18 June 2020
On 16 June 2020, the UNESCO Almaty Office in cooperation with the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme and in coordination with the UNDP Istanbul Regional Center organized a technical meeting on validation of the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO project on glaciers.
There is a need for long-term improvements in understanding of cryosphere dynamics, particularly those related to the snow, glacier, and permafrost in Central Asia, as problems associated with both quality and quantity of water in upstream and downstream countries become more acute and the potential negative impacts of accelerated glacier melt become a reality.The project “Strengthening the resilience of Central Asian countries by enabling regional cooperation to assess high altitude glacio-nival systems to develop integrated methods for sustainable development and adaptation to climate change” aims to strengthen the adaptation capacity of Central Asian countries to climate change impacts on the cryosphere through assessment, promotion of regional cooperation, and stakeholder engagement.
Designed for the implementation in five Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – the project will bring together all the countries of the region, both upstream and downstream, which are part of the Syrdarya and Amudarya river basins.
The main part of the agenda was the presentation and discussion of the project proposal, for approval of the final version and submission to the secretariat of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for consideration for funding. Participants discussed issues related to the last stage of submitting a project proposal and components, as well as details and features of its implementation.
Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/unesco-promotes-regional-cooperation-among-central-asian-countries-in-response-to-the