The first ever Regional Ecological Summit (RES) kicked off today in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, bringing together governments from Central Asia to establish a roadmap for concrete climate action and foster deeper regional cooperation.
The summit was proposed by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the UN General Assembly three years ago and is expected to bring policymakers together at more than 60 thematic sessions and events.
Water security will be top of the agenda, with the dried out Aral Sea serving as a poster child for environmental catastrophe. Restoration efforts have shown promise, with the volume of water in the Northern Aral Sea increasing by 24.1 billion cubic metres from 2023 to present.
The region is also grappling with the rapid decline of the Caspian Sea, where water levels are falling by around ten centimetres per year, posing risks to biodiversity and international shipping routes.
A new UN water agency could be established at the summit, with President Tokayev holding talks on the sidelines to explore this possibility.
The climate crisis is a serious risk to Central Asia, with average annual temperatures rising faster than the global average. The consequences are already visible, including glacier coverage shrinkage in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as degraded land affecting around 30 per cent of the population.
Green financing will also be on the agenda, with leaders expected to adopt a joint declaration outlining green financing needs for each country and supporting adaptation efforts.