28 May 2024
Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan

Almaty Hosts Conference on Tackling Climate Change in Central Asia

On 27 May, delegations from Central Asian countries and international experts convened in Almaty, Kazakhstan to discuss pressing issues of sustainable water and land management, energy, food security, and environmental sustainability in the context of climate change in the region.

Held annually, the Central Asia Climate Change Conference provides a platform to advance regional cooperation in addressing the impact of climate change and transboundary climate risks.

This year’s event, CACCC-2024, attracted over 400 participants, including policy and decision makers from Central Asian countries, international development partners, and representatives from civil societies, the private sector, and academia.

Addressing the delegates, Zafar Makhmudov, Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) announced: “Central Asia is vulnerable to the adverse effects of a rapidly changing climate, given its agricultural economy, aging infrastructure, and rapid population growth. The need to improve regional cooperation in energy and water resources management alongside approaches to adaptation to climate change is obvious. The conference aims to strengthen this cooperation to increase the region’s resilience.”

Regarding funding, Tatiana Proskuryakova, World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia, stated, “Climate change is an urgent challenge, and the countries of Central Asia can only address it if they work together. This means tackling a broad set of issues simultaneously, from adopting and implementing green policies to deploying green financing and investing in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management. We will continue working hand in hand with our government counterparts, sharing our analysis and advice, but also providing finance for priority investment projects for the benefit of people in Central Asia.”

On an encouraging note, Dr. Caroline Milow, Programme Manager for the Green Central Asia Initiative, GIZ added: “With the adoption of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, Central Asia is one step ahead of many other regions in the world. It helps further cooperation and coordination to strengthen adaptation and mitigation to climate change, which is ever more felt in the region. I am positive that these joint efforts among the countries will bear fruit for the entire population of the Aral Sea Basin.”

Avatar

Times of Central Asia

28 May 2024

photo: Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation & Aerospace Industry

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan’s Nomadiq Innovation Hub Opens in Singapore

The Nomadiq Innovation Hub has now officially opened in Singapore.

A private initiative, the aim of the hub is to promote Central Asia as a single region in Singapore and advance cooperation in IT entrepreneurship.

At the opening ceremony, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, Zhaslan Madiev remarked that the new hub was designed to attract new start-up projects and unite Turkic countries’ efforts to expand digital solutions.

“We have high hopes for the Nomadiq Innovation Hub in achieving goals that represent the interests of Kazakhstan and in particular, increasing the export of Kazakh IT products and attracting investment to our country,” the minister said. “Kazakhstan already has significant experience in developing and supporting start-ups and innovative projects. For example, the Astana Hub International Technology Park for IT Start-ups, launched five years ago, has now become one of the leading technology parks in Central Asia with 1,403 participants, including 388 foreign companies.”

Outlining the project’s objectives, Olzhas Zhienkul, Chairman of the Board of Nomadiq Innovation Hub, announced, “Our main goals include the provision of in-depth and personalized support to selected projects, helping build sustainable business models and developing customized growth strategies. We are also focused on overcoming barriers to entry into international markets and will strive to position our region as a promising platform for venture investors.”

Nomadiq is Kazakhstan’s third overseas innovation hub, joining the Silkroad Innovation Hub in the USA, and that in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, named after the great philosopher al-Farabi.

 

 

Avatar

Times of Central Asia

27 May 2024

@atommedia.online

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, International Affairs, Business & Economy, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Uzbekistan International Affairs

Uzbekistan to Build a Nuclear Power Plant

During the Russian president’s state visit to Uzbekistan, a protocol on amending the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation between the two countries in the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan was signed, Atom Media reports.

On the margins of the event, Russia’s Atomstroyexport joint stock company and the Directorate for NPP Construction under the Atomic Energy Agency of the the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a contract for the construction of a small-capacity nuclear power plant (SCNPP). The project envisages a Russian-designed ASMP in the Jizzakh region with a capacity of 330 MW (six reactors with a capacity of 55 MW each). Rosatom will be the general contractor for the construction of the plant, with local companies also be involved in the construction.

Thus, Rosatom has signed the first-ever export contract to construct a small-capacity nuclear power plant.

“According to forecasts, the demand for energy resources in Uzbekistan will almost double by 2050, and it is obvious that for the stable operation of the energy system and the development of the economy, our country must provide itself with a basic source of energy. All over the world, we are now seeing a growing interest in the creation of new nuclear facilities, both in terms of building large-capacity NPPs and small modular reactor projects. We believe that expansion of cooperation with Rosatom will allow us to strengthen our energy complex with advanced technologies in nuclear energy,” Azim Akhmedkhadzhaev, director of the Atomic Energy Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan commented on the signing.

