Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The third annual scientific conference of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute was held from 20 to 21 September in the form of an online conference. The theme of the conference is “Prospects for Inclusive Green Growth and Sustainable Development in the CAREC Region.”

Green growth and sustainable development are inevitable

Countries in Central Asia are facing environmental and social disruptions caused by climate change, and there is an urgent need to find ways to achieve green growth and sustainable development through regional cooperation. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the conference, Kabir Jurazoda noted that there is an urgent need in the CAREC region to address climate change and achieve sustainable economic growth to promote inclusive development. According to him, the Third Annual Scientific Conference of the Central Asian Academy is a catalyst for innovative ideas and provides a platform for the exchange of views between experts and scientists. “Through joint efforts and knowledge sharing, we strive to create a future where economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and social equality go hand in hand, a future that is resilient, inclusive and sustainable.” he said.

During research sharing session on climate change and sustainability, researchers spoke about the importance of CAREC governments taking proactive steps to apply innovation in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, implementing policies to achieve carbon neutrality, increasing investments in adaptation to address water crisis, enhancing productive capacity to reconcile economic growth and environmental management, and strengthening regional cooperation. economic growth and environmental management, as well as strengthening regional cooperation.

Integrating development to solve problems

Rayalisa Sabirova, regional head of the Regional Cooperation and Integration Division of ADB’s Central and West Asia Bureau, said that both the CAREC mechanism and ADB are committed to helping member countries develop and implement their national climate strategies. She noted that ADB supports member countries in assessing, refining, and implementing their National Contributions (NCPs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and other climate-related priorities. Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategic goals in CAREC countries require adequate resources, and mobilizing climate finance is a challenge for governments. To address this problem, ADB and its partners plan to prepare a multi-donor trust fund for regional CAREC climate and sustainable development projects.

Rayalisa Sabirova identified three areas that require new knowledge and in-depth research and analysis, including cross-border technology transfer to bridge the technology gap; private sector involvement in green development; and increasing inclusivity to ensure that every voice, regardless of income, gender or background, is heard and valued.

It was reported that before the start of the conference, the Central Asia Institute also announced an open competition for scientific papers on the conference topic. During the meeting, the authors of the selected reports presented their work on the topics, and relevant experts and scientists were invited by the Academy of Central Asia to comment on them. Outstanding works will be included in the upcoming collection of reports of the Third Scientific Conference of the Academy of Central Asia as one of the results of this conference.