OSCE Academy organizes a Roundtable on Climate Policy in Central Asia

On 11 April 2023, the OSCE Academy in Bishkek organized a roundtable on "Climate Policy in Central Asia and Research Potential" as part of the Jean Monnet Module - European Climate Policy project. Representatives from the government of the Kyrgyz Republic, non-profit organizations, international organizations, and universities in Central Asia took part in the event.

Dr. Indira Satarkulova, Acting Director of the OSCE Academy, welcomed the participants of the roundtable, stating: "We believe that today's event will serve as a platform for regional partnership and exchange in the field of climate change and green economy, as well as an excellent opportunity for significant progress in implementing effective policies and regulations in this area." Ermek Ashirov, Head of the Department of Strategic Planning at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, talked about the green economy and the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, emphasizing the importance of studying climate change. Stefano Corrado, Project Manager, EU Delegation to Kyrgyzstan, noted the need to foster research to look more deeply into the nexus between climate hazards and socio-economic vulnerabilities.

During the round table, Nurzat Abdurasulova, President of the Unison Group; Saikal Esenamanova, Lecturer at the Kyrgyz Economic University; and Nazira Esenalieva, Alliance of Universities for Green Economy and Sustainable Development (AVZUR) discussed the current state of climate change in Central Asia and its impact on the region's economy, health and natural resources. National climate strategies and action plans adopted in Central Asian countries were discussed, including measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support renewable energy sources, and sustainable use of natural resources.

Participants stressed the significance of consolidating researchers from Central Asia to conduct joint scientific and educational events in the field of climate change. They also identified priority areas in climate policy research, discussed issues related to the education and training in universities in relevant specialties, and considered opportunities and obstacles for publication in international journals.

Moderator of the roundtable - Dr. Rahat Sabyrbekov, Post-Doc Research Fellow at the OSCE Academy, noted that the round table is part of a broader programme for knowledge and experience exchange between regions, organized by the OSCE Academy under the Jean Monnet project "European Climate Policy," and that further work will be carried out to develop the scientific research potential in Central Asia in the field of climate change.

Climate change and its impact in Central Asia are among the priority research areas for the OSCE Academy. Academy researchers publish scientific works in this field, and on 24 April 2023 the book on "Climate Change in Central Asia - Decarbonization, Energy Transition, and Climate Policy" is expected to be released.

Video recording of the event in English is available on the OSCE Academy YouTube channel.

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