Construction work on the site will begin this summer.

The project of construction of ASMM is based on the latest Russian development – the RITM-200n reactor. This development has been tested in Arctic conditions on the newest Russian icebreakers. Since 2012, 10 RITM-200 reactors have been manufactured for the universal nuclear icebreakers Arktika, Sibir, Ural, Yakutia and Chukotka. The first three have already been commissioned and are successfully fulfilling their obligations to guide caravans of ships in the western region of the Arctic.

The safety of the planned low-capacity nuclear power plant will be achieved through multilevel systems and containment barriers. The combination of active (requiring power supply sources) and passive (operating without a power source) safety systems makes it possible to achieve the highest possible level of plant safety. These systems are implemented to prevent the possibility of an accident, and several levels of barriers incorporated in the plant design avoid the release of radioactive substances into the environment.

According to the IAEA, approximately 50 ASMM designs and concepts are at various stages of development worldwide. Rosatom and Uzatom have yet to announce the cost and planned timing for the completion of the project.

Avatar

Times of Central Asia

27 May 2024

photo: president.tj

Tajikistan, Tajikistan Life & Culture, Tajikistan Environment

Korean Company to Build Solar Panel Production Plant in Tajikistan

On 24 May, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon laid the foundation stone for the construction of the first solar panel production plant in the country’s Danghara Free Economic Zone.

According to the Tajik president’s press service, the facility will be built in four phases with government support and investment by the Global Solar Wafer company of the Republic of Korea totalling $2 billion.

Construction on 22 hectares of land in the western part of Danghara Free Economic Zone is scheduled to begin in July this year.

The first phase, comprising a facility to manufacture solar panels with a capacity of 5 thousand megawatts, will be completed in March 2025.

Once fully operational, the plant will provide 8,000 jobs, 95 percent will be allocated to Tajik citizens.

The launch of the domestic production of solar panels will contribute to the realization of goals set by Tajikistan’s green economy development strategy which aims to generate at least 1000 megawatts of green energy by 2030.

 

 

Avatar

Times of Central Asia

27 May 2024

@iStock

Central Asia, Kazakhstan Local Politics, Kazakhstan Justice, Local Politics, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan Wants to Use AI in Drafting Laws

Kazakhstan is considering introducing artificial intelligence technologies in its legislation development and law analysis. This was recently announced at an international conference on AI and law, Elblog.pl reports.

AI is expected to change the game in legislative efforts, helping in both its organizational and technical aspects. One of its most practical benefits is converting the words spoken by lawmakers into text. More sophisticated uses include drafting legislation and analyzing the impact on proposed laws without human bias.

Kanatbek Safinov, director of the Institute of Parliamentarism of Kazakhstan, noted that AI tools could better allocate significant resources currently spent on the legislative process, such as drafting expert assessments.

“The main task is to create artificial intelligence tools that would make it possible to assess the potential effectiveness of new legislation, thus freeing lawmakers from the hard work of formulating legal texts. This reorientation will allow them to focus on identifying and solving problems of concern to the public,” Safinov believes.

In his opinion, the European Parliament, especially its Greek division, is an ideal role model. The latter uses more than 200 AI tools, 33 of which are directly involved in the lawmaking process.

Avatar

Times of Central Asia

27 May 2024

@kitng.kz

Central Asia, International Affairs, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Poland and Russia Ensure Continued Transit of Kazakh Oil to Germany

Pipeline operators PERN (Poland) and Transneft (Russia) have agreed to ensure the continued transit of Kazakh oil to Germany,  reported Reuters.

The Druzhba pipeline runs through Russia to the Belarusian city of Mozyr, after which it splits northwards in the direction of Poland and Germany, and southwards, to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia.

The northern pipeline has the capacity to  carry  two million barrels of oil per day from Kazakhstan into Poland.

Back in  April, Transneft warned Kazakhstan that the transit of its oil to Germany could cease as a result of the situation concerning the certification of oil flow meters in Poland.

The devices must be periodically certified for compliance with Russian standards and the verification of oil flow meters on the Polish section of the Druzhba pipeline must be completed by June 5.

To  address the issue , the  Polish pipeline operator PERN, Russian state-owned Transneft, and German refiner PCK Schwedt, which receives supplies from Kazakhstan, have agreed that the German company will maintain oil flow meters on the Polish section of the Druzhba pipeline.

The work required to maintain metering on the Polish section and in turn, remove the risks imposed by  PERN’s sanctions,  are to be undertaken by an unnamed Slovak company.

Avatar

Times of Central Asia