Climate Resilience of Central Asia

**Climate Resilience of Central Asia**

The International Scientific and Practical Conference "Ways to Mitigate the Impact of Climate Change on Natural Resources in Central Asia for Sustainable Development" was held in Tashkent. It was organized by the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan together with UNESCO, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a number of foreign universities, scientific institutions of neighboring countries, and other authoritative organizations.

Rising temperatures, melting glaciers, droughts, floods, and other extreme natural phenomena are having a serious impact on water resources, agriculture, ecosystems, healthcare, energy security, and the socio-economic development of the countries in the region. Addressing these challenges requires scientific research, innovative technologies, international cooperation, and science-based solutions.

The conference brought together scientists, researchers, representatives of government agencies, international organizations, and the private sector to discuss practical measures to reduce the impact of climate change on natural resources and to exchange experience.

Developing scientific potential, strengthening regional and international cooperation, and creating an international platform for developing practical recommendations contribute to increasing climate resilience in Central Asia.

"Climate change today is one of the most serious challenges for the sustainable development of Central Asia. Our region is facing rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and more frequent droughts. The reduction of mountain glaciers and snow cover is of particular concern. According to UNESCO, over the past 60 years, the glaciers of the Tien Shan and Pamir have lost up to 30% of their volume. At the same time, desertification and land degradation processes are intensifying. More than 80 million hectares—over a quarter of the region's territory—have already degraded. The Aral Sea region remains particularly vulnerable, where water scarcity and climate change exacerbate existing environmental problems. All this shows that climate change is directly linked to economic development, food and energy security, as well as the well-being of millions of people," noted Iskandar Kutbiddinov, Deputy Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, in his speech.

Uzbekistan has set a goal to reduce the specific intensity of greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2035 compared to the 2010 level. Our country is also developing and implementing long-term strategies aimed at introducing water-saving technologies, conserving biodiversity, modernizing agriculture, improving the waste management system, and developing other areas of sustainable development. Another important goal is to increase the share of renewable energy sources to 54% by 2030. Currently, five nationwide environmental projects are being implemented in priority areas, including improving air quality, conserving biodiversity, waste management, developing a green economy, as well as environmental education and culture.

The scale of climate challenges requires close cooperation between government institutions, scientific organizations, universities, international partners, and the private sector.

"UNDP, together with UNESCO, supports a project dedicated to climate change and cryosphere issues, in particular the state of glaciers, which are experiencing a serious impact from climate change. Within the framework of the project, we are building a scientific and information base at the regional level and working with government institutions and countries of Central Asia to achieve a certain level of coordination in the joint management of the cryosphere. Now our task is to move from accumulating knowledge to practical solutions and their implementation in all five countries of Central Asia. It is in this direction, in my opinion, that the current conference is developing, which makes it important not only for science but also for the entire region," noted Stamatis Christopoulos, Technical Advisor on Water Resources and Oceans at the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub.

The conference featured plenary sessions, scientific and technical sessions, special sessions jointly with international organizations, panel discussions on climate policy and regional cooperation, as well as innovative sessions dedicated to artificial intelligence, GIS, remote sensing, and climate services.

Special attention was paid to the issues of sustainable development of natural resources; water resources and the cryosphere under climate change; applied climatology and climate services: innovative solutions for energy, construction, transport, agrometeorology, and climate migration; modern methods of water and climate research: isotope hydrology and meteorology; geotourism and glaciotourism (travel to natural glaciers, glacial lakes) under climate change: potential, development, and sustainable management.

"Currently, one of our projects, in which the Scientific Research Hydrometeorological Institute (NIGMI) is a partner, is nearing completion. It is dedicated to cryosphere research: monitoring glaciers, snow cover, and permafrost, as well as developing tools and services based on the data obtained. NIGMI is one of the key partners of the project in Uzbekistan. After many years of joint monitoring, our task now is to make the accumulated data practically useful—to use it for developing services, making management decisions, and shaping state policy. In particular, this data may be in demand by ministries and other decision-making bodies. Another project will continue until the middle of next year. Within its framework, we are also working on monitoring the cryosphere, using the data obtained, and developing the knowledge necessary to understand the ongoing climate processes. Therefore, the current conference is a good platform to present the results of many years of work with partners in Central Asia and Uzbekistan, to show the accumulated data, scientific knowledge, developed tools, and services. It is also important to understand how this data can help assess the future impact of climate change on the region's water resources," noted Thomas Sax, Senior Researcher at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.