Page 495 – The Times Of Central Asia

13 Nov 2024

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, International Affairs, Local Politics, Uzbekistan Life & Culture, Uzbekistan International Affairs, Uzbekistan Local Politics

Uzbekistan Drafting Law to Ban LGBT “Propaganda”

November 13, 2024
By Sadokat Jalolova

Alisher Qodirov, leader of Uzbekistan’s Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) party, has announced that a draft law banning the discussion of LGBT topics is being prepared in Uzbekistan.

Qodirov shared this news on his Telegram channel, where he also referenced a social media post by Ivanka Trump, daughter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who highlighted her father’s plan to cut federal funding for schools promoting “inappropriate sexual content” and “transgender ideology.”

Qodirov commented: “The change in the center of the disease is very good,” suggesting his support for similar measures in Uzbekistan. He added: “We are working on adopting a law prohibiting any kind of propaganda in this regard,” though he did not elaborate further.

In the past, Qodirov has also advocated for banning Soviet ideology and symbols in Uzbekistan.

This stance followed a recent case in Samarkand, where a pensioner wishing to restore the Soviet Union received a three-year restricted freedom sentence for actions deemed a threat to Uzbekistan’s constitutional order.

13 Nov 2024

Central Asia, Environment, Home, Kazakhstan Environment, International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

COP29: Environmental Initiatives in the Real World

November 25, 2024
By Aliya Haidar

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has addressed the World Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. In his speech he spoke about the country’s environmental problems, but also mentioned opportunities for new eco-friendly projects. At the same time, many world leaders did not attend the summit, and activist Greta Thunberg said climate problems should be discussed at other venues.

Tokayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to the global climate agenda and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the fight against climate change. He reminded forum participants that carbon neutrality by 2060 can only be achieved with close cooperation and technology exchange.

“Access to predictable funding and state-of-the-art technology is vital to achieving the targets. The NCQG should pay special attention to regions most vulnerable to climate change, including landlocked developing countries. Despite accounting for only 1% of global emissions, Central Asia faces multiple climate risks. To increase efficiency, we must actively utilize advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, satellite monitoring, and other digital tools to provide early warning and better management of water and land resources,” Tokayev said.

Tokayev added that Kazakhstan has opportunities for transition to better agriculture. According to him, the republic, which has 200 million hectares of agricultural land, is an ideal platform for introducing “carbon farming.” The president said these agricultural production methods can reduce emissions and improve soil quality.

“Our country provides 43% of the world’s uranium supply and plays a significant role in developing low-carbon nuclear power. In October this year, ROK citizens supported the construction of a nuclear power plant in a nationwide referendum. We strive to ensure the safety and efficiency of this project through partnership with the world’s technological leaders in energy”, added Tokayev.

He separately emphasized the problem of the world’s water resources. “Climate change is already seriously impacting the global water cycle. Water-related disasters account for more than 80% of all natural disasters. This year, the ROK faces unprecedented floods. To respond quickly in the future and recover from such emergencies, we are implementing a comprehensive risk management system. In partnership with France, Kazakhstan will hold the One Water Summit in December to actualize the water agenda. Participants of this forum will discuss the problems of global water management,” Tokayev said.

“Today, the Caspian Sea is under threat. Saving the world’s largest lake is a problem that requires long-term international cooperation. We support President Ilham Aliyev’s (Azerbaijan) initiative to create a group of experts from the Caspian littoral states. Additionally, Kazakhstan is taking concrete steps to preserve the Aral Sea,” he added.

Also, within the framework of the World Climate Summit in Baku, an important agreement for Kazakhstan’s water sector was signed. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Nurlan Baybazarov said the Islamic Development Bank will finance Kazakhstan’s $1.1 billion project for water resources development, which will be realized in nine regions.

Kazakhstan is not standing still

Today, Kazakhstan has several major environmental projects in operation. These include the Astana Green Belt, which has significantly improved the city’s ecology, reduced air pollution and created a natural barrier against dust storms. The project continues the mass planting of trees and shrubs and the creation of parks and squares within the city limits.

