Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 9 November, the XVI summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held in Tashkent under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

As part of the constructive negotiations that took place, the heads of the ECO member states put forward a number of new initiatives to expand political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation, investment opportunities, as well as cultural and humanitarian ties between the participating countries.

The parties paid special attention to the issues of ensuring environmental protection and climate change, as well as developing sustainable approaches for adaptation and mitigation of their consequences.

It is worth noting that the issue of climate change is urgent because over the past 20 years it has affected the lives of 4.5 billion people and led to economic losses of US$3 trillion.

According to analysts, climate issues are especially noticeable in the Central Asian region. Thus, from 1990 to this year, the average annual temperature in the region increased by 1.6°C (from 13.2°C to 14.8°C), while the same figure in the world is 1.1°C.

Taking into account the need to establish a mechanism for cooperation on this issue within the framework of the ECO, the President of Uzbekistan proposed creating a High-Level Platform on Environmental Issues, and also expressed readiness to hold the first conference of this platform within the framework of the upcoming Samarkand Climate Forum in 2024.

The creation of a specialized environmental platform will allow member countries of the Organization to open up new opportunities for the exchange of experience and information that will contribute to the collective solution of environmental problems, as well as the development of common strategies to mitigate environmental challenges.

The proposed platform will also become a catalyst for the creation of international and regional projects aimed at the rational use of natural resources and adaptation to climate change. Working together on environmental projects will pool resources and knowledge, as well as increase the effectiveness of measures taken.

In addition, the Head of State drew attention to the problem of water resources, pointing to the rapid pace of melting of glaciers. Observations show that over the past 50-60 years, the area of glaciers in Central Asia has decreased by about 30%. By 2050, water resources in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins are expected to decrease by up to 5% and 15%, respectively, which may exacerbate water use problems in the region.

In this regard, our President invited the ECO countries to take an active part in the meeting of the Committee to Review the Implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, which will be held in our country this coming week.

In general, the initiatives of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to expand work in the field of climate change are consonant with the tasks outlined in the Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy to stabilize the environmental situation in the Aral Sea region, mitigate the negative impact of environmental problems and ensure sustainable conservation of biodiversity.

Leading specialist at MICA

Ilkhom Abdukarimov