Focus on increasing funding to achieve environmental goals in Central Asia
2025-03-11 15:00:00 / News
The event was attended by Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov, German Ambassador to Uzbekistan Manfred Huterer, OECD Deputy Director for the Environment Directorate Mathilde Mesnard, EBRD Associate Director and lead Climate Adaptation and Nature Finance Rachael Barza, as well as representatives from environmental agencies of Central Asian countries, Mongolia, international institutions, and other stakeholders.
In his opening remarks, Aziz Abdukhakimov highlighted the importance of the dialogue's agenda for the current year:
"At the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, 2025 has been declared the "Year of Environmental Protection and “Green" Economy," demonstrating Uzbekistan’s commitment to sustainable development and nature conservation. We all share the understanding that protecting nature requires not only significant financial resources but also active and coordinated participation from all stakeholders at both national and regional levels. We firmly believe that the Central Asian Nature Partnership will serve as a vital platform for knowledge exchange, attracting investment, and implementing environmental solutions that will ensure long-term sustainable development and ecological security in our region," said the minister.
During the dialogue, participants addressed several key challenges related to improving the financial attractiveness of underfunded environmental sectors, such as ensuring the security of water, energy, and land resources, as well as biodiversity and nature conservation. The main topics of discussion included: protecting freshwater ecosystems from excessive water withdrawal, implementing best available technologies to enhance water efficiency and pollution control across various sectors, developing nature-based solutions, including flood management and sustainable agriculture.
Participants also identified strategic priorities and exchanged views on how financial institutions can enhance cooperation, including through blended finance instruments to improve the risk-return ratio of environmental projects. The dialogue also explored opportunities and benefits of strengthening coordination at both national and regional levels.
As part of the event, the newly established "Central Asian Nature Partnership" was introduced. Managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), this initiative aims to boost environmental investment ambitions and promote nature-positive business strategies. The fund will support demonstration projects that can be scaled up for large-scale actions to reduce natural resource depletion, enhance biodiversity, and increase climate resilience in Central Asia.