On 5 December 2023, in Dubai, on the sidelines of COP 28, a side event was held in the Central Asia Pavilion on the topic “Exploring Pathways to Investments in Nexus Projects for Enhanced Transboundary Cooperation in Central Asia.” The event was organized by the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia together with the Swiss Agency for Cooperation within the framework of the Blue Peace Central Asia initiative.
The side event examined the views of Central Asian countries on the implementation of multi-country basin programs and also explored potential opportunities for attracting the necessary investments and effectively managing them within transboundary basins.
Mr. Sulton Rahimzoda, Chairman of the Executive Committee of IFAS, made a presentation at the side event on the topic “Mobilizing of climate change finance through the water-energy-food-environment nexus.”
In his speech, the Chairman noted the nexus between water, energy and food and highlighted the benefits of hydropower as part of the Nexus approach in Central Asia in the face of climate change. He noted that this approach allows the region to save fossil resources, which are currently intensively used for electricity production, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, thereby ensuring water, energy and food security in the medium and long term.
Mr. Rahimzoda also provided the participants of the side event with detailed information about the activities of IFAS and the results achieved during the chairmanship of the Republic of Tajikistan and emphasized the importance of work to improve the organizational structure and legal framework of IFAS, as well as the implementation of the Aral Sea Basin Program (ASBP-4).
The side event was attended by representatives of government structures of Central Asian countries, basin organizations from other regions of the world, international financial institutions, IFAS, European organizations on water, energy and climate change in Central Asia and other participants of COP 28.
