Glaciers and climate change: regional cooperation for sustainable development

On June 7, at the Kokhi Somon Complex in Dushanbe, within the framework of the 2nd High-level International Conference on the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028", which takes place from June 6 to 9 in Dushanbe, at the initiative of the Committee on Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and with the participation of representatives of a number of countries and development partners held a parallel event on the theme "Glaciers and climate change: regional cooperation for sustainable development".

The event was opened by the Director of the Agency of Hydrometeorology of the Committee Qurbonzoda A. H. and Johann Coleman, Director of the Department of Water Resources and Glaciers of the World Meteorological Organization with introductory words.

In their speeches, the parties noted the initiative of the Founder of Peace and National Unity, the Leader of the Nation, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, HE Emomali Rahmon, proposed on November 2, 2021 within the framework of the High–level Panel on Water and Climate to declare 2025 the International Year of Glacier Protection and the definition of the World Glacier Protection Day, and the need to create an International Fund of Protection Glaciers was also noted, which was enthusiastically supported by the participants of the parallel event.

In the first part of the event "Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Development", representatives of development partners discussed climate change and its impact, regional adaptation and cooperation, dangerous hydrometeorological processes, their forecasting, study and protection of glaciers.

In the second part of the event "Glaciers and climate change: ways to implement climate policy", issues of legislation in the field of environmental protection, glacier monitoring, adaptation to climate change, the process of glacier degradation and state and regional policy were considered.

The participants of the parallel event took an active part in the discussion of the proposed issues, at the end of which they expressed support for the proclamation of 2025 as the "International Year of Glacier Protection" and the definition of "World Glacier Day".