Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 109 - 114 of 113

Eight Universities in Turkmenistan Enter UI Green-Metric World Ranking

Eight higher education institutions in Turkmenistan were included in the UI Green-Metric World University Rankings, published in 2023. These rankings measure the desire of universities to improve their environmental infrastructure and their contribution to sustainable development in the field of environmental protection, The Golden Age reported. Universities are evaluated according to six indicators: University infrastructure and its impact on the environment Indicators of energy consumption and savings Waste recycling Environmental education and research Rational use of water resources Transport policy The Engineering and Technological University of Turkmenistan, Oguzkhan was named the leader among Turkmen universities, taking 432nd place, scoring a total of 6,660 points and demonstrating good results in all assessment criteria. In second place was the S.A. Niyazov Turkmen Agricultural University, which came 456th. This year, five universities in Turkmenistan were included in the UI Green-Metric rankings for the first time: S.A. Niyazov Turkmen Agricultural University Y. Kakaev International University of Oil and Gas State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan Turkmen Agricultural Institute Turkmen State Institute of Finance Every year, universities provide relevant data to participate in the ranking, which is researched and analyzed by independent international experts, specialists, and scientists. The UI Green-Metric rankings have been compiled by the University of Indonesia since 2010. This year, 1,183 universities from 85 countries were included.

Central Asia Environment Uzbekistan Turkmenistan International Affairs Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Business & Economy Turkmenistan Environment Tajikistan Environment Features

CAREC Countries Endorse New Vision to Fight Climate Change Together

Member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program committed to working together to cut greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change. “We endorse the Regional Action on Climate Change: A Vision for CAREC to help countries implement their commitments under the Paris Agreement”, said a joint ministerial statement issued at the 22nd CAREC Ministerial Conference held on November 30th in Tbilisi. The statement was endorsed by ministers and high-level officials from Azerbaijan, the People’s Republic of China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. “I am confident this shared Vision will enhance the CAREC program’s impact on this most critical climate challenge facing the subregion”, said Asian Development Bank (ADB) President, Masatsugu Asakawa. “I look forward to concrete progress on bringing forward more climate projects - including in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, efficient water use, economic diversification, and strengthening supply chains - to improve the region’s climate resilience and adaptation”. The Vision emphasizes the importance of energy transition and the improved use of renewable energy sources, strengthening the regional electricity trade, deploying innovative financing solutions, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and policies. It calls for strengthened collaboration and coordination with the program’s development partners in supporting the region’s climate agenda. A scoping study published earlier this year showed climate change is expected to have severe impacts in the CAREC region, including higher-than-average temperature rises, water scarcity, expanded desertification, and glacial melting. To address water issues in the region, CAREC will support countries to improve their expertise and capacities in transboundary water management, water productivity, and to invest in more efficient irrigation systems to boost agricultural productivity. CAREC will also support efforts to decarbonize transport and continue deepening regional connectivity with efficient transport technologies and infrastructure. Other priority areas include developing climate-smart cities with electrified mass transit systems and promoting climate and disaster resilience through regional risk management and financing initiatives. The CAREC program is a partnership of countries and development partners working together to promote sustainable development, accelerate economic growth, and reduce poverty. The ADB hosts the CAREC secretariat.

Environment Kazakhstan Environment Kazakhstan International Affairs Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan and U.S. Issue Joint Statement on Methane Reduction

Kazakhstan and U.S. Issue Joint Statement on Methane Reduction The Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for International Environmental Cooperation, Zulfiya Suleimenova, and Special U.S. Presidential Envoy for Climate Change, John Kerry issued a joint statement on accelerating methane reductions to meet the Global Methane Pledge (GMP). Kazakhstan and the United States declared their mutual commitment to accelerate the development and implementation of policies and projects to rapidly reduce methane emissions, especially in the fossil energy sector. Building on more than 30 years of successful partnership between Kazakhstan and the United States, this statement commemorated the fifth anniversary of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership between Kazakhstan and the United States and expanded opportunities for cooperation in the field of methane control. The statement: recognized the key role the two countries play in creating a greener, safer and better world; stressed the importance of rapidly reducing methane emissions by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius; recognized the significant potential of the fossil energy sector to reduce methane emissions and the need to rapidly reduce emissions in this sector. The statement also served as a memorandum of understanding of the importance of voluntary action in promoting collective efforts to reduce global methane emissions; highlighted the need to seek to mobilize global action and strengthen support for existing international initiatives to reduce methane emissions through effective bilateral action; and recognized the critical participation of the private sector, development banks, financial institutions and international aid agencies in supporting the implementation of the Pledge.

