CAIEF 2018 - Strengthening cooperation for environment and sustainable development in Central Asia

The forum was organized by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on ecology and environmental protection and Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC). CAIEF brought together both representatives of environmental authorities and environmental NGOs from 5 countries of the region (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tadjikistan and Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan. The Forum was attended by international and regional organizations, diplomatic missions, leading experts in the field of environmental protection, leaders and representatives of the environmental sector. 

CAIEF is becoming a regular platform for the formation of joint solutions for sustainable development and environmental protection in Central Asia and it's topics this year included those of pressing importance for all countries in the region:

1. Conservation of biodiversity and development of a network of protected natural areas

2. Renewable energy sources and energy efficiency

3. Integrated management of solid domestic waste

4. Water cooperation

IUCN delegation at CAIEF included Boris Erg, director of ECARO, Giulia Carbone, deputy director of the IUCN Business and Biodiversity programme, Sergey Shirokiy, WCPA regional vice-chair, Aleksey Zavarzin, CEC regional vice-chair and Kristin Meyer, Nexus Central Asia coordinator. IUCN delegates delivered presentations at the first day of CAIEF promoting IUCN standards and approaches to be adapted to the region and co-sponsored the special session on Central Asia Nexus project. Number of bilateral meetings with other participants – WWF Central Asia and WWF Russia energy and climate program, EU DG for the environment, policy department, UNESCO CA office, GIZ, CAREC, head of State committee on natural resources of Uzbekistan and other officials as well as local environmentalists and NGOs.

The major message from Aleksey Zavarzin from IUCN CEC was that the Central Asia has been demonstrating recently high potential in environment related activities and has attracted attention from various international organizations. However, the region remains dramatically underrepresented on a global scale. IUCN has been returning to the region and already implements and develops several activities here. In contrast Central Asia is weekly represented in the Union so far and therefore is not benefitting from the IUCN’s resources and opportunities. It can be witnessed by the scarce if any regular information on a global scale about activities and achievements in the region– so far there is only 1(!) IUCN CEC member from Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan). Environmental communicators and educators in the region miss the opportunities to become globally visible, to become better incorporated into global professional networks to be continuously updated about global processes and professional developments, and having possibilities to participate in and influence on global processes. At the same time professional community and the whole Union miss the knowledge and experiences from the region to be incorporated into the global activities to better empower the outcomes.

In presentations and communications at CAIEF IUCN representatives were calling partners to consider the necessity to improve the situation and foster involvement of professionals from the region into IUCN Commissions, to pay more attention on information and communication from the region to the outer World and to use already available standards, instruments and experiences from other parts of the World through the IUCN network. 

It is now essential to build up on the outcomes of the meetings and discussions held at the Forum to ensure professionals from Central Asia involvement into CEC work and provide support from CEC to the regional development.

Aleksey Zavarzin