Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- These days, the attention of representatives of the media and the expert community both inside and outside Central Asia is focused on the city of Dushanbe, where the presidents of the Central Asian states successfully held negotiations in the format of a Consultative Meeting.

Having become a good tradition, the regular 5th Consultative Meeting of the leaders of the countries of the region was traditionally held in the spirit of good neighborliness and mutual understanding.

The heads of state frankly and in a friendly atmosphere exchanged views on the most pressing issues of the current regional agenda and discussed further prospects for fruitful cooperation in Central Asia.

At the same time, an analysis of speeches and initiatives put forward by the presidents of Central Asian states indicates intentions to further deepen regional cooperation to ensure stable economic growth and favorable living conditions for the peoples of the region.

In this regard, I would like to draw attention to the proposal of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to develop a Regional Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change.

This initiative is very relevant given the fact that warming in Central Asia is happening faster than in other parts of the world. If since 1900 the average global temperature has increased by 1.1°C, then in our region the average annual temperature has increased by 1.6°C, that is, on average it has increased from 13.2°C to 14.8°C. At the same time, according to forecasts, by 2050 the air temperature may increase by another 1.5°-3°C.

As a result, over the past 50-60 years, the area of glaciers in Central Asia has decreased by 30%. As the World Bank notes, water shortages could lead to a drop in GDP by 11%.

According to ADB estimates, by 2050 the area of irrigated land in the region will decrease by 25%. Due to land degradation in the region, annual losses amount to about US$4.5 billion.

In these conditions, adaptation to current climate change becomes a guarantee and an important condition for the further socio-economic development of the Central Asian states.

Considering that all countries in the region are located in the same geographical space and have similar problems associated with climate change, the adoption of a regional strategy is a logical and practical step.

The development and adoption of the strategy will allow us to establish a regional dialogue between countries, deeply analyze current challenges and develop comprehensive solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change.

It is also gratifying to note that climate issues are firmly entrenched in the annual agendas of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia.

It is worth recalling that the states of the region are currently actively working within the framework of the “Green Agenda” regional program for Central Asia, approved last year at the 4th meeting of the presidents of the countries of the region.

I am confident that the implementation of the initiative of the head of Uzbekistan to develop and adopt a regional strategy on adaptation to climate change will be the next important step in strengthening cooperation between the countries of the region in this very urgent and relevant area, and will allow Central Asia to effectively adapt to changing climatic conditions.

Leading Researcher at MICA

Jasur Kodirov