Kazakhstan initiates to set up CA project office for environmental protection
Current climate challenges and growing demand for water and energy require taking decisive measures to ensure rational use of water resources of the Aral Sea basin, he said at the IV Consultative Meeting of the Central Asian Leaders held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan.
«As per the report of an international group of experts, the temperature in our region rises much faster than on average on the planet. The climate change processes result in the decline of glaciers – the main source of water for our region. Their volume in Central Asia has decreased by 20-30% in the past 50 years which in turn will result in a reduction of Syrdarya and Amudarya rivers’ flow in the future. All of these will pose serious risks to the region’s food, energy, and environmental security,» the Kazakh President said.
«In this regard, Kazakhstan welcomes the initiative of Kyrgyzstan to declare the year 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development,» he said.
Besides, the President backed Tajikistan’s initiative to proclaim the year 2025 as the Year of Preservation of Glaciers.
«I am deeply confident that it will be impossible to overcome the climate change consequences in Central Asia without consolidation of our efforts. Therefore, we propose to establish the Central Asian project office for environmental protection and coordinated climate change policy,» he concluded.