There is also a multi-year project to restore the Aral Sea. Its main goal is to increase the inflow of water from the Amu Darya River, which will allow the restoration of part of the ecosystem, support biodiversity, and improve the living conditions of the local population. The initiative provides for the construction of canals and dams and land reclamation.

In addition, there is a Biodiversity Conservation Program, which includes expanding protected areas and creating new reserves and national parks. There are also initiatives to combat plastic pollution. Here, one of the key measures was the restriction of the use of plastic bags and the creation of infrastructure for separate waste collection. Recently, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov, said that the mechanism of the payment program for enterprises that collect, transport, and recycle waste has been restarted. Also, environmental education is being introduced in the country’s schools.

A special place is occupied by the concept “Taza Kazakstan” (“Clean Kazakhstan”), approved by the government, aimed at the development of environmental culture for 2024-2029. According to the target indicators, by 2029, it is planned to increase the recycling of municipal waste from 25% to 38% and the share of citizens involved in activities to strengthen environmental education from 15% to 40%. According to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, more than 745,000 people participated in “Taza Kazakstan” this year; almost 160,000 tons of garbage were collected, and about 326,000 green plants were planted.

Twenty-two environmental initiatives from ten regions of Kazakhstan received financial support under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Program in Kazakhstan, implemented under the auspices of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The projects will cover the Abai, Akmola, Almaty, East Kazakhstan, Zhetysu, Karaganda, Kostanai, Kyzylorda, Turkestan, and Ulytau regions.

According to the Ministry of Ecology, protected areas occupy more than 10% of Kazakhstan’s land surface. There are ten reserves, 14 national parks, seven natural reserves, 50 nature reserves, five protected areas, six botanical gardens, one dendrological park, and 25 natural monuments of local importance.

Three natural sites have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: “Saryarka – steppes and lakes of Northern Kazakhstan” (Naurzum and Korgalzhyn reserves); “Western Tien Shan,” jointly with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan (Aksu-Zhabagli and Karatau Nature Reserves and Sairam-Ugam National Park); and “Cold winter deserts of Turan” (Altyn-Emel National Park, Barsakelmes Nature Reserve).

Serious contradictions

Despite the importance of the agenda, many world leaders did not attend the environmental summit in Baku. The Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has spoken out about the staging of the conference in Baku. She took part in a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, where activists are vocalizing that Azerbaijan does not deserve to host the climate talks because of its repressive policies.

Thunberg called Azerbaijan “a repressive, occupying state that has committed ethnic cleansing and that continues to crack down on Azerbaijani civil society.” She accused Baku of using the summit as “a chance to justify its crimes and human rights violations.” “We cannot give them any legitimacy in this situation, which is why we stand here and say no to the Azerbaijani regime,” Thunberg said. Her article, which shared similar content, also appeared in the Guardian.

At the same time, due to international tensions and political situations in several countries, many leaders did not attend the COP29 summit, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Scholz and Von der Leyen explained their absence due to complex internal processes. At the same time, Macron, according to the press, ignored the summit because of the long-standing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, where France supported Armenia against Azerbaijan.

U.S. President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva did not attend the summit. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not come. Most of these leaders sent representatives to Baku.

States already being seriously affected by climate change have expressed dissatisfaction with the slow and ineffective response of the international community. For example, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape announced that the country would not attend COP29 in protest at the lack of “swift support for the victims of climate change” from major countries. Marape said he was doing so in the interest of all small island nations.

13 Nov 2024

Central Asia, Tajikistan Justice, Justice, Tajikistan Local Politics, International Affairs, Tajikistan, Local Politics

Tajikistan Detains Opposition Activist Ergashev for Two Months

November 13, 2024
By Vagit Ismailov

Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev, formerly of the Group of 24, was detained and arrested in Dushanbe for two months. This was reported to Radio Ozodi by Sharofiddin Gadoev, leader of the Movement for Reforms and Development of Tajikistan, citing sources. However, Tajik authorities have not officially confirmed the information.

