On the sidelines of the Eighth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), ministers responsible for environmental affairs from Central Asian countries met with Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The meeting brought together Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Chair of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Yerlan Nysanbayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, Bahodur Sheralizoda, Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan, as well as representatives of Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
The participants discussed key priorities for regional environmental cooperation and opportunities to further strengthen partnership with UNEP. It was noted that environmental protection and climate action have received unprecedented attention from the heads of state of Central Asia in recent years.
The participants highlighted the Samarkand Climate Forum 2025 and the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana as important milestones demonstrating the region’s growing commitment to environmental cooperation.
One of the key topics of discussion was the initiative to improve air quality and advance the Interstate Clean Air Coalition. Participants explored opportunities for developing a regional project in partnership with UNEP aimed at reducing the impacts of sand and dust storms on public health and urban ecosystems across Central Asia.
The initiative could eventually evolve into a comprehensive regional programme incorporating air quality monitoring and forecasting systems, environmental data exchange mechanisms and coordinated measures to address transboundary air pollution.
Special attention was also given to the proposal for establishing a Regional Atlas of Environmental Changes in Central Asia. Uzbekistan shared its experience in developing the National Environmental Atlas, launched with UNEP support in 2025. Building on this experience, participants discussed the creation of a regional platform to consolidate environmental data and provide a comprehensive assessment of environmental trends across the region.
The meeting also addressed issues related to Central Asia’s engagement under the Montreal Protocol and strengthening the region’s institutional representation within the United Nations system and UNEP.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation with UNEP in support of sustainable development, environmental sustainability and climate security across Central Asia.
📍 Source: National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan
