Environmental ministers and senior officials from member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) gathered in Samarkand for the 6th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment, the first such meeting in 12 years.
Participants approved the ECO Environmental Cooperation Framework Programme for 2026–2030, alongside thematic work programmes on climate change and biodiversity. They also adopted the Samarkand Declaration on Regional Environmental Cooperation, which sets out priorities for deeper collaboration in addressing shared environmental challenges.
Discussions focused on climate resilience, combating desertification, sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, scientific cooperation, and measures to address sand and dust storms.
Mukhtar Babayev, Representative of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues, highlighted the practical importance of the agreements reached in Samarkand.
“The declaration includes a broad programme of cooperation covering environmental sustainability, safety, biodiversity conservation and other key areas. We agreed that the actions following the Samarkand meeting should become more active and practical,” he said.
Babayev also pointed to growing interest in developing a regional early warning system for environmental hazards, including sand and dust storms, which affect countries across and beyond Central Asia.
Held within the framework of Eco Expo CA 2026, the “Green Investments and Innovation” plenary session brought together ministers, investors and international partners.
The discussion focused on sustainable finance, renewable energy, green technologies, circular economy solutions and climate-resilient development. Participants also explored mechanisms for attracting international investment into environmental projects and scaling up innovative solutions across Central Asia.
Officials stressed that green investment and technological innovation will play a critical role in helping countries adapt to climate change while supporting long-term economic growth.
Environmental challenges across Central Asia are becoming increasingly interconnected, affecting food security, public health, livelihoods and economic development throughout the region.
AnewZ's James Ezimoha asked Aygul Guluzade, Support Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), what she considers to be the biggest environmental issue facing Central Asia today.
Guluzade said it is difficult to identify a single issue because environmental challenges are closely linked and often have wide-ranging consequences.
“It's very difficult to mention one big issue, but I should say that they are very interrelated and each one interlinks with others and has many effects, negative effects on food security, livelihoods or public health or economic opportunities of each country.”
However, she identified water security and water scarcity as among the most significant challenges facing the region.
“The bigger issue in terms of Central Asia can be water security, water scarcity, like in many other regions, including Central Asia, because water is in the nexus of many aspects of the environment.”
She noted that water is essential for agriculture, biodiversity and broader environmental systems.
“It's the resource for the agriculture, the biodiversity, forests, and many others.”
The main outcome of the session was the signing of the Samarkand Statement on the Regional Environmental Performance Review of Central Asia.
The document formally launched the operational phase of the Regional Environmental Performance Review for 2026–2028, an initiative supported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The review will assess regional progress in areas including climate action, air quality, water resources, biodiversity, waste management and green financing.
Participants noted that Central Asian countries face many shared environmental challenges, including water scarcity, land degradation, biodiversity loss and the growing impacts of climate change. Final recommendations from the review are expected to be presented at the Tenth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference in 2028.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 October 2026, exploring five election stories shaping world politics, from leadership struggles in Israel ...
A knife-wielding attacker was shot dead by a police officer outside Israel’s embassy in Belgrade after wounding the officer, prompting Serbia...
The cost of the U.S. war in Iran has climbed above $47 billion, according to Pentagon data obtained by Reuters, as spending on munitions, equipment...
Russia and Ukraine have begun a regional ceasefire to allow the start of a humanitarian effort in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, both sides said on Tuesday, but they continue strikes elsewhere, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Israel's election appeared headed for a prolonged political standoff on Tuesday after exit polls suggested neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, had secured a clear path to a parliamentary majority.
Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat after a student-led protest movement took the majority of seats in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
Russian strikes hit several parts of Ukraine overnight, injuring at least six people and targeting energy and port infrastructure, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. warnings about imminent Russian ballistic missile attacks had resumed.
Nearly two years after the 20 October 2024 parliamentary elections, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region remains without a cabinet. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 39 of 100 seats and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 23, leaving neither able to govern alone.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 October 2026, exploring five election stories shaping world politics, from leadership struggles in Israel and mounting economic pressures to election security concerns in the U.S. and political fallout in Brazil.
A knife-wielding attacker was shot dead by a police officer outside Israel’s embassy in Belgrade after wounding the officer, prompting Serbian authorities to raise the country’s security alert to its highest level.
The cost of the U.S. war in Iran has climbed above $47 billion, according to Pentagon data obtained by Reuters, as spending on munitions, equipment losses and military operations continues to rise.
A week before the U.S. midterm elections, the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) electronic filing system was targeted by hackers, according to an email seen by Reuters, as “super PAC” committees and dark money groups are spending record sums in the final days of campaigning.
Israel's election appeared headed for a prolonged political standoff on Tuesday after exit polls suggested neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, had secured a clear path to a parliamentary majority.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment