Tashkent, Uzbekistan, November 7, 2023– GGGI Uzbekistan held the Second Project Steering Committee Meeting (PSC) for Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis (Aral Sea GRIP). The PSC meeting presented the progress made since the last PSC meeting held on 19 April 2023 and the project implementation plan for 2024.
The PSC aimed to provide guidance regarding the strategic directions of the project and provide formal approval of all key milestones and outputs. This ensures the project’s incorporation and compliance with the evolving priority national and sub-national directives.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Jusipbek Kazbekov, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change. He highlighted the Government’s plans to mobilize 500 million USD to the Aral Sea region, including 200 billion USD in the form of grants. Mr. Kazbekov then assured GGGI of the Ministry’s assistance:
“As a member of The Project Steering Committee, we assure strong political support of the Ministry of joint resource mobilization and partnership building!”
Ms. Shelly Park, KOICA Uzbekistan Deputy Director, delivered the remarks of Mr. Shin Myung Seop, KOICA Uzbekistan Director. In his remarks, thanking the government partners and GGGI for their contributions to the Aral Sea GRIP, Mr. Shin highlighted KOICA’s goals of supporting job creation, improved healthcare systems as well as efficient and reliable public administration service development. He emphasized:
“I believe that cooperation and partnership are key in doing so [achieving the abovementioned goals] and that we will help the Government achieve international goals and make the most of the available resources for a better outcome.”
Dr. Aaron Russell, GGGI Uzbekistan County Representative, presented the implementation progress made by Aral Sea GRIP since 19 April 2023 and introduced the implementation plan for 2024. He highlighted the completion of the Green Jobs report as well as the Capital Expenditure for Infrastructural Adaptation Measures for Agriculture in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, both developed under the Outcome 1 (‘Aral Sea Development Program adopted and enacted by Karakalpakstan’) of the Aral Sea GRIP. Dr. Russell shared project’s successful implementation of the climate change awareness raising in schools conducted in schools of Karakalpakstan in Karakalpak language, as well as the awareness raising media campaign that is to be broadcasted through local TV and radio stations once the production stage is successfully completed. Both activities fall under Outcome 2 (‘Dehqon and private farmers have increased resilience to climate and Aral Sea disaster risks’) of the Aral Sea GRIP. He then proceeded with an update on the Outcome 3 (‘Local entrepreneurs of Karakalpakstan are equipped with climate resilient agri-business models’) progress focusing on the windbreaks planting, drip irrigation, four Green Business Models development, greenhouse installation as well as the digital Business development Platform. Dr. Russell informed that the Outcome 4 (‘Successful climate resilient agri-MSMEs & farmers across Karakalpakstan have improved access to finance from commercial banks & government green financing’) of the Aral Sea GRIP is on the stage of identifying the main partners to develop a Green Climate Fund project proposal for scaling up of the interventions of Aral Sea GRIP.
The event then covered the project activities implemented with the project partners. The presentations were conducted by the GGGI Uzbekistan team and supported by representatives from the respective partner institutions.
Ms. Nora Heinonen, GGGI Senior Associate for Social & Gender Inclusion and the Capacity Development Lead, and Ms. Rita Kalilaeva, Methodologist of the Republican Knowledge Center under the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, presented Outcome 2 on capacity development, under which 132 teachers (67% female) trained 5,927 students (51% female). GGGI aims to reach 12,000 youth total by next spring.
Mr. Bakhitbay Aybergenov, GGGI Senior Associate for Climate Resilient Agricultural Technologies, and Mr. Sagyndyk Turmanov, Minister at the Ministry for Employment and Poverty Reduction of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, presented Outcome 3 elaborating on the Climate Resilient Greenhouse training that is presently being implemented with 20 beneficiaries at the Monocenter in Nukus. Followed by Mr. Azat Tileumuratov, GGGI Senior Associate for Climate-Smart Agriculture, and Mr. Aibek Aminov, Chairman of the Forestry Committee of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, continued discussing Outcome 3, focusing on windbreaks and water-saving technologies being implemented on 20 farms in Karakalpakstan. Ms. Nazokat Azimova, GGGI Communications Officer, and Mr. Murod Khusanov, Consort Group CEO, introduced the JasilAwil – Business Development Platform in Karakalpakstan, developed under the Outcome 3. JasilAwil gained more than 872 registered users, and 731 online advisory services were provided through the platform to this day. Ms. Catalina Garcia, GGGI Green Investment Specialist, and Ms. Sarah Appelt, German Sparkassenstiftung (DSIK) Long-term Expert, took the floor to close the updates on Outcome 3, highlighting Aral Sea GRIP’s support for entrepreneurship training on the 4 CSA Green Business bank lending models developed in partnership with DSIK.
Next, the attendees were called on to provide additional comments. A number of new project partners provided recommendations for scaling up the Aral Sea GRIP, including Mr. Mels Kosnazarov, Deputy Head of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, who expressed interest in the possibility to develop synergies in training farmers under project Outcome 2 and 3. Among other participants’ comments, Ms. Hyeri Hyun, UNICEF Youth Development and Innovation Specialist, mentioned the newly agreed cooperation to align efforts on training schoolteachers in the Karakalpakstan region.
The Second 2023 Project Steering Committee Meeting (PSC) for Aral Sea GRIP was closed by Mr. Azamat Uteuliev, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan (CMRK). He expressed strong appreciation for the cooperation with GGGI and the commitment of the CMRK is to continue its support for the project.