Section 1
2023 Calendar of events
January
January 15-19 - 13th IWA International Conference on Water Reclamation and Reuse: Overcoming the Challenges of Growth and Climate Change, Chennai, India
January 16-18 - World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi, UAE
January 17-19 - UNESCO-IWRA Online Conference "Emerging Pollutants: Protecting Water Quality for the Health of People and the Environment"
January 19-28 - International Green Week 2023, Berlin, Germany
January 25-26 - WWT Wastewater Conference & Exhibition 2023, Birmingham, UK
January 25-27 - 10th ICID International Micro Irrigation Conference, Dakhla, Morocco
February
February 2 - World Wetlands Day
February 7-10 - 2nd WASAG International Forum on Water Scarcity in Agriculture, Praia, Cape Verde
February 9-10 - 7th International Conference on Climate Change, Colombo, Sri Lanka
February 14 - International Scientific and Practical Conference on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Water Use, EnREM 2023, online
February 15-16 - Kick-off meeting of the 10th World Water Forum, Jakarta, Indonesia
February 16-17 - 15th meeting of the Implementation Committee of the Water Convention, Geneva, Switzerland
February 17-18 - 82nd Board of Governors meeting of the World Water Council, Denpasar, Indonesia
February 22-24 - International Conference "Silk Road of Knowledge: Science meets Green Policy", Almaty, Kazakhstan, online
February 23-24 - 7th EU-Central Asia High Level Conference, Rome, Italy
March
March 3 - World Wildlife Day
March 8-9 - Earth Summit 2023, Doha, Qatar
March 9-10 - International Conference "Cooperation on Food Security in the Context of Climate Change", Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
March 14 - World Rivers Day
March 14-16 - ASIA 2023: Water Resources and Renewable Energy Development in Asia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
March 16-17 - 2nd International Conference on Dam Safety Management & Engineering, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
March 18 - Conference "Water Resources in Central Asia: Challenges and Prospects", Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
March 21 - International Day of Forests
March 21-23 - Water Korea Exhibition 2023, Seoul, South Korea
March 22 - World Water Day
March 22-24 - UN Water Conference, New York, USA
March 23 - World Meteorological Day
March 26 - Aral Sea Day
March 27-30 - Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 2023, Bangkok, Thailand
March 29-30 - Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, Geneva, Switzerland
April
April 7 - 15th International Student Conference "Modern Global Trends: Challenges and Risks for Central Asia", Almaty, Kazakhstan
April 15-16 - G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment, Sapporo, Japan
April 16-22 - 4th World Irrigation Forum (WIF4), Beijing, China
April 19-21 - International Trade Fair for Environmental Technologies: Solutions for Water, Wastes, Air and Soil, Shanghai, China
April 19-21 - International Conference on Climate Risks, Vulnerability and Resilience Building, Paris, France
April 22 - International Mother Earth Day
May
May 8-10 - Global Water Summit 2023, Berlin, Germany
May 15-16 - 2nd World Conference on Environment and Earth Sciences, Paris, France
May 15-17 - Exhibition on Green Energy Technologies n Central Asia (GETCA), Tashkent, Uzbekistan
May 16-17 - Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACIC-2023), Dushanbe, Tajikistan
May 17-19 - Uzbekistan Energy Forum, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
May 23-25 - 22nd International Congress and E-World Energy & Water 2023, Essen, Germany
May 24-26 - International Energy and Environment Conference and Fair (ICCI 2023), Istanbul, Turkey
May 25-26 - Х Nevsky International Ecological Congress, Saint Petersburg, Russia
May 28- June 6 - 18th IWA Leading Edge Conference on Water and Wastewater Technologies, Daegu, South Korea
June
June 1-2 - Regional round-table "Aarhus Convention: Effective Public Participation for Good Governance, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Development", Tashkent, Uzbekistan
June 4-6 - Singapore International Water Week, Republic of Singapore.
