specifically: - IWRM competence has been built over time through the systematization of past and modern water practices by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and understanding future needs. - While water management existed previously, GWP helped promote a unified understanding of IWRM when it entered the region in 2002 and established the critical mass needed for reforms to be self-sustaining. - IWRM implementation has occurred at various levels, but additional adopters are needed, especially given competing interests between sectors and nations over transboundary waters.