Climate change

Project promotes EU best practice for addressing water challenges. It contributes to strengthening the dialogue among the government agencies, academia, international community, civil society and business structures in CA on water issues and the formation of joint solutions for sustainable development of the region. It has set up a Water Statekholders Platform that acts as an information exchange scentre.

1: Bringing together industry, politics, science and stakeholders from CA and the EU to develop visionary SHP solutions for a climate resilient and sustainable future of Central Asia
2: Demonstration and assessment of two sustainable, innovative European small-scale hydropower technologies (FCPS and HSPS) in CA
3: Optimizing the sustainability impact of small hydropower plants (SHP) through a more holistic approach by focusing on long-term solutions in a climate-sensitive, transboundary Water-Food-Energy-Climate nexus context
4: Implementation of a GIS-based decision support system covering all CA countries to explore unexploited SHP potential and determine site-specific hydropower plant sustainability
5: Development of a scalable water accounting system to manage water resources in a sustainable way and to share energy and agriculture benefits in a climate-sensitive manner under the Water-Food-Energy-Climate nexus context in Central Asia, thus contributing to regional cooperation
6: Supporting the competitiveness and sustainable market uptake of European small hydropower technologies in Central Asia and globally 7: Enhancing problem awareness and objectiveness of policy makers and implementers, NGOs and the public

This fund provides grants to civil society organizations to conduct conservation projects in areas of high biological diversity.

The joint initiative with UNDRR aims to build disaster and climate resilience in Central Asia. The Action specific objective is to increase use of risk and disaster data in decision and policy making. Thus, the Result area is focused on: building the foundations for greater resilience in Central Asia through data, capacity, governance and cooperation at regional, national and local level. It will support the Almaty-based Centre Centre for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction.

The project is implemented as part of WECOOP programme with the objective to enhance IWRM and inter-sectoral coordination for water security at the national level in CA countries to support sustainable development. Enhancing water policies at national levels and approximating them to EU standards and promoting green investments in the water sector in CA are specific objectives of the project.

The work on EUWI NPDs is important considering that the area of water is no longer discussed as extensively as it used to be under the EU-Central Asia Platform on Water and Environment Cooperation.

Currently in its third phase, WECOOP continues with the same activities, but now also facilitates the development of green infrastructure projects as part of the more structured policy dialogue based on the EU Acquis.

Continuation of work with UNECE to support the implementation of the UNECE Water Convention (see seperate project description).

The Project will further strengthen regional and national dialogues on the Water, Energy and Food (WEF) Security Nexus based on the results achieved during Phase I (2016-2019). The ultimate goal is to institutionalize the WEF Nexus approach in national and regional governance structures and investment decisions for water, energy and food security in five Central Asian States.

CAEWDP is a World Bank-administered Multi-Donor Trust Fund and promotes energy and water security and operates under three main pillars: (1) the Energy Security Pillar (2) the Water Security Pillar (3) the Energy and Water Linkages Pillar. National and cross-border activities are implemented under each pillar including diagnostics, capacity building of national and regional organizations and technical support to investments. Other donors to the Trust Fund include the Swiss’ State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and UK’s department for international development (DFID). The EU joined CAWEP (then called CAWEDP) for the first time in 2012 with a contribution of EUR1 million, when the Programme was already in its second phase).

The objective of the Trust Fund is to improve financial resilience and risk informed investment planning towards building disaster and climate resilience in Central Asia. The activities will be implemented in 5 CA countries and focused on: 1-Quantifying Regional Dis. Risks and Capacity Building on Risk Identification 2-Establishing Fundamental Awareness and Capacities for Financial Resilience at National and Regional Lenvel and 3-Exposure Mapping for Improved Risk Analysis & Disaster Management