ENVSEC Projects by region
Central Asia
| Enhancing regional exchange of water resource information (CAREWIB phase II) | |
| Countries: | Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| Regional priority: | Dialogue and cooperation on shared resources |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Natural resources and security risk management |
| Duration: | August 2007-June 2010 |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 650,940 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | UNECE, UNEP |
| Other implementing partner(s): | Scientific Information Centre of the Inter-state Commission for Water Coordination in Central Asia (SIC-ICWC) |
| Description: | The project built upon CAREWIB information service of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination towards further development of its contents and full integration with other sources of regional water-related information, in order to facilitate a Central Asian water information exchange network for policy-makers and the general public. |
| Links: |
CA Water Info portal |
| Contact: | Bo Libert Regional Adviser on Environment UNECE +41 22 917 2396 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
| Capacity building for cooperation on dam safety in Central Asia (Phase II) | |
| Countries: | Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| Regional priority: | Dialogue and cooperation on shared resources |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Hazardous substances and environment and security risk reduction |
| Duration: | December 2007-June 2011 |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 437,318 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | UNECE |
| Local partner(s): | Regional partner - Executive Committee of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea, Uzbekistan - Water Control Facilities Committee “Gosvodhoznadzor”, Kazakhstan – Executive Board of the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea, Committee for Water Resources |
| Description: | The project aims at improving national dam safety legal and institutional frameworks as well as regional cooperation mechanisms on dam safety in Central Asia. The intended outputs of the project are: (i) the governments of the participating countries introduce or revise national regulatory frameworks for dam safety; (ii) the governments of the participating countries set up a regional cooperative framework on dam safety and sustained intraregional cooperation, including the introduction and maintenance of early warning systems for dam accidents; (iii) the governments of the participating countries have the necessary documentation and technical capacity for harmonizing technical regulations and procedures for the monitoring and evaluating of dam performance; (iv) the governments of the participating countries have better access to potential sources of technical assistance for rehabilitation of dams and improvement of monitoring and early warning systems. |
| Links: |
Project website ENVSEC promotes transboundary cooperation on dam safety in Central Asia Project brief and highlights of 2010 |
| Contact: | Bo Libert Regional Adviser on Environment UNECE +41 22 917 2396 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
| In-depth field assessment of environment and security hot spots in the Ferghana-Osh-Khudjand triangle and adjacent areas | |
| Countries: | Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan |
| Regional priority: | Raising awareness and strengthening capacities and participatory mechanisms on environment and security issues |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Information on environment and security and participation in risk management |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 374,301 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | OSCE, UNEP |
| Description: | An in-depth (phase II) assessment of the region was initiated in May 2004 with the main objective to assess and communicate information on environment & security hotspots in the Ferghana-Osh-Khujand triangle with a focus on transboundary risks from human activities, in particular industrial hot spots (hazardous waste, risks for accidents and spillages, including radioactive waste poorly stored or completely abandoned), pressure on natural resources (land degradation, deforestation, ownership; water quality, usage and sharing) and cross-cutting issues such as natural disasters or the impacts of climate change on the region. |
| Rapid environment and health risk assessment of industrial hotspots | |
| Countries: | Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan |
| Regional priority: | Reduction of risks to security and stability from hazardous practices |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Hazardous substances and environment and security risk reduction |
| Duration: | March 2005-February 2006 |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 482,357 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | OSCE, UNDP, UNEP |
| Description: | The project's objective were: (i) to conduct a rapid assessment of environment and health transboundary risks originated by industrial sites and hazardous waste dumps located in the Ferghana Valley area, with prioritisation of risks related to individual sites; (ii) to conduct a detailed assessment of risks for selected sites, define provisional offsite contingency plans (OCPs) for the areas affected by the sites investigated, in compliance with European Directives and International Conventions (e.g. UNECE Convention on Industrial Accidents), and conduct pre-feasibility studies for correction/reconstruction measures necessary to prevent/reduce the identified risks; (iii) to contribute to the developing process of capacity building and to promote the public participation on the risk management. |
| Environment conflict early warning system for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan | |
| Countries: | Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan |
| Regional priority: | Raising awareness and strengthening capacities and participatory mechanisms on environment and security issues |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Information on environment and security and participation in risk management |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 20,000 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | UNDP |
