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CAREC Think Tank Development Forum to Focus on Climate Solutions

The 8th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum (CTTDF) will be held on August 27 and 28 in Almaty. Themed “The Climate Challenge: Thinking Beyond Borders for Collective Action,” the forum aims to address regional climate challenges by fostering collaborations for policy recommendations and joint research. The CAREC Institute, the Eurasian Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and other partners will organize the forum, which will bring together policymakers, experts, and leaders from across Asia to advance regional cooperation on climate action. Headquartered in Urumqi in China’s Xinjiang, the CAREC Institute is an intergovernmental organization contributing to the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program through knowledge generation and capacity building. The Institute is jointly shared and governed by the CAREC's eleven member countries: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The forum participants will engage in meaningful policy discourse to identify solutions for a climate-resilient region, explore joint research opportunities, and facilitate innovative climate studies beyond mainstream agendas. Representatives from international organizations, high-level government officials, esteemed university scholars, and experts from leading think tanks will be key speakers. The Director of the CAREC Institute and the Vice President of the Asian Development Bank will address the opening ceremony. The forum will include a research presentation by Arman Akhunbaev, Eurasian Development Bank’s head of the Center for Infrastructure and Industrial Research, with insights into the financial solutions to close the investment gap in Central Asia's drinking water and sanitation infrastructure. The forum will also feature presentations, panel discussions, case studies, and interactive sessions designed to foster dialogue and develop actionable strategies for climate resilience in the CAREC region.

History Sustainable tourism Cultural Heritage Central Asia Tourism

Turkmenistan Tourism: Dinosaur Footprints, a Mystical Crater and Healing Lakes

Dotted with historical and cultural sites, and blessed with beautiful nature and a good climate, Turkmenistan is beginning to develop its tourism industry. Turkmen authorities are expanding tourist itineraries, and improving the infrastructure and quality of services. Measures are also in place to provide a clean environment, safe drinking water and better food hygiene. Turkmenistan has a variety of natural wonders. The unique landscapes of Kopetdag, the Karakum desert, the Amu Darya river, Koytendag, the subtropics of south-western Turkmenistan and the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea are ideal spots for ecological tourism. The Aydere Gorge in western Kopetdag is also popular with travelers. Here there are dozens of picturesque valleys with pure springs, as well as ancient fortresses and historical monuments that guard the secrets of ancient times. Koytendag, located in the south-east of the country, attracts tourists seeking the traces of dinosaurs that lived here in prehistoric times. The Sumbar Gorge in the south-west of the country also offers great opportunities for tourism development. Its beautiful mountain valleys, life-giving springs, and diversity of animal life make this place especially attractive. The national tourist zone Avaza on the Caspian Sea coast attracts tourists from all over the world. Its comfortable climate, therapeutic mud, and mineral springs create ideal conditions for the development of ecotourism. The Caspian Sea coast, with its amazing nature, changing in every season, impresses one with its beauty and charm. Places that are also worth visiting in Turkmenistan: Darvaza In the heart of Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert is the Darvaza gas crater, which looks like a gateway to the underworld. The fire pit results from unsuccessful drilling conducted by Soviet geologists in 1971. To prevent the natural gas from harming people and livestock, the geologists decided to set it on fire. The fire, which was supposed to go out in a few days, is still burning to this day. The tongues of flame, reaching ten meters in height, can be seen from several kilometers away. The crater is about 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep. Darvaza is located 266 kilometers north of Ashgabat and 90 kilometers north of the village of Erbent. Several sinkholes can be found in the vicinity of the crater; one of them is filled with a bright turquoise liquid. The most impressive sight is Darvaza in the early evening light. Arriving before sunset, you can enjoy a fantastic contrast: the crater, bathed in the orange rays of the setting sun, gradually sinks into darkness, illuminating the desert landscape with bright flames. Other sinkholes are best viewed during daylight hours, but one should be careful as the loose earth near the edges crumbles and chunks of earth fall into the abyss. There is a strong smell of gas near the pit, and the temperature is quite high, so staying here for a long time is not recommended. Yekedeshik Yekedeshik, or “one hole,” is a mysterious cave city located near the village of Takhta Bazar in Mary province, on the left bank of...

