Central Asia’s climate agenda requires collective solutions – expert

Ahead of the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana, a Kazinform correspondent spoke with Almaz Sadykov, Partner and Eurasia Sustainability Leader at PwC, about how the climate and environmental agenda is evolving from declarations into actionable strategy.

— Almaz, how do you assess the significance of the upcoming Regional Environmental Summit, and what outcomes do you expect?

— We welcome the organisation of the Regional Environmental Summit (RES) and view it as an important platform for bringing Central Asian countries together to address climate change and environmental challenges.

Our region is objectively among the most climate‑vulnerable. According to the World Bank, average annual temperatures across Central Asia have increased significantly over the past 115 years: by 2.1°C in Kyrgyzstan, 3.3°C in Tajikistan, 5.7°C in Kazakhstan, 12.2°C in Uzbekistan and 15°C in Turkmenistan.

Even under a scenario where global warming is limited to 1.5°C by 2050—which, based on current trajectories, is likely to be exceeded—temperatures in our region are expected to rise by at least 2–2.5°C.

This will place considerable additional pressure on water resources, agriculture, infrastructure and the overall socio‑economic resilience of the region.

We therefore expect the Summit to serve as a platform for developing coordinated, practical solutions, as well as mechanisms for regional cooperation that will help not only mitigate climate risks but also systematically strengthen the long‑term resilience of Central Asian economies.