The Expert Platform serves as a community of experts that conduct interdisciplinary research on water security, sustainable development, and future studies in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and adjacent regions.
The Expert Platform seeks to fill the gap in an integrated approach and expertise rather than replace or duplicate the activities of existing institutions.
Initiated and established by experts from the region, the Platform invites all interested to join forces!
Publications
Platform experts study issues related to financing the water sector in Central Asian countries and regional water cooperation. It is planned to prepare a scoping paper on various financing needs and looking for ways to attracht additional sustainable financing
The environmental matters have not been among priorities in the statements of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. In some years, however, the countries addressed matters related to sustainable development, development goals, the environmental conservation, climate change and natural disasters. See details at “Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia at the UN General Assembly: Highlights on the Environmental Matters in 1992-2020”
From environmental perspective, the Republic of Belarus more frequently addressed the issues of sustainable development and liquidation of consequences of the Chernobyl accident in its statements at UNGA. The issues of environmental conservation, climate change and green technology were also addressed. In the future statements of the Republic experts suggest including the issues of efficient water management, with the focus put on transboundary aspects, and reduction of anthropogenic load on surface water and groundwater. More on: Republic of Belarus at the UN General Assembly: Highlights on the Environmental Matters in 1992-2020
Among key successes of the Kazakh diplomacy in the United Nations experts list pushing forward of nuclear disarmament issues and the declaration of August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests, convening of the Conference on interaction and confidence-building measures in Asia, receiving by IFAS of the status of observer in the UNGA, as well as the initiatives on establishment of the register of global environmental problems under the UN auspices, adoption of the Global energy and environment strategy and the Eurasian Pact on Stability of Energy Supplies to ensure global energy balance, and establishment of the UN Special Programme for Central Asian economies. See details at “Republic of Kazakhstan at the UN General Assembly: Highlights of the statements made at the general debates from 1992 till 2020”
Many of the Kyrgyz Republic’s initiatives announced at the UN General Assembly put an emphasis on the needs of mountainous areas. Kyrgyzstan, which is one of the main suppliers of fresh water in Central Asia, highghlights that water is the main strategic resource for the country's green development. Regarding joint water use in the region, the Republic declared its interest in the development of water and energy potential and offered its approaches to cooperation on water issues. Please find out more at “The Kyrgyz Republic at the UN General Assembly: Main Emphasis of Speeches at the General Debate in the Period from 1992 to 2020”
In expert opinion, in its future statements at UN GA Moldova needs to pay more attention to the main regional risks, among which are water and environmental security risks from ecosystem destruction and growing water shortage caused by unsettled situation in sharing waters of the Dniester River and from biodiversity reduction as a consequence of intensive agricultural activity and irrational use of forest resources. See details at “Republic of Moldova at the UN General Assembly: Highlights on the Environmental Matters in 1992-2020”
The most discussed environmental issues by the Russian Federation at the UN GA include sustainable development, climate change, environmental conservation, and natural and man-induced disasters. In its future statements Russia is advised to address issues related to protection of atmospheric air and creation of a system of integrated carbon monitoring, development of a model for transition from resource-based economy to post-carbon path of development. Russia should also promote discussions on the use and protection of mineral, forest and water resources, in particular with regard to the Caspian Sea, Baikal, the shelf zone of Kamchatka and Sakhalin. These are some findings of the recent research “The Russian Federation at the UN General Assembly: Highlights on the Environmental Matters in 1992-2020”
Over the years, Tajikistan from the UN rostrum put emphasis on such serious environmental problems as the threat of an outflow of highland Lake Sarez, the Aral Sea crisis, access to drinking water, effects of climate change and degradation of glaciers. Since 2017, it has underlined a need to develop national hydropower, which is beneficial for the country itself and may have a positive effect on sustainable development in other states in the region. The country has regularly drawn attention to natural disasters that hit the country and became more intensive as a result of climate change. See details at “Republic of Tajikistan at the UN General Assembly: Highlights of the statements made at the general debates from 1992 till 2020”
Among the priority environmental matters addressed by Ukraine in its statements at UNGA were those related to nuclear pollution and liquidation of consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Ukraine put forward an initiative to develop a World Environmental Constitution and to establish a single-structure system for ecological and environmental protection, with relevant authority and mechanisms in the United Nations. For more details on country’s environmental initiatives, please, read the review on Ukraine at the UN General Assembly: Highlights on the Environmental Matters in 1992-2020
“Matters related to regional security and development received the lion’s share attention indicating Uzbekistan’s commitment to the “from regionalism to globalism” principle. The key issues on the regional agenda include situation in Afghanistan; terrorism and extremism control; spread of drugs; creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia; integration processes; water sharing; and, mitigation of the Aral Sea catastrophe.” These are the finding of recent research on “Republic of Uzbekistan at the UN General Assembly: Highlights of the statements made at the general debates from 1992 till 2020”
The Diagnostic Report on Rational Use of Water Resources in Central Asia as of 2019 reviews the use and management of water resources in Central Asia over the period from 1998 to 2019. It, particularly, (1) assesses changes in water and land use and management in Central Asia over the past 20 years; (2) identifies future water challenges, development trends and needs for the long-term rational use of water resources and irrigated land; (3) assesses the progress made with implementation of the “Fundamental Provisions of Water Management Strategy in the Aral Sea Basin”; (4) prepares a database of key information and indicators in support of the Diagnostic Report.