The High-level Central Asian Forum on ‘Water and Climate Change’, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in cooperation with the European Union and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan earlier this month in Dushanbe, has become a cornerstone of the 3rd High-level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028.
As reported by UNDP, the region’s reliance on glaciers and snowmelt for approximately 90 percent of its water resources is at risk due to climate change, with projections of a 20 percent decrease in freshwater availability by 2050. The Forum facilitated vital discussions among government representatives, development partners, and stakeholders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
This 3rd High-level forum on “Water and Climate Change” in Dushanbe focused on improving water and climate dialogue among the Central Asian states on implementing risk-informed policies, national adaptation plans, disaster risk reduction measures, and enhancing regional cooperation on water resource management and environmental protection.
Ms. Lazima Onta Bhatta, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Tajikistan, remarked: “This Forum stands as a unifying call to action for all Central Asian states, urging collaboration towards a shared objective of achieving water and climate resilience for regional stability and cooperation. Together, we can cultivate partnerships, synergize efforts, and instigate transformative progress”.
The Forum was organized as a collaborative effort driven by UNDP’s initiative ‘Climate Change and Resilience in Central Asia’ funded by the European Union. Its overall objective is to support stability and climate-resilient development in the region of Central Asia by supporting the national priority goals related to environment, climate change, and disaster risk management in line with national commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
Ms. Terhi Hakala, the European Union Special Representative for Central Asia in her speech stated: “We strongly support transboundary water cooperation around the world, including through our backing of the UNECE water convention. Water is a global common good that needs to be protected and preserved, and that is why we need to strengthen the integration of our water resources management. In Central Asia, the European Union is actively engaged in the fields of Water, Energy and Climate Change.”
In recent years, Central Asian countries have made progress in integrating climate change issues into sector planning and developing pro-climate solutions. A dialogue is taking place among heads of states and governments, involving significant regional environmental platforms such as the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development, and the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination.
