The Fifth Central Asian Climate Change Conference (CACCC-2023) is expected to take place in Dushanbe from May 16-17, according to the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan.

The 5th CACCC-2023 will bring together all stakeholders to discuss climate mitigation and adaptation actions, relevant initiatives to achieve cross-sectoral climate resilience.  It is expected that participants of the 5th CACCC will learn about the progress and institutional arrangements for implementation of the national development strategies (NDCs) by the Central Asian nations, governance and financial arrangements for implementation of sector-specific strategies at the national and local scales, and available platforms for regional climate cooperation.

The Conference participants will also learn about the outcomes of participation of the Central Asian countries at the UNFCCC COP27 and plans with regional and national preparations for COP28 in Dubai, OAE.  The conference will serve as the platform for a regional multi stakeholder dialogue on the challenges and opportunities of delivering national commitments under the Paris Agreement, support national governments and other stakeholders through coordinated preparations and participation at the COP28, as a as well as help build professional community of practice for knowledge exchange and collaborative implementation of climate initiatives and projects in the Central Asia.

The following are the event’s themes: 1) emerging policies and strategies for long-term decarbonization in Central Asia; 2) strengthening climate resilience of the Central Asian countries through 20230: gaps and opportunities; 3) leveraging regional collaboration in a changing global policy environment; and 4) climate change and development for water, energy and food security in Central Asia.

The Conference will be attended by authorized representatives of line ministries of the Central Asian countries.  Active involvement and participation of business representatives, the expert community, international development partners, multilateral development banks, youth unions, non-governmental institutions, civil society organizations that carry out their activities in the field of climate change is expected.  Most of the participants of the 5th CACCC will attend it offline.  However, the event will also be streamed online with the opportunity for an active participation and interaction by online participants.

The 5th Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACCC-2023) is organized by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) under Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program in the Aral Sea Basin AF (CAMP4ASB AF) and Central Asia Nexus Dialogue Project: Fostering Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus and Multi-Sector Investment (NEXUS) in cooperation with the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan, the Central Asia Water & Energy Program (CAWEP), a partnership among the World Bank, the European Union, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and is supported by PROGREEN.

PROGREEN, the Global Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Landscapes, is a World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund that supports countries’ efforts to improve livelihoods while tackling declining biodiversity, loss of forests, deteriorating land fertility and increasing risks such as uncontrolled forest fires, which are exacerbated by a changing climate.  Through an integrated landscape approach, PROGREEN helps countries meet their national and global sustainable development goals and commitments, including poverty reduction, in a cost-effective manner.