Launch of a Joint Wetland Strategy for Central Asia

The workshop in Astana, jointly organised by GIZ and the Michael Succow Foundation, focused on how the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in Central Asia can be coordinated jointly and over the long term. The workshop was held as part of the project “Development of a Regional Ramsar Strategy for Central Asia”.

Participants discussed shared priorities and worked on a common vision and mission. Further topics included monitoring and evaluation, sustainable financing and the main threats facing the region’s wetlands. Expert input was provided by our wetland expert Olga Denyshchyk, as well as external consultants Melike Hemmami and Inna Rudenko, who contributed their expertise on sustainable financing and monitoring and evaluation.

On 4 November, participants had already visited the Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Lake System in Kazakhstan, the first natural World Heritage Site in Central Asia. Designated in 1976, the area was also the first Ramsar Site in Central Asia and provided an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the importance and challenges of practical wetland conservation.

The workshop is part of a regional process to develop a joint Ramsar Strategy for the five Central Asian countries. The Regional Ramsar Initiative for Central Asia (RRI-CA) provides an important platform for this process. It promotes professional exchange and cross-border cooperation in wetland conservation. After all, river systems, lake landscapes and habitats for migratory birds do not stop at national borders.

In the face of increasing water scarcity and the impacts of climate change, this cooperation is particularly important. The strategy development process, supported by the Michael Succow Foundation, aims to establish shared goals and concrete approaches for action in the years ahead. The process is supported through the DIAPOL-CE project implemented by GIZ.