| Description: | The objective of the project was to set up based on in-depth assessment and existing early warning systems, an environmental system of information collection and dissemination for tracking and analysis of potential conflicts arising from competition over natural resources or from potential natural hazards between communities in three states of Ferghana Valley. The project also aimed at assessing the security-environment linkage more broadly and at placing environmental causes of conflict in the perspective of the wider security context. Such system of monitoring and early warning will produce substantial basis for adoption of responsible policies in maintaining secure environment. |
| Natural disaster preparedness and risk reduction for communities in high-risk districts in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan | |
| Countries: | Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan |
| Regional priority: | Raising awareness and strengthening capacities and participatory mechanisms on environment and security issues |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Information on environment and security and participation in risk management |
| Duration: | January 2006-December 2007 |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 450,000 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | UNDP |
| Description: | The objective of the project was to design activities to prevent increasing social tensions and conflicts by strengthening national capacities in natural disaster risk management to reduce losses and impacts of both natural and man-made disasters in high-risk regions. More specifically, the project aimed at strengthening capacities of local authorities and communities in disaster risk management, reducing vulnerability to disasters, piloting mechanisms for community involvement in disaster risk management. |
| Support to regional festival on environment journalism in Central Asia | |
| Countries: | Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| Regional priority: | Raising awareness and strengthening capacities and participatory mechanisms on environment and security issues |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Information on environment and security and participation in risk management |
| Duration: | March 2004-April 2006 |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 165,000 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | UNDP |
| Description: | The project aimed at organising national and regional competitions and festivals of environmental films, TV and radio programmes, and newspaper articles; building capacities of selected national journalists and environmental NGOs on organisation of the festivals and public environmental campaigns for awareness-raising; establishing working mechanisms for dialogue with the Ministries of Environment on how to draw public attention to the critical national environmental and development priorities, and contribute to national environmental protection and peace building. |
| Biotechnical exploration of Uzbek saline water reserves using halotolerant microalgae (NATO ref. 981690) | |
| Countries: | Uzbekistan |
| Regional priority: | Dialogue and cooperation on shared resources |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Natural resources and security risk management |
| Duration: | July 2006-September 2010 |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 407,000 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | NATO |
| Description: | The project's goal was to charecterize water reserves of the Aral Sea region, taking into account the annual variation in salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, water transparency, turbidity, suspended and volatile solids, nutrients, and organic load. |
| Links: |
NATO "Science for Peace and Security" website |
| Contact: | Susanne Michaelis Officer, Emerging Security Challenges Division, Energy Security Section NATO +322 707 4520 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
| Environment and Security Initiative in cross-border areas of the Ferghana Valley - Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan | |
| Countries: | Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan |
| Regional priority: | Dialogue and cooperation on shared resources |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Natural resources and security risk management |
| Duration: | January 2009-December 2009 |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 70,000 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | UNDP |
| Description: | The project goal was to reduce the risks of conflicts arising from competition over natural resources or potential natural hazards among communities of the two Fergana Valley states -Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. In addition, the project sought to establish a mechanism to track and monitor the potential risks and to address them. The objectives have been achieved through implementation of the three main activities: (1) data collection and analysis in the pilot zones; (2) problems solving through joint Tajik-Kyrgyz Commissions; and (3) awareness raising of the local population. |
| Contact: | Sukhrob Khoshmukhamedov Assistant Resident Representative UNDP Tajikistan Country Office +992 372 212515 / +992 372 2210694 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
| Assessment and mitigation of seismic risk in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic (NATO ref. 971923) | |
| Countries: | Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan |
| Regional priority: | Raising awareness and strengthening capacities and participatory mechanisms on environment and security issues |
| Status: | Completed |
| Focus area: | Information on environment and security and participation in risk management |
| Duration: | May 2000-October 2003 |
| ENVSEC budget (US$): | 527,000 |
| ENVSEC leading organisation: | NATO |
| Description: | This project collected data on the seismological and geological characteristics of the region, and seismic hazard maps and earthquake ground motion models for Bishkek and Tashkent were developed. NATO support included the purchase and installation of GIS equipment and software as well as training of young scientists. The end-results were given to the state committees and ministries concerned in the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan. |
| Contact: | Susanne Michaelis Officer, Emerging Security Challenges Division, Energy Security Section NATO +322 707 4520 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
