Leaders Strolled Across Waterway
International Environmental Conference in Manzherok Emphasizes Environmental Cooperation
Leaders from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan gathered at the International Environmental Conference held in Manzherok, Altai Republic on July 25, 2025. The conference focused on ecological issues requiring joint efforts, including the desiccation of the Caspian Sea, the growing water deficit in Central Asia, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Joint Projects and Initiatives
Although specific joint projects targeting the Caspian Sea or water deficit in Central Asia were not detailed explicitly in the conference reports, discussions on ecotourism and the regulation of anthropogenic effects, including cross-border nature reserves and national parks, imply ongoing or planned cooperative projects. The Taza Qazaqstan (Clean Kazakhstan) program, fostering environmental responsibility, biodiversity conservation funds, and species reintroduction programs were highlighted by Kazakhstan, but these are national rather than multinational projects.
The Caspian Sea
No concrete joint projects, initiatives, or agreements specifically addressing the Caspian Sea were mentioned in the conference.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction
While discussions on climate change and environmental safety took place, no explicit joint emission reduction programs or collaborative mechanisms were described in the sources. However, almost all heads of government spoke about their targets and some about their progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Water Resource Management
Ministers of natural resources and environment held an expert session called "Keeping the Global Water Balance," focusing on climate change's impact on water resources and urgent required measures. While water scarcity in Central Asia is a challenging shared issue, the sources mention discussions but do not itemize concrete joint initiatives or collaborative mechanisms targeting this problem.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin proposed that the countries cooperate more actively and establish monitoring of transboundary water basins covering 3 million sq. km in Russia and neighboring countries. Kyrgyzstan's Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliyev reminded of the World Bank's forecast that by 2050, the water deficit in Central Asia could reach 20-30% of the required consumption level.
Secondary Raw Materials Utilization
In Russia, the level of secondary raw materials utilization in agriculture, industry, and housing and utilities has reached 10%. Belarus has already exceeded its plan to reduce emissions by 35-40% by 2030. Minsk plans to implement a unified system for managing all types of waste, aiming to increase their recycling rate to 90% by 2040. For solid municipal waste in Belarus, the level of secondary waste utilization is 40%. Kazakhstan plans to increase the level of secondary raw materials utilization to 25% over five years.
Conclusion
The International Environmental Conference in Manzherok aimed to foster dialogue, shared goals, and national policies among participating countries. While specific, concrete joint projects or initiatives on the Caspian Sea, Central Asian water deficit, or greenhouse gas emission reductions were not detailed in the publicly available information, ongoing discussions and national policies indicate a commitment to environmental cooperation.
- The conference discussions hinted at plans for cooperative projects in the area of ecotourism and the regulation of anthropogenic effects, which could potentially expand into joint initiatives focusing on climate-change, such as cross-border nature reserves and national parks.
- Despite the absence of specific joint projects or initiatives addressing the Caspian Sea, leaders acknowledged the need for increased cooperation in monitoring transboundary water basins, as proposed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, in an attempt to combat the growing water deficit predicted to occur by 2050.