Gadoev stated that Ergashev was brought to Dushanbe on a flight from Istanbul on the morning of November 7 and handed over to local law enforcement immediately upon arrival. The next day, the Sino District Court in Dushanbe, in a closed session, ordered his provisional detention for two months. When contacted, the Sino District Court claimed it had no information on Ergashev’s case and advised journalists to submit an official inquiry.

Gadoev alleges that Ergashev is currently held in Tajikistan’s GKNB pre-trial detention center, where he is reportedly denied access to a lawyer and legal assistance. This information could not be independently verified, and the press office of the Tajik Interior Ministry also stated it was not involved in the case.

The 40-year-old opposition activist was deported from Germany on November 6. According to his lawyer and friends, Ergashev attempted to harm himself by slitting his veins as police prepared to escort him to Düsseldorf Airport. However, following medical treatment, the deportation proceeded.

Ergashev, who had lived in Germany for 13 years, was detained on October 28 in the town of Kleve and taken to a local administrative court, which ordered his deportation to Tajikistan. His lawyers contend that the court overlooked his pending application for political asylum, still under review by another judicial authority.

Since 2015, dozens of Tajik citizens opposing their government have sought asylum in Europe, particularly in Poland and Germany. In recent years, the EU has deported several of these individuals, including Abdullo Shamsiddin, Bilol Kurbonaliev, and Farrukh Ikromov.

Abdullo Shamsiddin, the son of Shamsiddin Saidov—a banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) activist—received a seven-year prison sentence, while Bilol Kurbonaliev, another Group 24 member, was sentenced to ten years in prison. Farrukh Ikromov, deported from Poland, received a 23-year sentence. Another activist, Hizbullo Shovalizoda, an IRPT member extradited from Austria in 2020, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Tajikistan.

13 Nov 2024

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan Justice, Justice, Local Politics, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

Kyrgyz Police Claim to Have Foiled Another Seizure of Power

November 13, 2024
By Vagit Ismailov

Operational services from Kyrgyzstan’s Interior Ministry have detained alleged organizers of mass riots accused of plotting a violent seizure of power, according to a statement.

The Main Department of Criminal Investigation received intelligence about a group preparing to destabilize the socio-political situation in the country. Reportedly, the group had a clear division of roles, including organizers, accomplices, financiers, and executors. The plan allegedly involved using sports events in the suburbs of Bishkek as a cover to spread anti-constitutional slogans and incite violence on November 17, the day of elections to local councils.

The Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case under several articles, including charges related to preparing for mass riots and attempting to seize power. During the investigation, multiple suspects were detained, including foreign nationals and individuals who had participated in armed conflicts outside Kyrgyzstan. Authorities seized a range of equipment from the detainees, including a grenade, ammunition, drones, and a thermal imager.

Among those detained is a former deputy prosecutor general of Kyrgyzstan, who, according to investigators, financed and coordinated the group. Searches of a warehouse linked to the suspects revealed supplies intended for the rioters, including alcoholic beverages and ingredients for cooking pilaf.

The detainees face charges under multiple articles of the Kyrgyz Criminal Code, including forming an organized group, financing criminal activities, and participating in armed conflicts abroad. The court has ordered that they remain in custody until January 10, 2025. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to identify additional members and organizers of the group.

Kyrgyzstan has faced multiple coup attempts and incidents of mass unrest in recent years. In July 2024, the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) reported preventing an attempted power seizure by detaining a group accused of planning mass riots to destabilize the country. In June 2023, the GKNB detained more suspects in a coup plot. In May 2024, mass riots erupted in Bishkek after a conflict between residents and foreign students, resulting in 15 injuries and the detention of 29 individuals.

13 Nov 2024

Environment, Central Asia, Kazakhstan Local Politics, International Affairs, Local Politics, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

ADB to Help Kazakhstan Move Away from Coal Power Generation

November 13, 2024
By Sergey Kwan

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a memorandum of understanding, moving closer to the possible early retirement of a coal plant in Kazakhstan under the bank’s Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) program.

