The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program member countries have endorsed a new Climate Action Plan and launched a Climate and Sustainable Development Project Preparation Fund. The decisions were made at the 23rd CAREC Ministerial Conference held in Astana on November 8.

The purpose of the Fund is to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of climate resilience, low-carbon growth and sustainable development, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports .

“The endorsement of the CAREC Climate Action Plan and the establishment of the Climate and Sustainable Development Project Preparation Facility are important milestones in our collective efforts to address climate change. Working together, we can build resilient infrastructure, develop early warning systems, and create a greener future based on renewable energy,” ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said in remarks at the conference.

The Tajik government delegation at the meeting was headed by the President’s Assistant for Economic Affairs Nematullo Hikmatullozoda, who is the national CAREC coordinator from the republic. The delegation included the Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Farhod Vosidiyon.

The Climate Action Plan , covering the period from 2025 to 2027, identifies priority initiatives to achieve CAREC’s climate change vision. It focuses on four key areas to address the climate challenges in the region and aims to help countries better prepare for and respond to climate risks; strengthen the water-energy-food nexus; and promote low-carbon growth by reducing emissions and expanding renewable energy.

The Climate and Sustainable Development Project Preparation Facility will help CAREC countries develop bankable regional climate projects aligned with their commitments under the Paris Agreement. ADB signed contribution agreements with the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea, providing a total of $5 million in initial financing for the Fund.

CAREC is a regional cooperation program that aims to expand trade and improve business competitiveness in member countries through regional projects in transport, trade facilitation, energy, trade policy, and economic corridor development. It brings together Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The CAREC Secretariat is hosted by ADB.

ADB was established in 1966 and is owned by 69 members—49 from the Asia and Pacific region. Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998. ADB supports a wide range of sectors in the country, from strategic road and energy infrastructure to health, education, agriculture, urban development, public sector management, and finance.

Over 26 years, the bank has allocated over $2.7 billion to Tajikistan for the implementation of various projects, including grants worth over $2.2 billion. In 2024, ADB approved $220 million in new grant assistance for Tajikistan.