Central Asia UNICEF Children Family Society Education Healthcare UN

UNICEF: Central Asia Must Work To Keep Children Out Of Alternative Care

About 60,000 children across the five Central Asian countries remain in alternative, care despite the known and devastating effects of family separation and child institutionalization, according to a new policy report released by UNICEF. Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, highlighted the dire and lifelong consequences of institutionalization for children and stressed the need for more investment in family support services. “We have seen progress in recent years in reducing the number of children in alternative care – including the closure of institutions. We must continue this work so that no child is ever placed in alternative care because of poverty, disability or challenging behavior, or because their family lacks access to services they need to care for their child at home,” she said. The report states that 203 children per 100,000 in the region live in care institutions, nearly double the world average of 105 per 100,000. While progress has been made in reducing the overall number of children in institutions, the report notes that children with disabilities are disproportionately represented in these homes. Between 2015 and 2021, the proportion of children with disabilities in residential institutions increased in all Central Asian countries except Kazakhstan, indicating persistent social norms and a lack of social services for these children. UNICEF emphasizes the need to close institutions and support families to prevent unnecessary placement of children in residential care. The organization offers a comprehensive approach to ensure that all children, regardless of their circumstances, grow up in a family environment: 1. Implement effective childcare reforms to keep children with their families where possible, including planning to close large-scale institutions and develop a comprehensive continuum of child and family support and protection services. 2. Investment in a range of child and family support services, including statutory family support services and a strong social service workforce, for the early identification of and intervention in situations when children are at risk of separation. 3. Securing family-based alternative care, including stronger support for extended family members who care for children and strategies to keep siblings together where possible. 4. Protecting children who are already in alternative care against violence, neglect, and abuse through robust safeguarding policies and practices. 5. Investing in more and better data on children who are at risk of family separation, in alternative care, or who have left care. 6. Raising public awareness of the benefits of keeping families together and the urgent need to prioritize family-based care. 7. Ensuring that children have a voice in the decisions that affect them and are consulted when new policies and practices are developed to meet their needs and rights. UNICEF works with governments and partners in Central Asia to keep and support families and community-based care. This also includes implementing deinstitutionalization policies, expanding family support services to prevent separation, а family reunification, and facilitating safe transitions to independent living.

transboundary water Irrigation Strategy Security Central Asia Energy Hydro power

Uzbekistan to Supply Extra Water to Kazakhstan for Irrigation

Kazinform has reported that following a meeting in Astana between Kazakh Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurjigitov, and Uzbek Minister of Water Management Shavkat Hamroev, Uzbekistan is to provide Kazakhstan with an additional 500 million cubic meters of water until the end of the irrigation season. Since April 1, Uzbekistan has supplied more than 4 billion cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan through the Syr Darya. It had been previously agreed that Uzbekistan would provide Kazakhstan with 3.7 billion cubic meters of water within six months but the Uzbek side fulfilled its obligation in just 4 months. The report states that the key goal was to fully satisfy the demand for irrigation water from farmers of Kazakhstan's southern regions and today, the Shardara Reservoir holds 1.5 billion cubic meters of water, almost 500 million more than last year. A total of 4 billion cubic meters of water entered the Shardara reservoir. Commenting on the success of the project, the official representative of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, Moldir Abdualieva stated, “Due to the preliminary agreement with our neighbors on the working order of the Toktogul and Bahri-Tajik reservoirs, water regularly flows to the Kazakh part of the Dostlik interstate canal. Now, 90 cubic meters of water per second comes to the country through this channel. This is enough to fully supply the farmers of the Turkestan region with irrigation water,”

Finance Investments Central Asia Security Economy SCO Shanghai organization

SCO Opens Foreign Exchange Alliance for Yuan, Tenge, and Ruble

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has instigated an Alliance of Currency Transactions to increase the share of settlements in national currencies—the Kazakh tenge, the Russian ruble, and the Chinese yuan—in mutual trade between SCO member states. The main goal of the initiative, launched in Qingdao based on the Demonstration Zone of Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation within the framework of the SCO Capital Park, is to reduce dependence on the US dollar and the euro in international settlements and in turn, strengthen the economic independence of the organization's member countries and increase the stability of their financial systems. In addition, the Alliance will help simplify currency transactions, accelerate cross-border payments, and create a more transparent and efficient financial infrastructure between the SCO member countries. The initiative reflects the general move towards strengthening economic cooperation within the organization, including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. As previously reported, the SCO states are increasing the use of national currencies in mutual settlements. The creation of the Alliance was a step in the development of regional financial integration, and its launch underscores the growing interest of SCO countries in using their currencies in foreign economic activity.

Electricity supply Finance Investments Energy Central Asia Security Strategy

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Test Facilities Prior to Launch of CASA-1000

On August 9, Ministers of Energy of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed to a plan to test overhead lines, transformers, and substations prior to launching the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA-1000) electricity transmission project, scheduled for completion by the end of 2024. The construction of a 500 kV transmission line with a length of 456 kilometers is now nearing completion in Kyrgyzstan. All of the supports have been installed and 428 km of the 456 km of the transmission line have been strung. The remaining section will be finished before the end of August 2024. The CASA-1000 project aims to connect the energy systems Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with those of Afghanistan and Pakistan and through the new infrastructure, transport 1,300 megawatts of surplus electricity from Central Asia to high-demand electricity markets in South Asia. With spring and summer rainfall and significant water flow from the mountains, hydropower-rich Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan produce surplus electricity during the summer. At the same time, neighboring South Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan experience chronic electricity shortages, especially during the summer months. By connecting the four countries through a shared electricity transmission system, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan can sell clean hydropower-produced surplus electricity in the summer months to Afghanistan and Pakistan.