Uzbekistan Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Regional Ecological Summit

Central Asian Countries to Jointly Address Cryosphere Threats

As part of the Regional Ecological Summit (RES 2026) in Astana, the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty organised a session titled “The Cryosphere of Central Asia: From Scientific Assessment to Joint Climate Adaptation Action,” in cooperation with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The event was held under the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Cryosphere project and in collaboration with Central Asian countries. The session focused on discussing the Joint Subregional Action Programme (JSAP) on the cryosphere, a framework document developed by Central Asian countries with UNESCO’s support. The programme is aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in monitoring and research on glaciers, snow cover, and permafrost, as well as aligning approaches to climate change adaptation, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. Central Asia is experiencing accelerated glacier melt. Under a high-emissions scenario, the region could lose up to 85% of its glacier volume by 2100 compared to 2020 levels. This would increase pressure on water resources, infrastructure, and communities, while also heightening the risk of natural hazards, including glacial lake outburst floods. As these processes are regional in nature, they require coordinated responses across Central Asian countries. “UNESCO has been actively supporting Central Asian countries in strengthening the scientific basis and advancing regional cooperation on the cryosphere. Today, the key priority is to move from scientific assessment to concrete action. The Joint Subregional Action Programme provides a practical framework for this transition and enhances coordination of adaptation efforts across the region,” said Amir Piric, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty. As a key outcome of the session, heads of relevant government authorities from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan responsible for environmental protection issued a joint statement supporting JSAP implementation, reaffirming their commitment to strengthened regional cooperation. “Today it is clear that no country can effectively address climate change challenges alone. Regional cooperation is therefore essential. The Joint Statement reflects the readiness of Central Asian countries to join efforts and develop coordinated approaches to climate change adaptation,” said Nurlan Kurmalayev, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan. The JSAP provides a foundation for coordinated action among countries and partners, defines cooperation priorities, and supports the advancement of climate adaptation measures in the region. The joint statement also opens opportunities to mobilise funding from various sources, including donors, international financial institutions, and the private sector.

Regional Ecological Summit

Regional Ecological Summit in Astana Produces Ecology Declaration and Broader Regional Agenda

Central Asian leaders have adopted the Astana declaration on ecology and sustainable development, giving the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana a formal political outcome while a wider package of biodiversity, climate, and pollution initiatives takes shape around it. Kazakhstan’s environment ministry says the five heads of state adopted the document, titled “Ecological Solidarity of Central Asia,” during the April 22 to 24 Summit. The declaration sets out a common regional position on several of Central Asia’s biggest environmental pressures. According to the ministry summary, the text calls for closer coordination in climate negotiations, glacier preservation, the mountain agenda, biodiversity, chemical and waste management, plastic pollution, air quality, land degradation, and desertification. It also presents the declaration as a contribution to ecological sustainability, inclusive economic growth, and a sustainable future for the region. Water runs through the document, but the language is careful. The declaration welcomes work on an interstate program to conserve the Caspian Sea and expresses concern about declining water levels and the shallowing of lakes in Central Asia. It also notes Kazakhstan’s proposal for a possible International Water Organization within the United Nations system, but stops short of endorsing its creation. The summit’s outcome does not rest on a single document. On April 24, the United Nations Environment Programme said the Astana meeting had launched new regional partnerships on circular economy and glaciers, while countries established common approaches on biodiversity, climate action, and air pollution. UNEP also said a regional climate and ecology investment portfolio was set up to widen access to international finance for environmental projects. A separate biodiversity track had already produced its own result earlier in the week. On April 22, UNDP in Kazakhstan said Central Asian countries had signed a regional declaration on biodiversity conservation during a high-level plenary session in Astana. According to UNDP, the document envisages an umbrella programme and action plan, as well as a regional resource mobilization plan to be presented at COP17 in Armenia. Outside confirmation of the main declaration has also become clearer. EFE reported on April 22 that the five Central Asian republics had approved the Astana Declaration of Ecological Solidarity, linking it to Tokayev’s focus on water security, the Aral Sea, and the Caspian. Put together, the Astana summit now looks like a broader regional attempt to turn shared ecological pressure into a workable political agenda. The summit’s next test will be whether these declarations and partnerships are followed by funding, coordination, and cross-border implementation.

