Common challenges unite us
Representatives of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and the United Nations participated in the first high-level dialogue on the Economic Cooperation Organization’s environmental cooperation platform.
In accordance with the agenda of the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana, issues common to all Central Asian states were addressed.
According to the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Nysanbayev, Kazakhstan is engaged in ecosystem restoration and in addressing the consequences of the Aral Sea crisis, whose desiccation continues to have a serious impact on the environment and public health. Up to 100 million tons of dust are lifted into the atmosphere annually, carrying saline impurities and residues of toxic pesticides.
At the instruction of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, afforestation and land reclamation work are being carried out systematically on the dried bed of the Aral Sea. Since 2021, saxaul has been planted on more than 1 million hectares.
“We greatly appreciate cooperation with Uzbekistan in this area. The exchange of experience and technologies in phyto- and forest reclamation is already yielding practical results and demonstrates the importance of joint efforts”, the minister noted.
“As we can see, we are all united by common challenges. According to World Bank estimates, the damage caused by climate-related factors currently amounts to 5 percent of the region’s GDP, a significant figure. It is necessary to begin practical actions”, said Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Environmental Issues and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov.
It is expected that following the dialogue, a summary will be prepared reflecting the main points of convergence among the participating countries and outlining key thematic areas for further work within the Economic Cooperation Organization.
Roman Bondarchuk, UzA
Astana, Kazakhstan
