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

The Dialogue was convened under UNDP’s regional project, “Enhancing Urban Resilience to Disaster Risk and Climate Change in Central Asia,” funded by the Government of Japan. The project is being implemented in pilot cities of Petropavlovsk (Kazakhstan), Osh (Kyrgyz Republic), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) and Namangan (Uzbekistan). Its objective is to integrate disaster risk management and climate adaptation into urban development planning, thereby strengthening the resilience of local communities.

A central outcome of the Dialogue was the launch of the Regional Urban Resilience Coalition in Central Asia. This new cooperation mechanism, formalized through a Joint Declaration by representatives of pilot cities, aims to foster inter-city collaboration, promote climate-resilient urban development, and contribute to the global Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) campaign.

City leaders from Dushanbe, Petropavlovsk, Osh, Ashgabat and Namangan shared their experiences and future plans for enhancing urban resilience. The discussions highlighted a wide range of approaches, including infrastructure upgrades, risk assessments, and active community engagement.

“We are pleased that Namangan, along with Osh, Dushanbe, Ashgabat, and Petropavlovsk, is joining the Coalition of Urban Resilient Cities of Central Asia. We fully support this initiative,” — noted Shukhrat Maksumov, Head of Namangan Region Ecology Department, Uzbekistan.

Participants also reviewed international best practices for strengthening urban resilience, including Japan’s master-plan approach, GIZ urban development projects in the region and UNDP’s integrated model for mainstreaming climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction into urban planning. Additionally, initiatives such as MCR2030, the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) program and the GAP Fund were presented as new opportunities for cities to enhance resilience.

Pilot cities provided updates on risk assessments and urban planning progress, demonstrating the importance of partnership, learning, and joint action in overcoming shared challenges.

The Regional Urban Resilience Dialogue contributes to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Strategy for the Development of Cooperation of Central Asian Countries in Disaster Risk Reduction for 2022–2030. It reaffirmed the commitment of the countries of the region and their international partners to building a more resilient future for Central Asian cities.

The event was organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction (CESDRR), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and hosted by the Government of Tajikistan.