Dushanbe. On May 8 the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia jointly with the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Tajikistan held CAREC open day and a briefing of the Central Asian International Environmental Forum (CAIEF) 2018.
The meeting was opened by the welcoming speech of the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Tajikistan Mr Ergash Shoismatov, as well as Mr Muzafar Salimov, a member of the CAREC Board of Governors and the head of the International Department of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. In his opening speech, Mr Ambassador said: "Regional cooperation is important in addressing environment and sustainable development issues in Central Asia".
The event included the presentation of CAREC activities and the agenda of the upcoming CAIEF 2018, as well as ensuring interaction and cooperation with diplomatic missions, government agencies, international and national partners.
“For 17 years of its activity, CAREC has become a unique platform that unites efforts of all stakeholders in solving environmental problems in the Central Asian region," underlined Mr Muzafar Salimov, Head of the International Department of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. It should be noted that the "Strengthening of cooperation in the field of environment and sustainable development in Central Asia" became the main theme of CAIEF 2018. The forthcoming forum will promote dialogue between stakeholders with different views and concepts on establishing long-term and productive cooperation in strategically important spheres. Particular attention will be given to the following issues in the plenary and thematic sessions:
- Renewable energy sources and energy efficiency;
- Integrated management of solid domestic waste;
- Conservation of biodiversity and development of a network of protected natural areas;
- Water cooperation.
All participants of the briefing were invited to participate actively in CAIEF 2018, where will be discussed the regional and global agenda for Central Asia. We remind that the forum will be held on June 5 to 8 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
During the briefing, CAREC specialists made a presentation on the history and regional activities of the centre in Tajikistan. At the moment, the following projects are being implemented in the country by CAREC:
1. Smart Waters funded by USAID;
2. “Pathways to Resilience in Semi-Arid Economies” funded by the International Development Research Centre in Canada and the UK Department for International Development.
3. Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin (CAMP4ASB) funded by the World Bank;
4. «Investigation of the impact of climate change on the quality of surface water in the Amu Darya basin» (PEER) funded by USAID;
5. NEXUS, “Central Asia Nexus Dialogue Project: Fostering Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus Dialogue and Multi-sector Investment in Central Asia” funded by the European Union
CAREC plans to continuously expand areas of interest and expertise in Tajikistan, seek new opportunities using innovative approaches to the implementation of projects. In addition, the priority is to generate and disseminate knowledge, assist national partners in enhancing and strengthening the human resource capacity in water management, environmental management, sustainable energy, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.