Transboundary cooperation in reducing air pollution requires close collaborative efforts among a wide array of stakeholders and across boundaries to align national policy priorities and share knowledge, good practices, and lessons learned.
With this aim, the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the World Bank, and UNEP are jointly organizing the 1st High-Level Regional Policy Dialogue "Building a Clean Air Future in Central Asia" to bring together policy makers and stakeholders from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, along with leading air quality experts from Central Asia and around the world.
With the goal of accelerating regional cooperations, participants will discuss data sharing, engagement, and air quality management policies, practices, and recommendations in their countries, as well as priority areas for future work. These discussions and recommendations will inform regional collaboration in air quality management (AQM), follow-on knowledge exchange and capacity building, and an air pollution public awareness campaign.
The policy dialogue in Tashkent launches a series of high-level consultations on AQM, jointly delivered by the World Bank, UNEP, and the governments of Central Asian countries.
Expected Outcomes:
- Strengthen the common air quality agenda, including joint action within the framework of the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution.
- Share knowledge and foster synergies on the latest air quality assessment tools and AQM decision-making in Central Asia across stakeholder groups, including academia and civil society.
- Strengthen regional dialogue on best practices, challenges, and opportunities for regional cooperation to identify priorities and initiate, enhance, and align AQM approaches in the Central Asia region.
- Discuss national regulatory frameworks, policies, and incentives to enable and stimulate effective AQM implementation.
- Formulate and refine national and regional policy recommendations, including incentives for air quality improvement measures, initiate knowledge exchange and data sharing among Central Asian countries, and deepen the understanding and operational knowledge on transboundary AQM approaches among relevant stakeholders.