DUSHANBE, Tajikistan

The International Glaciers Forum, organized by UNRCCA, UNESCO, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and in partnership with the Committee on Environmental Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan, provided an important platform for decision makers and experts to address glaciers melt and climate. the Forum was organized as part of the 3rd High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028, taking place from 10 to 13 June 2024. Approximately 150 representatives from relevant ministries and state agencies across Central Asia, involved in water governance, natural resource preservation, and glacier research, participated alongside NGOs, international experts, and the scientific community. Delegations shared updates on national legislation, programs, and activities related to adaptation measures at both the national and regional levels.

At the International Glaciers Forum, UNRCCA in cooperation with UNAMA, UNECE and UNESCO conducted a parallel session on climate change and accelerated glaciers melt in a greater Aral Sea Basin. The session presented two perspectives – from the downstream countries (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and the upstream countries (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), as well as covering climatic challenges in neighboring Afghanistan and Iran to provide a deeper outlook on political context in a wider geographical area. The session contributed to the Forum by providing a sound expert platform for the five states of Central Asia and other participants to present the work of national institutions and agencies to exchange ideas and discuss possible actions to enhance regional cooperation on transboundary water management and climate change. One of the key takeaways from the session was an urgent call for enhanced collaboration and respective actions at both national and regional levels to address challenges and the increasing risk factors.

The International Glaciers Forum concluded with the adoption of concrete actionable recommendations, thereby contributing to the Final Declaration of the High-Level Conference and the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” (2018–2028) as a whole. The representatives of the Central Asian states expressed their gratitude to the Centre’s efforts to showcase linkages of the climate risks in a greater region of Central Asia and displaying an urgency for collective actions.