On 14 June 2022 in the Chamber of Commerce (TPP) in Nukus, GGGI Uzbekistan held their Technical Advisory Consultation for the ‘Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis’ (Aral Sea GRIP Project). This event followed up on the Technical Consultation Workshop that GGGI held in March, during which they collected the feedback and inputs of key stakeholders on key knowledge deliverables, including drafting the Climate Resilient Green Growth (CRGG) assessment and the Green Recovery Investment Analysis (GRIA).
In June, the Technical Advisory Consultation in Nukus validated the CRGG assessment and the GRIA, consulted on the Risk Profile on Disaster-Related Human Security, and a concept of the Business Development Platform. The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, key ministries and departments, heads of districts, local institutions, and non-governmental organizations participated in the consultations.
The Climate Resilience Green Growth (CRGG) Assessment is a broad analysis of the agriculture sector of Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan. CRGG assesses the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of the agricultural sector of Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan regarding climate change and the Aral Sea disaster impacts.
The Green Recovery Investment Analysis (GRIA) is an analysis of the potential impact of implementing three infrastructural adaptation measures for farm protection, including drip-irrigation systems, moving crops to greenhouses, and planting trees for windbreaks (an agroforestry practice).
The online Business Development Platform will be developed for farmers, MSMEs, and institutional enablers in the Aral Sea region. It will support establishing an enabling business environment for the agriculture and environmental sectors, aiming at building sustainable landscapes.
In addition, a Risk Profile for disaster-related human security risks in Karakalpakstan is being developed to assess chronic threats to the safety and security of the Karakalpakstan population and feed into the identification of the capacity development needs.
The next Technical Advisory Workshop will follow on 22 June 2022 in Tashkent, engaging various government and development partners.
The Aral Sea GRIP Project is funded by KOICA and implemented by GGGI for 3 years (2021 to 2024).