BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 21. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed to create a Project Office of the Central Asian countries for environmental protection and a coordinating policy on climate change in the region, Trend reports citing the Kazakh media.
He made his proposal at the 4th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of States of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan's Cholpon-Ata, which is attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Tokayev noted that modern climate challenges and the growing demand for water and energy resources requires the adoption of decisive measures to ensure the rational use of the water resources of the Aral Sea basin.
"According to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the temperature in our region is rising much faster than the global average," he said.
"The processes of climate change lead to a reduction in the area of glaciers - the main source of water for our region. Their volume in Central Asia has decreased by 20-30 percent over the past 50 years, which will significantly reduce the flow of the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya rivers in the future," Tokayev added.
"All this entails serious risks for the food, energy, and environmental security of the region, requiring urgent joint measures," Kazakh President also said.
Tokayev noted that in this case, he welcomes the initiative of Kyrgyzstan to declare 2022 the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, adopted by the UN General Assembly.
Additionally, Tokayev considers appropriate the proposal of Tajikistan to declare 2025 the International Year for the Preservation of Glaciers.
"I am deeply convinced that it is no longer possible to overcome the consequences of climate change in Central Asia without consolidating our efforts. Therefore, we propose to establish a Project Office of the Central Asian countries for environmental protection and a coordinated policy on climate change in the region in order to coordinate joint actions," the Kazakh president added.