June 5 - World Environment Day
June 5-7 - International Conference "Central Asia: Towards Sustainable Future through Strong Regional Institution" dedicated to the 30th anniversary of IFAS, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
June 5-7 -Aquatech China 2023, Shanghai, China
June 5-15 - Bonn Climate Change Conference, Bonn, Germany
June 6-8 - Ecosperity Week 2023- Breakthroughs for Net Zero, Singapore.
June 7-8 - 7th Annual International Congress and Exhibition "Hydropower of Central Asia and Caspian", Astana, Kazakhstan
June 8 - World Ocean Day
June 7-9 - 44th International Exhibition on Environmental Technology & Green Energy (ENVEX 2023), Seoul, South Korea
June 8-9 - Eurasian Congress’2023 under the slogan ‘Eurasia of the Future: from Challenges to Solutions’, Sochi, Russia
June 13-16 - Asia Clean Energy Forum 2023, Manila, Philippines.
June 17 - World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
June 20 - International conference "Financial and Investment Support of Measures for the Sound Water Management", Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
June 20-21 - 7th All-Russian Water Congress, Moscow, Russia
June 27-29 - 7th International Conference "Energy and Meteorology" (ICEM), Padova, Veneto, Italy
June 27-29 - High-Level Summit and International Scientific Symposium "Fundamental Life Science meets Climate, Environment and Sustainability: New Bridges - New Partnerships - New Opportunities", Paris, France
July
July 1-7 - 43rd Session of the FAO Conference, Rome, Italy
July 3-8 - 17th International Scientific and Practical Conference of the Russian Society of Ecological Economics (RSEE-2023) "Global Challenges and National Environmental Interests: economic and social aspects", Novosibirsk, Russia
July 6-7 - 3rd International Conference on Water and Climate, Fez, Morocco
July 10-15 - 11th World Congress of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE), Nairobi, Kenya
July 10-19 - High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), New York, USA
August
August 12 - Caspian Sea Day
August 16-17 - Zanzibar Water Conference, Zanzibar, Tanzania
August 20-24 - Stockholm World Water Week, Stockholm, Sweden
August 22-24 - 2nd International Specialized Ecological Exhibition "Ecology Expo 2023", Minsk, Belarus
August 28-September 1 - 8th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum (APAN), Incheon, Republic of Korea
September
September 5-7 - International Exhibition and Conference for Environmental Technologies 2023, Mexico City, Mexico
September 7-8 - International Conference on Food Security, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
September 9-10 - 84th Board of Governors meeting of the World Water Council
September 11-15 - XVIII IWRA World Water Congress, Beijing China
September 12-14 - 17th International Exhibition of Technologies and Equipment for Municipal and Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment "Ekvatek", Moscow, Russia
September 12-15 - 20th International Conference on Dam Management, Chorzów, Poland
September 14-15 - Meeting of the Council of Heads of IFAS Founding States, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
September 18 - Climate Ambition Summit, New York, USA
September 20 - World Cleanup Day
September 18-19 - SDG Summit, UN Headquarters, New York
September 26 - World Environmental Health Day
September 28 - World Maritime Day
October
October 2-3 - 10th OECD Forum on Green Finance and Investment, Paris, France
October 12-13 - 2nd Stakeholder Consultation Meeting of the 10WWF, Bali, Indonesia
October 12-13 - International Forum "Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories", St. Petersburg, Russia
October 15 - International Day of Rural Women
October 16-18 - HYDRO 2023 International Conference and Exhibition, Edinburgh, UK
October 16-19 - 20th Europe-INBO International Conference, Valencia, Spain
October 23-27 - Global Green Growth Week
October 23-28 - 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
November
November 1-8 - 25th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage and 74th International Executive Council Meeting on "Tackling Water Scarcity in Agriculture", Visakhapatnam, India
November 6-8 - 3rd Almaty Energy Forum, Kazakhstan
November 7-13 - International Week of Science and Peace
November 7-9 - 19th World Lake Conference, Balaton, Hungary
November 10 - World Science Day for Peace and Development
November 13-17 - 21th session of the UNCCD Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC21), Samarkand, Uzbekistan
November 15-17 - Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) 2023, Dubai, UAE
November 30 - December 12 - Climate Conference (СОР 28), Dubai, UAE
December
December 5 - World Soil Day
December 7-8 - 8th meeting of the Task Force on the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus, Geneva, online
