Inception Workshop launches development of a Regional Ramsar Strategy for Central Asia

The workshop brought together representatives of the project partners and the Ramsar Regional Initiative for Central Asia.

The project aims to develop a Regional Ramsar Strategy for the five Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Building on existing national efforts, like the launch of Uzbekistan’s National Ramsar Strategy at CITES COP20 in Samarkand in 2025 and the 2025 Issyk-Kul Resolution, the strategy will provide a common regional framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and will be aligned with the Fifth Strategic Plan of the Convention on Wetlands for 2025–2034.

Wetlands are of particular importance in Central Asia, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable and water-stressed regions. They support ecosystem resilience, contribute to water security and provide important habitats and migration corridors for migratory species. The new regional strategy will help strengthen cooperation and coordinated action for wetland conservation across the region.

The project is implemented within the framework of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) commissioned GIZ to implement the DIAPOL-CE project.