Under the memorandum, the ministry and ADB will work toward a pilot transaction that will demonstrate a pathway to significantly reduce Kazakhstan’s greenhouse gas emissions by decommissioning pilot coal plants for renewables or other low-c or repurposing carbon energy technologies. A feasibility study will determine which of the country’s coal-fired power generation, combined heat and power plants and heat-only boilers could be the most viable for early retirement.

ADB and Kazakhstan have also agreed to analyze the potential impact of early decommissioning or repurposing of a plant on the country’s power and heat supply, develop the country’s renewable energy generation capacity, and promote regional energy trade.

ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov commented: “Keeping 1.5 degrees alive means moving away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy as quickly as possible—and ADB’s ETM program aims to do that in a way that considers each country’s energy and socioeconomic development needs. As Asia and the Pacific’s climate bank, we are committed to helping Kazakhstan inclusively decarbonize its economy, and we aim to demonstrate how the clean energy transition can be accelerated in Central Asia.”

Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Almassadam Satkaliyev added, “Kazakhstan will need to develop a new approach in the power, heating, and water sectors as a single technological system, and we rely on ADB’s support and experience. I hope this program will demonstrate new systems’ technological shift and reliability through ETM, which can then be replicated in other plants and regions.”

Kazakhstan is a major consumer of coal, with 25 billion tons of coal reserves estimated to be the eighth largest worldwide. About 70% of the country’s electricity is produced from coal, while energy-related activity, including heat and electricity production, accounts for more than 80% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

Kazakhstan’s long-term strategy for achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 involves reducing its use of fossil fuels and increasing its renewable power generation capacity.

13 Nov 2024

Central Asia, Environment, Home, International Affairs, Tajikistan, Tajikistan Features, Tajikistan Home, Features, Tajikistan Environment

COP29: Tajikistan Goes for Green as Pollution, Climate Change Take Toll

November 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Tajikistan’s longtime president has said his country plans to switch entirely to renewable sources of energy by 2032, though a recent World Bank report warns that climate change is already threatening Tajikistan’s energy and water security, which are key to development.

At the United Nations climate conference in Azerbaijan, President Emomali Rahmon said on Tuesday that Tajikistan’s goal was to become a “green” country by 2037, a reference to low carbon and resource efficiency goals.

“Today, 98% of our electricity is produced by hydropower, and Tajikistan’s share in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions is small” compared to many other countries, said Rahmon, who has been in power since 1994. “However, achieving the above goals requires a lot of effort and money from us.”

He told delegates at the COP29 meeting in Baku that Tajikistan is cooperating with development partners, “especially global financial institutions.”

In a report released last week, the World Bank cautioned that Tajikistan’s growth model has “reached its limits” despite robust economic development and poverty reduction in the last two decades. It said domestic institutions are weak, the private sector is underdeveloped and Tajikistan’s economic aspirations will be on hold unless it implements structural reforms.

“Degraded agricultural land, along with risks of increasing water scarcity, raises major risks to the productivity of crop and livestock sectors, critical to the livelihoods of the majority of Tajiks. Air pollution is rife, with Dushanbe’s measure of particulate matter far exceeding regional averages and other cities affected,” it said.

The World Bank acknowledged Tajikistan’s plan to improve infrastructure for hydropower development, clean energy, and water storage to address the challenges of climate change. But it said the effects of global warming, including glacier melting and extended droughts, could undermine development goals and drive an increase in poverty.

Tajikistan’s big hope is that the Rogun hydropower plant, which has been under construction since 2007 and is partly operating, can play a transformative role in electricity generation in Tajikistan but also as a clean energy exporter to other countries in Central Asia. The project has faced delays, cost overruns and criticism from environmental and rights groups.

The World Bank, one of the international backers of the project, said the success of the Rogun plant, which will have a total generation capacity of 3,780 megawatts, will depend on “enhanced governance and transparency, dedicated supervision support, and a sustainable macroeconomic framework.”