“The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) has once again brought together all representatives of the Central Asian countries and development partners to discuss joint efforts to address climate change issues and joint efforts,” said Zafar Makhmudov, the CAREC Executive Director, at the opening ceremony of the Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACCC-2024) in Almaty, May 27, 2024.
“CACCC-2024 demonstrates the desire of the Central Asian countries to jointly address issues of effective management of transboundary resources, especially in the context of growing climate change,” said Askhat Orazbay, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS). He highlighted the activities of the project “Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program in the Aral Sea Basin” (CAMP4ASB), which has become crucial in strengthening regional cooperation and building resilience to climate change in Central Asia and has achieved success, including with the support of EC IFAS.
As noted by Zafar Makhmudov, the CARE Executive Director, this conference is the final one for the project “Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program in the Aral Sea Basin” (CAMP4ASB). CAMP4ASB, funded by the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund, will complete the work on May 31, 2024.
Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mansur Oshurbayev, stressed the importance of regional cooperation in addressing climate change. As examples of the region's joint efforts, he cited joint regional statements on behalf of the governments of the Central Asian countries, civil society and youth at the Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP), the organization of the Central Asian Pavilion at UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai (UAE) last year, which made it possible to strengthen the region's representation in the global climate arena.
Maxim Surkov, Regional Manager of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, noted that changes in the planetary climate system led to natural disasters that negatively affect agriculture and vulnerable groups of the population. In the last decade, the GCF has been active in many regions of the world. According to him, in 2024. The GCF plans to fund up to 40 initiatives around the world in the amount of up to USD 2 billion, and a quarter of them are for regional initiatives in Central Asian countries.
CAREC Executive Director Zafar Makhmudov expressed gratitude to all national, and international partners and donors for their significant support in organizing CACCC-2024. Zafar Makhmudov expressed special gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, represented by the Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mansur Oshurbayev, for the hospitality and the opportunity to organize CACCC-2024 in Almaty.
The recording of the CACCC-2024 opening ceremony and the opening plenary session “Climate change commitments and achievements in Central Asia” is available at https://youtu.be/cKg1DnRRC3I
The Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACCC-2024) is organized by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) within the “Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program in the Aral Sea Basin AF” (CAMP4ASB AF), Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP), and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in cooperation with The Global Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Landscapes (PROGREEN), NDC Partnership (NDCP), Coalition for Capacity on Climate Action (C3A), Asia Development Bank (ADB), Asia Development Institute (ADBI), International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), SWITCH-Asia— a programme funded by the European Union, the Kazakh-German University (DKU), Green Academy along with valuable support provided from other partners.
The CAMP4ASB AF project is implemented by CAREC together with EC IFAS with the financial support of the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund.
The Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP) is a partnership between the World Bank, the European Union, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom aimed at creating conditions for improving water and energy security at the regional level and in beneficiary countries in a changing climate.
For more information, please contact Irina Bekmirzaeva, Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Programme Manager/CAMP4ASB Project Coordinator, at ibekmirzaeva@carececo.org