Ferghana Valley is home to nearly 30% of the Central Asia region’s population, which is designated the highest climate change risk area among transboundary climate change hotspots in Central Asia.

With its natural resource-dependent economies, countries in Central Asia are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The region is warming faster than the global average and projected to experience increased incidences of extreme weather, changing precipitation patterns and increased drought. These impacts add pressure to already stressed and overexploited natural resources, thereby increasing the vulnerability of Central Asian communities with particular impact on women and children. Whilst climate change rarely results in direct security threats, it interacts with existing stressors, including socio-economic, political and natural hazards, to undermine resilience.

In growing recognition of these facts, UNDP launches a new EU-funded project entitled “Climate Change and Resilience in Central Asia (2021-2024), with an objective to improve resilience of local communities and regional stakeholders to the threats and risks posed by climate change and its impacts. The regional project aims to support stability and gender responsive  climate resilient development in Fergana Valley, a trans-border area of Kyrgyz Republic, Republics of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. More than $3 million is earmarked for the project, including funds from EU and co-financing from UNDP.

On a national level, the project will cooperate with the Agency for Hydrometeorology of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Center of Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan as well as State Committee on Ecology and Climate of the Kyrgyz Republic.

By working closely with government institutions, local authorities and stakeholders as well as at-risk communities living nearby the Ferghana Valley, the project will enhance knowledge base and capacities to assess climate-driven risks, foster transboundary policy dialogue and introduce early warning and prevention measures for anticipatory planning and civic engagement.

On September 15, 2021, within the frame of Climate Change and Resilience in Central Asia project, an online Regional Inception Workshop and Steering Committee Meeting was held with participation of UNDP, EU delegations and government representatives from the programme countries. National priorities of the partner countries in addressing climate change impacts were introduced, together with expected project results in support of climate-resilient development and transboundary risk management in the Ferghana Valley. The project activities scheduled for 2021-2022 were presented to participants followed by an interactive session, exploring opportunities for synergies and partnerships to leverage impact in the region.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Head of Stability and Peace - Global and Transregional Threats at European Commission, Ms. Natalie Powels stressed that climate policy is part of the EU’s Global Strategy and there is an urgent need for collective and decisive global action to tackle climate change.

Ms. Louise Chamberlain, UNDP Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan, pointed out to the climate crisis impacts which are becoming more frequent and visible in Kyrgyzstan, and highlighted facts from the World Bank estimations, indicating that the economic cost of damages made by natural resources can reach up to 1.5% of Kyrgyzstan's GDP annually.

“Joint climate action can be seen as an entry point for strengthened regional cooperation between Central Asian countries in many other areas”, emphasized by Ms. Doina Munteanu, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Uzbekistan.

Mr. Christophoros Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Tajikistan, highlighted that climate resilience and climate adaptability remain at the core of sustaining and supporting economic stabilization in Central Asia. In his vision this project would address climate intelligence and information sharing issues in the region.

The project will strengthen transboundary cooperation in the region, contributing to a set of international global frameworks that offer a strong basis for climate action in line with the EU’s agenda on the European Green Deal and UNDP’s commitment to support Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.