From 6 to 8 August 2025, a subregional workshop was held in Boz-Beshik on Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic, to advance the development of a Subregional Joint Action Programme (SJAP)* and National Action Plans (NAPs) under the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Cryosphere project, titled “Strengthening the resilience of Central Asian countries by enabling regional cooperation to assess glacio-nival systems to develop integrated methods for sustainable development and adaptation to climate change.”

Organized by the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty, the event built on the “Cryosphere Vision 2050” agreed earlier in Samarkand. Government representatives, national experts, and research institutions worked together to define joint priorities for cryosphere monitoring, data sharing, and capacity-building. There was also a contribution of expertise on disaster risk reduction linked to glacier change from the representatives of the “Reducing vulnerabilities of populations in Central Asia from glacier lake outburst floods in a changing climate” (GLOFCA) project implemented by UNESCO and funded by the Adaptation Fund.

The workshop integrated a gender-responsive perspective, addressing vulnerabilities of women and men to climate risks and promoting women’s participation in cryosphere governance. Participants also visited the International Tien Shan Mountain Station to observe monitoring systems in practice.

The SJAP, developed in line with the GEF International Waters methodology, will provide a strategic framework for regional cooperation, setting clear priorities for policy, institutional and investment actions to address shared challenges in the cryosphere.

*Within the project, the working term “Subregional Joint Action Programme(SJAP)” is used, corresponding to the concept of a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) as defined in the GEF International Waters methodology. A SAP is a negotiated policy document that should be endorsed at the highest level across all relevant sectors. It sets clear priorities for action, for example, in policy, legal, institutional reform or investments, to address the priority issues identified in the Diagnostic Analysis. The SAP preparation process is intended to be highly collaborative and cooperative among the participating countries.

About the project

This workshop is part of a larger initiative, Strengthening the resilience of Central Asian countries by enabling regional cooperation to assess glacio-nival systems to develop integrated methods for sustainable development and adaptation to climate change." The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through UNDP and implemented by UNESCO, aims to address the region’s critical environmental challenge: the degradation of snow, glacier, and permafrost systems (glacio-nival systems), which are vital sources of water for Central Asian countries. These systems play a crucial role in supporting agriculture, energy, and everyday water supply, making their preservation essential for the livelihoods of millions.

By fostering regional cooperation, the project encourages Central Asian nations to develop joint strategies for managing and protecting their shared water resources, especially as climate change continues to threaten the stability of these glacio-nival systems. The outcomes of the this workshop will feed into broader regional strategies, helping countries adapt to future changes in the cryosphere and strengthen their resilience to climate impacts.

For more information on the project, please contact the Project Manager, Nana Baramidze (n.baramidze@unesco.org), and visit the project page on iwlearn.net.

Words by Altyntomiris Baltabayeva. Photos by UNESCO.