Environmental Management Program

1. Background  

The Environmental Management program (EMP) was launched to support the Central Asian initiative (CAI) – a regional effort by five Central Asian countries to get ready for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. 

As a continuation of initial process, the Program has been promoting the Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) aimed to enhance the quality and comparability of environmental indicators and state of the environment reporting in CA countries. The program is also helping the country to fulfill the obligations under the Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). In addition, it promotes initiatives and instruments:  payment for ecosystem services, ecosystem evaluation methods and natural capital accounting in order to preserve natural resources in the region.

International organizations such as EU, FOEN, ICARDA, UNDP, UNEP mainly supports the projects conducted by the Program.

2. Purpose

The EMP’s purpose is to advance and showcase best approaches to sustainable management of natural resources; support national strategies, regional initiatives and dialogue between state and non-governmental organizations in the field of environmental management; and assist Central Asian countries in the fulfillment of their obligations within the framework of multilateral environmental agreements.

3.Scope of work

- Promoting various European initiatives strengthening environmental policies and improving environmental management in CA countries

- Promoting the Shared Environmental Information System and the UNECE recommended environmental indicators

- Facilitating new tools like valuation of ecosystem services and introduction of PES schemes with the aim of improving local environmental  management practices;

- supporting countries to fulfill the MEAs obligations

4. Outcomes

-          Developed reports to support Environment for Europe Process, i.e the Assessment of Assessments in Central Asia: Water Resources and Green Economy (2011) and Assessment of Assessments on Air, Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Waste in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (2013)

-          SEIS related projects helped the countries to adapt UNECE recommendations and environmental indicators and develop online versions of state of environment reports.

-           CAREC become a leading organization working on introduction of PES and ES valuation schemes and methods in Central Asia. Ongoing projects utilize various models (e.g. SWAT, RIOS) to evaluate the current state of ecosystems and to assess natural resources use in selected pilot areas.

Main publications: 

1.  Summary of recommendations on PES in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 2011

2.  Assessment of Assessments: Central Asia: water resources and green economy topics, 2011

3.  Mainstreaming ecosystemservices into sectoral and macroeconomic policies and programmes in theRepublic of Kazakhstan

4.  Promoting Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) in Central Asia, 2013

5.  Analytical review: Towards implementation of SEIS in CA, 2013 

6.  Assessment of Assessments: Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: air, climate change, biodiversity and wastes, Almaty, 2013

“CentralAsia Nexus Dialogue project: Fostering Water, Energy and Food Security NexusDialogue and Multi-Sector Investment” 

Regional approaches for combating sand and dust storms and drought

Capacity building for Sustainable Development in Central Asia: Looking beyond 2015” funded by UNDP, project period: 2015-2016 within the 2^nd phase of PEI in Central Asia

Contacts:

Lyudmila Kiktenko

Programme manager  

Тел: +7 (727) 2654333 вн.107, эл.почта: lkiktenko@carececo.org