National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The event brought together the heads of five key international climate funds: the Adaptation Fund (AF), the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), as well as representatives of donor countries and countries receiving climate finance.

Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation among international climate funds, simplifying developing countries’ access to financial resources, aligning investment priorities and enhancing the effectiveness of climate projects.

Addressing the event, Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Environmental Issues and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, emphasised that the effectiveness of climate finance is determined not only by the volume of funding allocated, but also by the coordination of investments aimed at addressing interconnected environmental and climate challenges.

He noted that advancing the climate agenda is one of the key priorities of Uzbekistan’s state policy. With the support of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the country continues to advance and implement international initiatives aimed at strengthening climate resilience, restoring ecosystems, addressing the environmental challenges of the Aral Sea region and promoting regional cooperation. Particular importance is attached to mobilising international financial resources and bringing partners together to implement long-term climate projects.

It was noted that Uzbekistan has already established strong partnerships with the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund, while also expanding cooperation with the Climate Investment Funds and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.

In this regard, the Uzbek side put forward two practical initiatives.
The first initiative is to establish a Central Asian Climate Finance Dialogue in the “5+5” format.
The proposed platform would bring together the five Central Asian countries and five international climate funds. Its primary objective would be to align investment priorities, coordinate project portfolios and ensure complementarity among funded initiatives.

The Aral Sea region was cited as an example of an area where the introduction of early warning systems, water-efficient agriculture, ecosystem restoration, the development of resilient infrastructure and the provision of sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities require a comprehensive approach.

Under the proposed mechanism, each of the five funds would be able to contribute to the common regional agenda in accordance with its respective mandate and financial instruments.

Uzbekistan expressed its readiness to host the first meeting of the Central Asian Climate Finance Dialogue in the “5+5” format in Tashkent in 2027.

The second initiative is to move from early warning systems towards climate-informed investment planning and sustainable development.
The importance of making greater use of climate data and forecasts in long-term investment decision-making was emphasised. In particular, projections concerning changes in water availability, droughts, extreme heat, glacier retreat and sand and dust storms should be taken into account when planning agricultural activities, introducing irrigation technologies, developing infrastructure, expanding renewable energy and restoring natural ecosystems.

The proposed approach envisages a coherent sequence linking climate information and early warning systems, climate risk-informed planning, targeted investments, enhanced climate resilience and sustainable development.

It was also noted that the five international climate funds could support different stages of this framework through their respective financial instruments, while working in cooperation with scientific organisations, including the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

In conclusion, Uzbekistan called on international climate funds to jointly develop a regional investment approach and launch pilot projects in areas most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

It was emphasised that the effectiveness of climate finance should be assessed not only by the number of projects approved and the volume of funding mobilised, but, above all, by tangible results: water resources conserved, land restored, local livelihoods strengthened and the resilience of local communities enhanced.

The implementation of these initiatives would help strengthen regional cooperation, improve the coordination of international support and ensure more effective use of climate finance to address the shared challenges facing Central Asia.