Uzbekistan calls for shared early warnings and climate finance across Central Asia at COP31

The proposed framework also covers restoring degraded land and tackling dust storms as the region faces growing water pressure. Uzbekistan has proposed a new framework for climate cooperation across Central Asia, calling for shared early warning systems, green technologies and new financing mechanisms to tackle growing environmental threats. Speaking at the COP31 UN climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined a three-part Climate Integration Model aimed at coordinating regional responses to melting glaciers, water scarcity and drought. "No country can address the challenges of climate change on its own," Mirziyoyev told world leaders, calling for joint action among Central Asian countries. The proposal comes as the region faces increasing pressure on its shared water resources, which are essential for agriculture and electricity generation. According to the World Bank, Central Asia's glacier surface area has declined by around 30 per cent over the past six decades, threatening long-term water availability. A three-part plan for regional cooperation in Central Asia The first part of Uzbekistan's proposal focuses on sharing climate information. President Mirziyoyev called for a regional system to exchange data on environmental risks, with support from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This would include an early warning system for natural disasters and joint monitoring of gradual environmental changes, allowing countries to better anticipate risks affecting their shared resources. The second part would promote technologies to restore degraded land, capture carbon in arid regions and combat dust and sandstorms. Uzbekistan also proposed turning its annual Central Asia ECO-EXPO into a permanent platform connecting environmental technology providers, investors and regional authorities. The third part focuses on financing climate adaptation. The President called for cooperation with international development banks to provide concessional grants and develop new funding instruments designed for regions facing water shortages and prolonged drought. Mirziyoyev also confirmed that Uzbekistan will assume the chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea in 2027. The organisation brings together Central Asian countries to address shared water management and environmental challenges. On national climate targets, the President said Uzbekistan had already achieved its previous goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 35 per cent ahead of schedule. Uzbekistan also aims to generate 54 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. €264 million climate programme for Central Asia Alongside the summit, a separate €264.4 million programme was formally launched to help Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan adapt to climate change. The seven-year initiative, called Climate-Resilient Landscapes in Central Asia (CLiCA), was approved by the Green Climate Fund on 28 October 2026, with implementation scheduled to begin in 2027. The programme brings together funding from the Green Climate Fund and German development partners, with the European Investment Bank identified as a potential additional financing partner. Its overall budget includes different sources of financing rather than a single grant. Of the planned investment, €103.7 million is allocated to Uzbekistan, where projects will focus on restoring damaged ecosystems and helping rural communities cope with increasingly difficult climate conditions. The programme envisages restoring 18,000 hectares of forest land and 123,000 hectares of pasture, alongside the introduction of drip irrigation, drought-resistant crops and improved access to agricultural financing. Around 12,000 farmers are expected to receive climate advisory services, while the programme aims to improve resilience to climate risks for approximately 342,000 people in Uzbekistan. Climate finance and international cooperation On the sidelines of COP31, Mirziyoyev discussed climate financing and environmental restoration in the Aral Sea region with Green Climate Fund Executive Director Mafalda Duarte. Talks with World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo focused on weather monitoring and forecasting dust and sandstorms. Meetings with UN officials Yasmine Fouad and Alexander De Croo addressed desertification, land restoration and climate adaptation. Water security, renewable energy and infrastructure investment also featured in discussions with the heads of the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. Separately, Uzbekistan and Türkiye signed an environmental cooperation agreement covering climate adaptation, pollution prevention, waste management and desertification. Mirziyoyev also met the presidents of Georgia and Slovenia, Bangladesh's prime minister and the secretary general of the Organization of Turkic States to discuss wider economic and diplomatic cooperation.