December 10-14 - IWA Water Development Congress&Exhibition, Kigali, Rwanda
December 11 - International Mountain Day
December 11-12- 16th mеeting of the Implementation Committee of the Water Convention, Geneva, Switzerland
December 14-15 - International Scientific and Practical Conference "Reclamation of Land to Address Geo-ecological Problems in Eurasia", Moscow, Russia
Major events in Central Asia
International conference "The Silk Road of Knowledge: Science meets Green Policy", Almaty, Kazakhstan, online, February 22-24
The conference "The Silk Road of Knowledge: Science meets Green Policy" aimed to provide innovative solutions for the five Central Asian economies was organized by the Kazakh-German University (DKU) , with the financial support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The conference was preceded by (1) Central Asian Youth Session "Youth for Youth: Sustainable Development and Innovation" (December 13, online); and (2) Colloquium "Cooperation on Sustainable Development and Climate Change Response in Central Asia and Afghanistan" (January 17, online).
The conference agenda included a high-level session on "Bridging the Gap between Science, Education and Policy Practice" and 6 thematic sessions: 1) "Innovations in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Water Management in Central Asia"; 2) "Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Rangeland Management in Central Asia"; 3) "Sustainable Land Management under Climate Change"; 4) "Ensuring Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development"; 5) "Women's Empowerment in Energy in Central Asia"; 6) International Hydrodiplomacy: Strengthening Regional Water Institutions in Central Asia".
The conference served as a platform to strengthen cooperation and networking among scientists, policy makers and practitioners, facilitating the exchange of experiences and the development of knowledge in areas such as water management, food security, infrastructure development and energy efficiency practices in the context of climate change.
International Conference "Cooperation on Food Security in the Context of Climate Change", Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 9-10
The Conference was organized by the Government of Turkmenistan in partnership with FAO, with the support from the UNDP office in Turkmenistan. Its primary objective was to address the issues related to regional and global cooperation on food security. Participants included representatives from Central Asia countries, Iran, Turkey, the United Nations, international and regional organizations accredited in Turkmenistan, diplomatic corps, financial institutions such as the World Bank (WB) and USAID, as well as representatives from Turkmenistan’s ministries and agencies. Additionally, academia, students and mass media media from both Turkmenistan and abroad attended the Conference.
The agenda included a plenary meeting and several thematic sessions. Participants discussed the relationship between climate change and its direct impact on the agricultural systems and food security in Central Asia and Iran, as well as the regional dimensions of cooperation in these areas. A separate session was dedicated to the Turkmenistan’s initiative on the establishment of a regional climate technology center for Central Asia under the auspices of the United Nations.
The Conference concluded with the adoption of a Communiqué, in which the participants: "emphasized that for Central Asian countries, climate impacts on ecosystems are transboundary in nature, especially with regard to water and land degradation; agreed that the efforts of each country and the joint efforts of countries and international and regional organizations are important in ensuring food security in the context of climate change; underscored the importance of multisectoral cooperation, in particular between ministries of agriculture and the environment ..." The Communique also noted the importance: (1) with regard to providing the economic, social and environmental foundations for food security and nutrition for future generations – "…of incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation into countries’ medium-term programs for inclusive growth, … of considering the links between human mobility, the environment, climate change and food security, … of promoting increased investment in environmental solutions to meet climate change, biodiversity and land degradation goals..."; (2) with regard to strengthening regional cooperation – "...of water diplomacy as a tool that promotes water efficiency and improves transboundary water management in Central Asia, ... of opening and operating a regional climate technology center for Central Asia, under the auspices of the United Nations, ... of adopting a regional climate change adaptation strategy and developing its action plan."
