Nukus, Uzbekistan [February 17, 2023] – The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, H.E. Mr. Farkhod Ermanov, held a meeting with Dr. Frank Rijsberman, the General Director of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and Dr. Aaron Russell, the Country Representative of GGGI Uzbekistan.
During the meeting, Dr. Rijsberman presented GGGI’s global vision, mandate, and experience, while Dr. Russell described the collaborative partnerships established with various Karakalpakstan Republic Ministries. Dr. Russell also outlined the current achievements and implementation status of the Aral Sea GRIP project.
H.E. Mr. Farkhod Ermanov warmly welcomed Dr. Rijsberman to Karakalpakstan and reiterated the Karakalpakstan government’s commitment to green development. He further proposed the expansion of existing partnerships with more activities.
Subsequently, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers RK joined the GGGI team at an event held at the Chamber of Commerce to launch the joint activities with GGGI’s key government partners in Karakalpakstan Republic. These partners include the Ministry for Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT), the Ministry for Employment and Labour Relations (MoL), the Ministry for Public Education (MoPE), the State Committee for Forestry (SCoF), Chamber of Commerce and the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection (SCEEP). Representatives from other Karakalpakstan ministries and state bodies also attended the event to gain insights into ongoing activities and plans, especially those offering opportunities for cooperation with more ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture.
At the event, Aziz Rasulov of the GGGI Tashkent office presented GGGI Uzbekistan’s Country Planning Framework (CPF). This Framework is a comprehensive 5-year plan for 2023-2027 that incorporates inputs from national government stakeholders and development partners. It identifies areas where GGGI can bring significant environmental, social and economic impacts in Uzbekistan, especially for the country’s nationally determined contributions (NDC) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) priorities. Based on consultations with government partners, GGGI has identified five programmatic priorities and solutions tailored for Uzbekistan:
1) Green Investments
2) Climate Action
3) Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Sustainable Forests
4) Waste Management
5) Green buildings and Green Industries
GGGI staff from the Nukus office presented an overview of the GGGI’s current project in Uzbekistan: The Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis (Aral Sea GRIP). This project, initiated in 2021 and scheduled to run until June 2024, is being implemented in Bozataw, Chimbay, Karauzyak and Kegeyli districts benefiting approximately 26,000 individuals in the agricultural sector. It focuses on climate change risk awareness-raising measures, climate-smart agriculture technologies and business development opportunities.
The presentation highlighted cooperation with the RK Ministry of Public Education, where 132 biology and geography teachers will receive training to conduct Climate Change Adaptation trainings for a total of 12,000 school students this spring.
Additionally, GGGI is partnering with the Ministry of Employment and Labour relations to incorporate new materials on greenhouses into the existing greenhouse trainings for unemployed individuals, conducted by the Monocentres in Karakalpakstan. In cooperation with the State Committee for Forestry, GGGI will set up more than 5,000 meters of tree windbreaks in all four project districts. These windbreaks will protect the local population and their croplands from incoming wind, dust and salt.
Moreover, the Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture and GGGI cooperated on the Business Development Platform (BDP), accessible through the Jasilawil App and the website www.greenaral.uz.
Finally, GGGI Uzbekistan as a key partner of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade is hosted in their building in Nukus, and plays a pivotal role in coordinating the overarching Aral Sea Strategy mobilizing green investment and collaborating on a project with the Green Climate Fund(GCF).
These collaborative efforts between GGGI and the government partners are expected to yield significant environmental, social, and economic benefits for the region.