Young leaders from Central Asia and Afghanistan discussed environmental aspects of sustainable development
“The leaders of Central Asia for “green economy” and regional cooperation!” – under this motto Almaty, Kazakhstan hosted nine-day trainings and seminars, held under the 8th Central Asian Environmental Leadership Program and wrapped up on 19 September.
The organizers of the annual event - the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC), United Nations Environment Program, government of Norway, European Union and United States Agency for International Development - this year focused on demonstrating the benefits of regional cooperation in the promotion of green economy and green development.
32 young leaders and specialists from environmental agencies, representatives of the state, non-governmental, academic and business sectors from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, discussed the interconnections between the approach "water-energy-food", sustainable development and economic growth.
International and regional experts introduced the program participants with key concepts in the field of sustainable management of water resources, protected areas administration, and presented the measures for adaptation to climate change and global processes for the introduction of green energy.
As a part of discussions, the implementation of regional environmental conventions and the prospects for networking between like-minded leaders in the space of Central Asia and Afghanistan were touched upon.
In the opinion of Ambassador György Szabó, head of the OSCE Programme office in Astana, “the leadership programme provides an essential springboard for young professionals looking to embed the principles of sustainable development into national policies”.
The Executive Director of CAREC, Iskandar Abdullayev, spoke in favor of transferring innovative ideas, solutions and experience to the leaders, as well as encouraging a spirit of partnership in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development.
Among the international partners of the annual event are the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), UNDP - Istanbul, Stockholm International Water Institute, the UN-Women, the German International Cooperation Organization (GIZ), UNESCO International Centre for Water Cooperation, World Bank.
