Since over a decade, Germany is actively engaged in supporting regional cooperation in Central Asia. The Berlin Process mainly focused on transboundary water management among the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). Enhanced stability in the region and mitigated impact of climate change on glaciers and natural resources such as water, land and soil, can contribute to improving access to food security, water availability, a healthy habitat for humans, flora and fauna.
In the context of German engagement on climate change and security within the UN and support to the new EU-Central Asia Strategy of June 2019, the German Foreign Office launched the Initiative ‘Green Central Asia’ – Enhancing environment, climate and water resilience with a ministerial conference in Berlin. There, the Central Asian foreign ministers expressed their readiness for collaboration and dialogue on climate, environment and security in the context of conflict prevention and strengthening transboundary cooperation.
A well-established and science-based regional political dialogue on questions of environmental and climate-related security risks and corresponding capacity building could provide an even stronger basis for strengthening relationships between countries. Scientific support will be provided by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg and the German-Kazakh University (DKU).
The aim of Green Central Asia is to improve access to information and risk analyses to enable participating countries to assess the impact of climate change more accurately and to take preventive measures. At the same time, dialogues and workshops are meant to increase the partner states´ resilience and decision-makers’ ability to adequately address security hazards resulting from climate change at national and regional level.
In addition, Green Central Asia works closely with international organizations involved in climate and water diplomacy. The main partners for international cooperation in the framework of the policy dialogue are the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the European Union, the Blue Peace Initiative of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC). The initiative developed, in close collaboration with partner countries, a joint action plan that will serve as a roadmap for joint actions, including cooperation with international partners, for the period 2021 to 2024. To strengthen the ongoing political dialogue and to increase public awareness on environmental, climate and water sustainability issues, the Green Central Asia program pays special attention to working with the media, including social networks
