Central Asia, which accounts for only 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change. Central Asian countries are actively trying to reduce the effects of global warming by taking multilevel and comprehensive measures.
According to the Country Climate and Development Report, Uzbekistan is one of the most energy- and resource-intensive economies in the world. If this resource-intensive economic model continues, the expected rapid growth of the population and economy will lead to a significant increase in emissions and excessive pressure on key natural resources and ecosystems, including the ecological catastrophe of the Aral Sea drying up, water shortages, droughts, extreme heat, erratic rainfall patterns, dust storms and other climate change impacts, causing significant damage to the well-being and health of the population, as well as to the country's economic growth prospects. “The Country Climate and Development Report proposes a number of urgent measures for climate change adaptation and decarbonization. Their implementation will accelerate Uzbekistan's transition to a green economy and ensure economic growth in the long term.
Kazakhstan, due to its large territory, lack of access to the World Ocean and sharply continental climate, will have to face desertification, increasing number of forest and steppe fires, melting of glaciers, degradation of water systems, and in some regions - floods, hurricanes and other adverse effects in the coming years. In order to understand the impact of climate change on the health of the population of Kazakhstan, experts with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) compiled the “Report on the Initial Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on the Health of the Population and the Health Care System of the Republic of Kazakhstan”. According to the report, climate change in Kazakhstan may have more than 30 negative impacts, both direct and indirect.
The impact of climate change in Tajikistan can be traced in many spheres of life. Between 1992 and 2016, natural disasters affected more than 80% of Tajikistan's population and resulted in economic losses of 1.8 billion USD. The effects of climate change are particularly severe on agriculture, with extreme weather events exacerbating the problems of villagers. Tajikistan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the whole Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region in terms of climate. 93% of Tajikistan's territory is mountainous, and only 7% of the land is considered flat. The population is 9 million and there is only 0.06 ha of irrigated land per inhabitant. Tajikistan is highly vulnerable to climate change shocks such as droughts, floods, landslides, etc. It is expected that by 2050, up to one third of glaciers in Central Asia will have completely disappeared, dramatically increasing the risk of flash floods from glacial lake outbursts.
Experts estimate that Tajikistan has more than 13,000 glaciers. Their total volume is 850 cubic kilometers. By 2050, this figure may be halved.
The Fedchenko glacier has shrunk by more than two cubic kilometers of ice over the past few years, with a total volume of 144 km³.
It should be noted that a significant part of water resources in Central Asia is concentrated in Tajikistan. Thus, the melting of glaciers in this country poses a huge threat to the region as a whole.
Climate change is heating up the Earth at an unprecedented rate, having a very real and dangerous impact on human societies, with its effects projected to intensify in the future. In the Kyrgyz Republic, rising temperatures are leading to more frequent and intense extreme events such as drought, unpredictable seasonal weather and an increasing number of natural disasters such as landslides, mudslides and avalanches. These impacts result in the loss of lives and livelihoods and negatively affect key sectors of the country's economy, including agriculture and energy, resulting in economic losses and poverty. Climate change poses a serious challenge to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and it is therefore imperative to take action on climate by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the effects of climate change.
Turkmenistan is vulnerable to climate change due to its geographical location, low precipitation and increasing water scarcity. Although climate change affects the entire economy, the agricultural and water sectors of the country are the most affected. More than 60% of the rural population earns their living through agriculture. Due to water scarcity in remote desert pastures, most livestock graze in and around villages and settlements, resulting in overgrazing, uneven utilization and degradation of pastures, and subsequent damage to desert ecosystems. Pilot solar-powered water pumping stations installed by UNDP in the heart of the Karakum Desert have enabled the local community to utilize remote pastures and improve their quality of life.
The climate problem is very serious, and the climate change problem in Central Asia is a microcosm of the global climate change problem, and all countries should actively seek ways to address it.
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