Uzbekistan, Regional Partners Ink Mountain Ecosystem Declaration At GEF

2026-06-12 03:34:38

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 12. Central Asian countries signed a Joint Expression of Interest to strengthen coordinated regional efforts on sustainable mountain ecosystem management during a high-level event held as part of the 8th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

This was reflected in a statement by the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan.

''The event, titled“From Ecological Corridors to Communities: A Regional Vision for Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Landscapes in Central Asia,” brought together government officials from across the region, representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility, international organizations, and environmental institutions,'' Uzbek Committee on Ecology says.

Participants included Aziz Abdukhakimov, Adviser to the President of Uzbekistan on Environmental Issues and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change; Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision Akyl Toktobaev; Chairman of Tajikistan's Committee for Environmental Protection Bahodur Sheralizoda; Turkmenistan's Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection Nuri Dzhumashev; Kazakhstan's Head of the Climate Change Adaptation Unit Shattyk Tastemirova; and Marcos Neto, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director of UNDP's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support.

''The meeting served as a platform for discussing joint approaches to preserving Central Asia's unique natural heritage and strengthening regional cooperation in biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management,'' the information says.

In the course of the meeting, participants noted that Central Asia is home to valuable transboundary ecosystems and globally significant wildlife species, including the snow leopard, argali sheep, and saiga antelope. The region's mountain ecosystems play a critical role in maintaining ecological stability, safeguarding water resources, and supporting local livelihoods. However, climate change, land degradation, habitat fragmentation, and increasing human-wildlife conflicts continue to pose significant challenges.

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