The communique of the International Conference was published in the six official languages of the UN (А/77/837) as an official document of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.
Conference ‘Water Resources in Central Asia: Challenges and Prospects’, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, March 18
The goal of the Conference was to discuss water challenges, focusing on the achievement of SDG6, and explore prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation and sustainable development in the region. The event was organized by Green Alliance Kyrgyzstan, Open Innovations, and Green4, with support from UNDP and the European Union, as part of the UN Water Conference. Participants included representatives of the Kyrgyz Parliament, line ministries, civil society organizations, women's and youth groups, as well as experts from research organizations and international development partners.
The agenda featured a plenary session and three panel sessions: (1) Water for Sustainable Development; (2) Water, Science, Gender and Cooperation; (3) Water, Environment and Resilience to Climate Change.
The 5th Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACCC-2023), Dushanbe, Tajikistan, May 16-17
The aim of the Conference was to promote enhanced regional and inter-sectoral dialogue, facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge in support of climate-smart decisions, and identify opportunities for synergies between climate projects across Central Asia. The Conference held under the motto "Climate Change and Development" was organized by CAREC in partnership with the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan . Participants included authorized representatives of line ministries of the Central Asian countries, business representatives, the expert community, international development partners, multilateral development banks, youth unions, non-governmental institutions, civil society organizations working in the field of climate change.
Pre-Conference events included: (1) trainings for mass media "Media and Climate Change: Theory and Practice" (May 11-12, online and May 15, Dushanbe); (2) youth pre-Conference session (May 15); (3) meeting of the Regional Network of Climate NGOs for Central Asia to discuss preparations for COP28 (May 15).
The agenda included (1) plenary session "Climate Change and Development in Central Asia"; (2) three panel sessions: "National Policies, Strategies and Programs on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation", "Harnessing the Potential of Regional Cooperation in a Changing Global Policy Environment", "Climate Finance: Needs and Opportunities"; (3) three parallel sessions: "Water Security, Energy Security and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Potential for Youth Participation".
A Nexus game was organized on the margins of the Conference, along with an exhibition of sustainable consumption and production practices . A post-Conference regional practical training "Improving data collection and analytical tools for forecasting greenhouse gas emissions in Central Asian countries" was held on May 18-19.
International Conference "Central Asia: Towards Sustainable Future through Strong Regional Institution" dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, June 5-7
The Conference was organized by EC IFAS, with the support of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, in cooperation with development partners. Participants included high-ranking officials, policy makers, experts, scientists, civil society, international organizations, financial institutions, youth and other stakeholders from Central Asian countries.
Seven side events were organized before the Conference: (1) "Building resilience in Tajikistan: an upstream approach to climate risk assessment", organized by ADB; (2) "Hydropower and gender equality for effective water resources management under climate change: challenges and opportunities for Central Asia" organized by UNRCCA CA in collaboration with DPPA; (3) "Sustainable development of Central Asia: integration of small hydropower and analysis of trade-offs in the water-energy and food nexus of transboundary rivers", with the support of IWMI, National Research University "TIIAME", Tajik Research Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Land Reclamation (Tajik NIIGiM), and SIC ICWC; (4) "Water security problems in Central Asia: bridging knowledge gaps and developing action plans", organized by IWMI and the Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower and Ecology of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan; (5) "MODSNOW - operational system for monitoring water resources in Central Asia", co-organized by the German Research Centre for Earth Sciences (GFZ Potsdam) and Innovative Water and Environmental Solutions (IWES); (7) "Regional Conference on strengthening networking and cooperation on water across research institutes in Central Asia: scientific Innovation for sustainable future" organized by USAID (June 5, Dushanbe).