Aral Sea

Mirziyoyev Announces Uzbekistan’s 2027-2029 Leadership of Aral Sea Fund

On April 22, Uzbekistan’s President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, took part in a meeting of the Council of the Heads of Founder States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, where regional leaders discussed growing water challenges and environmental risks in Central Asia. The meeting reviewed the results of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of IFAS for 2023-2026 and focused on improving environmental, water management, and socio-economic conditions in the Aral Sea basin. In his remarks, Mirziyoyev warned that water shortages in the region are expected to intensify. “According to expert estimates, the water deficit in the Aral Sea basin could almost double to 20 billion cubic meters per year by as early as 2040,” he said, adding that this could pose risks to drinking water supply, agriculture, energy production, and regional stability. He also noted that water use efficiency in Central Asia remains low. In agriculture, nearly three cubic meters of water are used to generate $1 of added value, compared to roughly half that level globally. [caption id="attachment_47681" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] @Akorda[/caption] Mirziyoyev outlined steps taken in Uzbekistan to address these challenges. Water-saving technologies have been introduced on 60% of irrigated land, while 40% of irrigation canals have been concreted. Modernization of pumping stations has reduced energy consumption in the sector by nearly 30%. A unified digital database covering more than 600,000 water users and over 4 million hectares of irrigated land is also being developed. As a result, Uzbekistan has achieved annual water savings exceeding 10 billion cubic meters, with plans to increase this figure to 15 billion cubic meters by 2030. The Uzbek president emphasized the importance of strengthening IFAS and transforming it into a key platform for regional integration. Uzbekistan is set to assume the chairmanship of the fund for 2027-2029. Among the proposals discussed were improving the effectiveness of IFAS programs, introducing performance indicators to monitor progress, and expanding cooperation with international partners. Mirziyoyev also called for aligning the fund’s work with broader regional initiatives agreed at Consultative Meetings of Central Asian leaders. He highlighted the need for greater cooperation on climate adaptation, glacier preservation, and combating desertification, and proposed launching a regional program titled “Water of the Future” to train farmers and businesses in water-saving technologies. The president also stressed the importance of engaging Afghanistan in regional water and environmental cooperation and called for developing a long-term legal framework for water distribution in the basin. Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, likewise called on Central Asian countries to strengthen coordination on water resources and environmental policy amid growing climate risks. According to Tokayev, the situation in the Aral Sea basin remains strained: despite some progress, environmental threats are intensifying faster than mitigation efforts. He pointed to rising temperatures, declining precipitation, and increasingly frequent dust storms that spread salt and chemical pollutants over vast distances, affecting ecosystems and public health. The president emphasized that the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea remains a key regional platform for coordinating efforts in water, energy, and environmental management. He noted that, with...

Regional Ecological Summit

Mirziyoyev Calls for Central Asian Environmental Solidarity at Astana Summit

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev used the opening of the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana on April 22 to argue that Central Asia must treat climate and environmental pressure as a shared regional challenge rather than a set of national problems. The meeting comes as Kazakhstan tries to turn ecology into a broader platform for regional coordination, investment, and policy action, Addressing fellow leaders and delegates, Mirziyoyev backed the summit’s theme, “Shared Vision for a Sustainable Future,” and said the meeting built on the regional dialogue launched at last year’s Samarkand Climate Forum. He said environmental diplomacy in Central Asia was becoming more systematic and consistent at a time when warming in the region was moving at twice the global rate. Mirziyoyev pointed to the loss of nearly one-third of Central Asia’s glaciers, unstable rainfall, growing water shortages, and land degradation affecting 80 million hectares. His remarks landed as water security has become one of the most urgent regional concerns ahead of the 2026 growing season, as recently reported by The Times of Central Asia. He also criticized what he described as weakening global environmental solidarity and called for fairer access for developing countries to climate finance, advanced technologies, and innovation. While welcoming regional efforts to put environmental protection at the center of cooperation, Mirziyoyev stated that, “Countries that have contributed least to global climate change are once again being left alone to deal with its consequences.” Mirziyoyev also highlighted Uzbekistan’s domestic record, including tree planting under the Yashil Makon program and afforestation on the dried bed of the Aral Sea. He also proposed new regional initiatives, including a Clean Air consortium, a Green Trade Corridor, a shared climate investment portfolio, and a Central Asian Red Book for biodiversity protection.

Regional Ecological Summit

Astana Ecological Summit Turns Regional Climate Pressure Into a Call for Joint Action

