Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan and China in Talks on Feeding Lake Balkhash

The Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced on August 19 that Kazakhstan and China are drafting an agreement on dividing trans-boundary river waters between the two countries. The main objective of the agreement is to ensure that the water in Kazakhstan’s Lake Balkhash remains at an optimal level. Located 280km northwest of the country’s largest city, Almaty, Lake Balkhash is the fifteenth largest lake in the world. It is fed by several trans-boundary rivers flowing from China, the largest of which is the Ili River, which provides about 80% of the lake's water. [caption id="attachment_21931" align="aligncenter" width="1056"] Image: Wikimapia[/caption] Environmentalists in Kazakhstan have been concerned about Lake Balkhash's shallowing. Balkhash has been gradually drying up in recent years, including due to the decline in water volumes in the Ili River. Upstream China has extensively diverted the river over the past half century to produce hydroelectric power and agricultural crops on irrigated land. According to research, as of 2021 China was blocking 40% of the river’s inflow. Moldir Abdualieva, a spokesperson of the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, said that the ministry has been paying great attention to providing Lake Balkhash with the necessary volume of water. “Since the beginning of this year, more than 12 billion cubic meters of water have been sent to the lake," she said. In May, it was reported that the water level in Balkhash had risen by 23cm since the beginning of the year due to increased rainfall and floods caused by snow melt this past spring.

World Glaciers’ Day Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Environment Climate Change

Tajik President: Accelerated Melting of Glaciers Threatening Central Asia’s Water Resources

Over the past few decades, more than a thousand of Tajikistan’s 13,000 glaciers have completely melted—a threatening trend given that Tajikistan's glaciers are the main source of up to 60% of Central Asia’s water resources. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon announced this on August 17 at the third Voice of Global South Summit, which was held virtually under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. In his speech, Rahmon said that Tajikistan's initiative to declare 2025 the International Year of Glacier Preservation has received the full support of the international community. According to a UN General Assembly resolution, March 21 will be celebrated annually as World Glaciers’ Day from next year. Based on this resolution, in 2025, Tajikistan will host the International High-Level Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation. President Rahmon continued that with 93% of its territory covered by mountains, Tajikistan is considered one of the most vulnerable countries of the Global South in terms of adverse climate change impacts. Every year, the country faces floods, landslides, avalanches, and other natural disasters that cause great material damage, and, in many cases, human casualties. Earlier this month TCA reported that the head of Tajikistan’s committee for emergency situations and civil defense, Rustam Nazarzada, said at a press conference that the economic damage caused by natural disasters in the country this year has amounted to over $12 million. The government of Tajikistan is therefore implementing a National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change until 2030, with the goal of reducing the negative impacts of climate change on the country's social and economic spheres. Regarding green energy production, Rahmon stated that Tajikistan currently produces 98% of its electricity from hydropower. “We have decided to increase this figure to 100% by 2032, that is, to produce electricity entirely from green energy resources, and to turn Tajikistan into a ‘green country’ by 2037,” the Tajik leader stated.

Turkmenistan Environment ecology Caspian Region Caspian Sea

Turkmenistan Celebrates Caspian Sea Day

The Caspian Sea Day is currently being celebrated in a series of festive events in Turkmenistan's national tourist zone, Avaza, With a key focus on environmental awareness, specialists from the Nature Protection Society of Turkmenistan have organized a programme of educational activities in schools and public spaces to instil in children, a love and respect for nature, encourage them to live in harmony with the environment, and develop a strong sense of responsibility for nature conservation. As part of the Caspian Day celebrations, the Society has conducted creative contests on environmental themes, exhibitions demonstrating the beauty of nature, photo contests, and cultural and sports competitions dedicated to the flora and fauna of the Caspian Sea. In addition to the above, Turkmenistan has organized international conferences, scientific meetings, and environmental events, with special attention paid to protecting the marine environment, preserving the unique ecosystem of the Caspian Sea, and developing regional cooperation. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan has consistently advocated turning the Caspian Sea into a zone of peace, trust, and ecological well-being, and is actively involved in developing trade, economic, and socio-cultural ties in the region. The Caspian Day on August 12 - a date chosen in connection with the instigation of the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Caspian Sea and the Environment from Pollution - has been celebrated annually since 2006, by the five Caspian littoral states: Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and Turkmenistan.