As part of the Conference, a regular meeting of the IFAS Board was held on June 5 in Dushanbe, along with a meeting of the EC IFAS Coordination Platform with international development partners.
The Conference agenda included: (1) plenary session "Key achievements and developments over the last 30 years and a strategic vision for the future of IFAS"; (2) four interactive dialogue sessions: "Inter-basin", "Intergenerational", "Public-Private" and "Policy and Science Dialogue"; (3) two cooperation workshops: "Innovative solutions for strengthening regional cooperation" and "Building a stronger institutional and legal framework to improve IFAS".
On the margins of the Conference, a number of events were held: (1) an awarding ceremony for IFAS veterans, members of the Fund's Board, Executive Committee, ICWC, ICSD, structural subdivisions, employees of the Executive Committee’s branches and IFAS bodies, who made a significant contribution to IFAS activities (June 6); (2) International Exhibition "Water – the basis for regional cooperation and sustainable development in Central Asia’ (June 5-7); (3) field trips to Nurek HPP and Hisar fortress (June 7).
The Conference adopted the Resolution, in which the participants appealed: (1) to the governments of CA countries: "to make additional efforts to improve institutional and legal mechanisms, raise awareness and take action to mitigate water-related risks, attract and apply new progressive technologies, increase funding, introduce other innovative tools and approaches, encourage research and exchange, as well as strengthen water and environmental cooperation and water diplomacy to solve the above problems and implement the proposed measures"; (2) to the financial institutions, international organizations, donor countries and other development partners to provide "...support, including financial, technical, technological, to the countries of Central Asia to solve the main tasks of achieving sustainable development, especially in rural areas, including the implementation of the Action Program to Assist the countries of the Aral Sea basin (ASBP-4) by 2030 and the Regional Environmental Protection Program for the Sustainable Development of Central Asia"; (3) to the representatives of private sector "…to promote the solution of water problems and the introduction of "green" technologies…"; (4) to the civil society of the region "to actively participate in discussions of water problems and generation of ideas, proposals for joining efforts with the government, private sector and international organizations to solve them."
International Forum "Children and Youth in Action - Climate Change in Central Asia" , Tashkent, Uzbekistan, November 9
The Forum was organized by UNICEF and the International Public Foundation "Zamin" in partnership with the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, and the Agency for Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Youth Policy and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Forum was attended by the First Ladies of the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Uzbekistan, representatives of the Government of Uzbekistan, UNICEF, heads of UN agencies, heads of relevant ministries and departments of Central Asian countries, international and regional organizations, national institutions, civil society and young eco-activists of Central Asian countries.
Youth of Central Asia: (1) stressed the right of children to participate in the development of policies and programs, as well as in monitoring and evaluation of progress on climate actions; (2) called on the governments to fully support environmental youth initiatives; (3) expressed the wish that business in Central Asia become "green" to preserve limited natural resources and environment in the region; (4) proposed building capacities of children and youth through continuous green education and promotion of environmental culture since early childhood; (5) noted the need to increase knowledge of both pre-school and school teachers in this area.
The Forum led to the signing of the Regional Strategy for Promoting a Culture of Sustainable Development and Engaging Children and Youth in the Climate Agenda. The document outlined recommendations on environmental education, including:
• Introduction of the concept of eco-scouting (eco-volunteering) as part of lifelong learning;
• Promotion and encouragement of eco-volunteering through awards and the recognition of volunteer activities in university admissions and employment;
• Development of the animation industry to include ecological messages;
• Involvement of school-age children and youth in the work of government bodies and institutions dealing with climate change, providing them with opportunities to contribute to climate policies;
• Organization of environmental campaigns and competitions among schoolchildren and students to foster active participation in addressing climate change;
• Provision of grant programs and subsidies from governments to support youth start-ups in the field of ecology;
• Organization of "green corners" in kindergartens, among other initiatives.