Environmental Agenda in Central Asia: Key Results of Joint Efforts

Central Asia is increasingly facing the consequences of climate change and is among the most vulnerable regions in the world. Over the past 70 years, temperatures in the region have risen by 1.5–2 degrees Celsius, exacerbating environmental problems, accelerating glacier melt, and intensifying desertification. All these processes are interconnected and negatively affect ecosystems, the economy, and people’s livelihoods.

Globally, the rate of ice melting due to climate change has increased by 65% in recent years: in the early 1990s, the planet lost about 0.8 trillion tons of ice annually, while in the 2000s this figure reached 1.3 trillion tons. For Central Asia, this environmental issue is among the most pressing climate challenges today.

The region is experiencing a growing shortage of water resources. Currently, more than 37 million people live in areas with acute water scarcity, mainly due to declining water availability and insufficient infrastructure development.

According to estimates by the Eurasian Development Bank, the total investment required for water and climate infrastructure in the region between 2025 and 2030 amounts to approximately $29.2 billion.

The situation is further complicated by the condition of the Aral Sea region — each year, winds carry approximately 15–75 million tons of sand, dust, and salt from the dried seabed, significantly deteriorating air quality over vast areas and leading to direct socio-economic losses.

For this reason, environmental issues have become increasingly prioritized in the regional agenda of Central Asia in recent years. Problems related to water resources, land degradation, climate change, and the Aral Sea are now considered not separately, but within the broader context of sustainable socio-economic development of the region.

Thanks to the political will of Central Asian leaders, multilateral cooperation in the environmental sphere has become more systematic and substantive.

A key role has been played by strengthening the institutional framework of regional cooperation. Alongside the existing mechanisms of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and its structures, environmental issues have been increasingly consolidated within consultative meetings of heads of state, as well as through sectoral interagency and expert dialogue.

It is also important to note the increased activity of regional countries on international climate platforms. In particular, at conferences of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Central Asian countries have begun выступать under the principle “5 countries – 1 region – 1 voice,” presenting both national priorities and common regional approaches to climate issues.

All Central Asian countries have submitted their nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement and have set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand green energy capacity, and strengthen adaptation potential.

In particular, Kazakhstan has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, while Uzbekistan has increased its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 50% by 2035 compared to 2010 levels. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan also reaffirm their commitment to global climate goals, continuously updating and enhancing their contributions.

Significant progress has also been achieved in adapting to the consequences of the Aral Sea crisis. In particular, over the past five years, 1.7 million hectares of forest plantations have been established on the dried seabed on the Uzbek side, while more than 1 million hectares have been covered by afforestation efforts on the Kazakh side.

One of the most notable results of regional cooperation has been the improvement of the situation in the Northern Aral Sea. Through coordinated management of reservoirs on the Syr Darya River and implementation of interstate agreements, more than 6 billion cubic meters of water have been delivered to the sea over the past three years. As a result, the volume of the Northern Aral Sea increased from 18.9 billion cubic meters at the end of 2022 to 23 billion cubic meters by the end of 2025.

Regional cooperation is also expanding in the areas of knowledge exchange and scientific environmental expertise. One of the outcomes of this cooperation has been the establishment of the Central Asian University for the Study of Environment and Climate Change in Uzbekistan, which has become a new platform for training specialists and developing joint research in the region.

Thus, regional environmental cooperation in Central Asia is gradually becoming more practical in nature. Countries have already achieved significant results in forming a common international position, developing coordination mechanisms, implementing measures to restore the Aral Sea ecosystem, and building a scientific and educational base.

At the same time, the scale of environmental challenges in the region still requires deeper coordination. Among the key priorities are the development of more coordinated approaches to managing transboundary water resources, expansion of climate adaptation measures, mobilization of long-term investments in water and environmental infrastructure, and strengthening of the shared expert and analytical base.

The effectiveness of Central Asia’s environmental agenda in the coming years will depend on how consistently the countries can transform the achieved level of political cooperation into sustainable joint mechanisms.

The upcoming Regional Environmental Summit to be held in Astana will represent another step toward achieving common climate goals. The development of new and practical solutions to address climate and environmental challenges will not only enhance the region’s contribution to the global climate agenda, but also help solve key regional tasks, including ensuring ecosystem resilience, reducing air pollution, promoting sustainable natural resource management, and prioritizing the management of water and energy resources.

Elvira Bikeeva,
Project Manager, IMRS

Malika Saparmukhametova,
Lead Specialist, IMRS