Environment Central Asia Turkmenistan Life & Culture Uzbekistan Life & Culture Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Life & Culture Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Environment Uzbekistan Life & Culture

Central Asia Particularly Vulnerable to Climate Risks, Primarily Due to Water Scarcity, Says EDB

By 2050, the available resources in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins – the region’s two largest sources of water - situated in southern Kazakhstan and along Uzbekistan’s southern border with Turkmenistan - could decrease by 10% to 15%. Water shortages inevitably impact the region’s agricultural sector, which relies on water as a critical factor in food production, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has stated in a news release. The reduction in wheat yields in seven oblasts of Kazakhstan could result in direct economic losses exceeding U$1.2 billion by 2030. These concerns were highlighted by Conrad Albrecht, Managing Director and Head of the Directorate of Sustainability at the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) during the recent Seventh North and Central Asia Multistakeholder Forum on the Implementation of the SDGs in Almaty. “Kazakhstan, being the only Eurasian nation to have implemented a carbon pricing system, faces the additional challenge of a potential carbon tax amounting to U$250 million. Most economies in the region rely heavily on carbon-intensive industries, necessitating a transition towards more sustainable production methods”, Albrecht said. He also pointed out that the region’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions significantly exceed its contribution to the global economy in terms of both GDP and population. However, countries such as Armenia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have a share of global CO2 emissions lower than their share of the world’s population, indicating that the region’s economies are critically carbon intensive. “All countries in the Eurasian region are taking climate change extremely seriously, acknowledge their direct contribution to the global agenda and are ready to make ambitious commitments to decarbonization”, Albrecht stressed. “Nevertheless, Central Asian countries still require substantial support from multilateral development banks, and while climate finance to the region is increasing, it remains significantly smaller compared to other low- and middle-income countries”.

Environment Tajikistan Life & Culture Tajikistan Tajikistan Environment

USAID and Aga Khan Foundation Improve Access to Water and Sanitation in Bartang Valley

As outlined in a press release on its website, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in partnership with the Government of Tajikistan completed and inaugurated a new drinking water supply system and a school latrine in two villages of Rushan’s Bartang valley. The drinking water supply systems will provide uninterrupted access to clean water for 72 households (397 people) in Pasor and Bopasor villages. Additionally, 40 schoolchildren and teachers will have access to sanitary toilets in school #40 of Bopasor village, the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan said. In the remote mountainous villages of Pasor and Bopasor, lack of access to potable water was a significant problem. Although the villages are blessed with an abundance of water, the absence of infrastructure forced the residents to fetch water from a distance of 500-800 meters at an elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level during harsh winters that last for five months. The USAID and AKF joint partnership, Thrive Tajikistan, works hand-in-hand with the Government of Tajikistan and people of the Bartang Valley to tackle this monumental challenge. To date, Thrive Tajikistan has provided 14 potable water supply systems and 14 school latrines in Farkhor, Hamadoni, Nosiri Khusrav, Panj, Qubodiyon, Roshtqala, Shahritus, and Rushan districts. These systems provide 43,558 people with access to clean drinking water and improved sanitation and hygiene services to 8,344 people. The five-year (2018-2023) “Thrive Tajikistan: Partnership for Socio-Economic Development” program expands the partnership between USAID, AKF and the Government of Tajikistan to improve the quality of life for people in all 16 districts of Tajikistan along the country’s border with Afghanistan in Khatlon province and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast.