REGIONAL CONFERENCE: "INTEGRATION OF CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES AMID GLOBAL TRANSFORMATIONS: STATUS AND PROSPECTS"
On 1 May 2025, a Regional Conference titled "Integration of Central Asian Countries amid Global Transformations: Status and Prospects" was held at the National Library of Tajikistan. The event was organized by the Center for Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, with support from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The conference brought together representatives from analytical centers, academia, and government bodies across Central Asia to discuss pressing issues related to regional integration, security, and sustainable development in the context of global changes.
The Conference featured three thematic sessions:
- Session I: The role of consultative meetings of the Heads of State in the dynamics of integration processes in Central Asia".
- Session II: "Reinforcing regional security capacity amidst global shifts, emerging new challenges and non-traditional threats".
- Session III: "Development of renewable energy in Central Asian countries: status, opportunities and prospects".
Among the speakers was Dinara Ziganshina, Director of SIC ICWC, who delivered an online presentation on "Transboundary water and adaptation to climate change in the Aral Sea basin". She highlighted that the Aral Sea basin is one of climate hotspots on the global map, where risks are intensifying due to a high dependence of economies on water, ecosystem degradation, and projected water shortages. She presented estimates indicating a potential reduction in river runoff by 6-15% and large-scale climate migration - up to 2.4 million people by 2050. She emphasized the urgent need to modernize water infrastructure, strengthen regional cooperation, and implement joint initiatives in monitoring, education, and innovative water management. The presentation was concluded with a call to strengthen institutional coordination among the Central Asian countries in the water sector as a key element for climate adaptation and sustainable development in the entire region.
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