Energy Environment Economy Export/import Investments European Union

Uzbekistan Plans to Export Electricity to Europe by 2030

The first meeting of energy ministers was held as part of the sixth consultative meeting of the leaders of the Central Asian nations. At the meeting in Astana, Uzbekistan announced that it could begin exporting excess electricity to Europe by 2030. According to the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan, Jorabek Mirzamahmudov, if the tripartite project of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan on the transmission of the cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea is successfully implemented, Uzbekistan will be able to transfer excess electricity. “By the end of this year, we will increase the total energy capacity obtained from renewable energy sources to the level of more than 4 GW. By 2030, this indicator will exceed 20 GW, of which 2–5 GW of energy will be exported to Europe,” the minister said. According to Mirzamahmudov, the exact volume of exports will depend on the electricity transmission system's capacity and European buyers' needs. Mirzamahmudov also stated that Uzbekistan’s electricity would pass through Kazakhstan through the unified energy system of Central Asia, through the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, from there to Georgia, and then through the Black Sea to Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Following Uzbekistan's development strategy, the total generation capacity will be increased by 2.4 times (44.9 GW) by 2030. At the same time, the share of renewable energy sources will be increased to 40%. For this purpose, solar and wind energy production projects with a total capacity of 18.8 GW (8.6 GW solar, 10.2 GW wind) will be implemented.

e-Commerce Investments Banking Economy Finance Environment ADB

ADB to Support Climate-Friendly Business Environment in Tajikistan

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) says it has approved a $50 million policy-based grant for a program that will help the government of Tajikistan foster a climate-responsive business environment and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country. The program aims to transform Tajikistan's business environment through digitization, reforms to increase exports, improvement of infrastructure governance, fiscal transparency, and support for climate-friendly SMEs. Underscoring ADB's commitment to supporting Tajikistan in its transition to a green economy, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov commented, “By promoting climate-responsive investments and improving the overall business environment, we aim to stimulate economic growth, create green jobs, and enhance the country's resilience to climate change." The program will support reforms subsidizing climate-friendly SMEs, and prioritizing funding for female entrepreneurs. It advances digitization and e-commerce through the Agency for Innovation and Digitization and the approval of the E-Commerce program. The program will also support enhanced public investment management through assessments to recommend improvements and prioritize climate-focused projects. Fiscal transparency will improve the Ministry of Finance’s capacity to publish government finance statistics. The program will also promote international trade and investment by streamlining trade documentation processes and updating regulatory frameworks for issuing local and green bonds.

Environment UNESCO Local Economy Tourism

British Magazine Ranks Kazakhstan’s Katon-Karagay Top Travel Destination

The Katon-Karagay district in Eastern Kazakhstan has been included in Asia & the Middle East's top sustainable travel destinations for 2024 by the British magazine Wanderlust. The district is home to Katon-Karagay National Park. Spanning over 643,000 hectares, the park was designated a Kazakh-Russian transboundary biosphere reserve in 2017 by the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In promoting the reserve, Wanderlust stated: “Five years ago, residents of the Katon-Karagay district – a sweep of lonely steppe, mountains and forests in far eastern Kazakhstan – faced a dilemma. Though home to the country’s largest national park and around 275 bird species, its 48 villages attracted few visitors, and there was little work available. As a result, its population had almost halved since the turn of the century, many residents having moved to cities in search of employment. So in 2019 the Sustainable Rural Development Fund was launched, with the aim of improving the quality of life in three remote districts, including Katon-Karagay. Key to this effort was the creation of sustainable community tourism opportunities, including training guesthouse owners and opening a hospitality school. Money has also been allocated to trail maintenance, signs and a tourist information centre, making it easier for travellers to explore a region whose communities and culture are finally being appreciated.”