On April 22, 2026, leaders from Central Asia and neighboring states opened the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 in Astana on Earth Day with an urgent and practical message: the region’s environmental crisis is no longer a future risk, but a present constraint on water, food, energy, and economic security. The summit, held under the theme “A Shared Vision for a Sustainable Future,” was organized by Kazakhstan with the United Nations and international partners. Its stated purpose is to develop policy tools for protecting, restoring, and jointly using ecosystems, water and land resources, and conserving biodiversity in Central Asia. The program includes 58 events, consultations on a possible International Water Organization within the UN system, and expected documents, including a Central Asian declaration on environmental solidarity and a 2026–2030 regional action program. [caption id="attachment_47607" align="aligncenter" width="775"] President Tokayev gives his keynote address at the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana; Image: TCA[/caption] Opening the plenary, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev argued that environmental policy must not become another dividing line in global politics. He called for a fair and balanced green transition, especially for developing economies, and warned that Central Asia’s shared rivers, landscapes, and climate risks demand shared responsibility. Tokayev singled out water scarcity, desertification, glacier melt, air pollution and biodiversity loss as the region’s core challenges. He also highlighted Kazakhstan’s plans to expand renewable energy, protect the Caspian Sea, restore the Northern Aral, and start consultations on a proposed International Water Organization. [video width="720" height="1280" mp4="https://timesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/no-comments-Reels.mp4"][/video] The water question dominated the speeches. President Sadyr Japarov said that Kyrgyzstan bears a disproportionate burden despite its small contribution to global emissions. He pointed to a sharp increase in mudflows and floods, shrinking glaciers, and the fact that most water formed in Kyrgyzstan flows to neighboring states. His proposal was blunt: downstream users should help co-finance the water infrastructure and ecosystem services that upstream countries maintain. Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev turned the summit into a platform for concrete regional initiatives. In his official speech, he said that Central Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average, has already lost nearly a third of its glaciers, and faces land degradation across 80 million hectares. He proposed a Clean Air consortium, a regional desertification and drought center, a green trade corridor, a unified climate-investment portfolio, an environmental atlas and a Central Asian Red Book. Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon brought the glacier crisis into sharp relief. Tajikistan supplies much of Central Asia’s water, but its glaciers are retreating, threatening water balance and increasing disaster risks. Rahmon linked the environmental agenda to hydropower, green finance, biodiversity protection, and water diplomacy, and invited partners to continue the discussion at a high-level water conference in Dushanbe. Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedov backed a stronger institutional approach, proposing a UN-supported regional council on water use to align national policies and manage transboundary resources more transparently. He also announced a high-level Caspian Sea ecology meeting in Turkmenistan for October 2026. Heads of state from beyond Central Asia widened the frame. Armenia’s...

IFAS

Insider’s View: Tashkent’s Water Diplomacy – From National Reforms to Regional Synergy in Central Asia

On April 22, a summit of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), one of the region's prominent organizations, takes place in Astana. The meeting of the Heads of the Founding States is especially significant because it marks the transition of the Fund's chairmanship to Uzbekistan for the 2027-2029 period. This will be our country's third mandate, following leadership terms in 1997-1999 and 2013-2016. Tashkent was at the forefront of the creation of IFAS. Yet returning to this leadership role after a decade comes in a fundamentally transformed regional landscape. Today, Uzbekistan brings not only substantial experience but also a broad portfolio of initiatives that have received international recognition. The Transformation of Uzbekistan's Water Sector for Sustainable Development Facing intensifying climate pressures alongside strong economic and demographic growth, Uzbekistan has made the restructuring of water resource management a core priority of state policy. The scale of the challenge is clear in the data. Over the last 15 years, per capita water availability in the republic has fallen by more than half, from 3,000 to 1,400 cubic meters per year. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, the annual volume of water resources has dropped to 51-53 billion cubic meters, a 21% decline from 1991 levels of 64 billion cubic meters. A major challenge remains the country's high dependence on external sources, as approximately 80% of surface water, or 41 billion cubic meters, originates outside the country. While the water shortage did not exceed 3 billion cubic meters prior to 2015, expert forecasts indicate that the deficit could reach 7 billion cubic meters by 2030 and 15 billion cubic meters by 2050. Recognizing the scale of these risks, Uzbekistan, under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is pursuing broad technological modernization of the water sector. In less than a decade, the area using water-saving technologies has grown from 28,000 hectares to more than 2.6 million hectares, now covering more than 60% of all irrigated land. At the same time, large-scale work continues across the country on canal concreting and the reconstruction of flume networks. By 2030, these systemic measures are projected to yield annual savings of up to 15 billion cubic meters of water. At the same time, the sector is undergoing digitalization. Currently, 11 information platforms are being deployed to manage the water cadastre, monitor pumping stations, and track land reclamation status. Over the past four years, the management of 100 major water facilities has been fully automated, the Smart Water system has been introduced at 13,000 water intake points, and more than 1,700 pumping stations have been equipped with real-time online monitoring devices. At the same time, the national economic model is also adapting. According to the Center for Economic Research and Reforms, the share of agriculture in GDP has declined from 32% in 2017 to 19% by 2024. Notably, against this backdrop, total agricultural production has increased by 17%. This divergence points to a transition toward more efficient resource use and higher productivity. Regional Synergy and Water...