Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Global Plastic Pollution Treaty

Kazakhstan Participates in Negotiations on Global Treaty to Combat Plastic Pollution

Kazakhstan set out its approach to a planned global treaty on plastic pollution at informal talks held from June 30 to July 3 at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya. Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Zhomart Aliyev led Kazakhstan’s participation in the meeting of heads of delegation to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which is developing a legally binding international agreement to combat plastic pollution. Kazakhstan's delegation presented the country’s national approaches to the key elements of the future treaty and took an active part in discussions on possible ways of bridging differences among participating states. The Nairobi discussions will result in a reference document summarizing the proposals and positions of participating countries. The document will serve as the basis for further informal consultations scheduled for September 2026 and preparations for the resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, tentatively planned for March 2027. “Kazakhstan will continue to play an active role in the negotiation process, advocating the development of an effective and balanced international agreement to combat plastic pollution,” the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources said. The ministry also highlighted the successful development of the EcoQolday information system, which was launched in 2024 to digitalize waste collection and recycling processes, including plastic waste. According to the ministry, the volume of waste processed through the system has increased steadily. In 2024, 11,070 metric tons of waste were sent for recycling through EcoQolday. That figure rose to 49,340 tons in 2025, while during the first half of 2026 alone it reached 70,630 tons, reflecting both the system’s growing effectiveness and increasing business participation. Since the platform became operational in August 2024, a total of 131,040 tons of waste has been directed for recycling through EcoQolday. Paper accounted for the largest share at 92,050 tons, followed by glass at 28,860 tons. The platform has also facilitated the recycling of 8,740 tons of used tires, 1,320 tons of plastic waste, and 70 tons of composite-material waste. EcoQolday connects households and businesses with waste collectors and recycling companies. Individuals and companies submit requests to dispose of recyclable waste, while collectors provide service offers and receive government incentives for participating in the system. “Within approved budget allocations, participants in the system have received total incentive payments of $7.1 million,” the ministry said. “This included approximately $10,000 in 2024, $1.8 million in 2025, and about $5.2 million so far in 2026.” The ministry added that EcoQolday is increasingly engaging both businesses and the public. As of the reporting date, 1,081 waste disposal requests totaling 3,540.52 tons had been registered in the system. Of these, 629 requests came from individuals, who submitted 2,276.42 tons of waste for recycling, primarily glass, paper, and used tires. Another 452 requests were submitted by legal entities, accounting for 1,264.1 tons of waste, mainly paper and used tires. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, members of Kazakhstan’s parliament proposed introducing a “green” tax on environmentally unfriendly packaging last summer to help finance plastic waste recycling.

Climate Change

Central Asia Disaster Risks Prompt Joint Mudflow and Flood Plan

Central Asian countries are working on a joint plan to reduce the damage caused by floods and mudflows, as officials and environmental specialists warn that natural disasters are costing the region around $10 billion a year. The proposed roadmap was discussed at a regional meeting in Bishkek on June 24-26, attended by representatives of all five Central Asian states, the World Bank, and several UN bodies. The plan focuses on transboundary mudflows and floods, where risks often cannot be managed by one country alone. According to Kazakhstan’s state broadcaster 24KZ, experts at the meeting said disaster-related losses in Central Asia could be reduced fivefold through stronger ecosystem protection and better regional coordination. The proposed measures include a shared online catalogue of current and forecast natural hazards, as well as an early-warning system for wildfires. The discussion comes after a sharp rise in mudflows in Kyrgyzstan. The country has recorded more than 240 mudflows since the start of 2026, already well above the 133 cases registered during the whole of 2024. Between June 19 and 21 alone, Kyrgyz authorities reported 66 mudflow and flooding incidents, with homes, farmland, roads, and other infrastructure damaged. The deadliest recent incident occurred on June 24, when a mudflow swept away a car on the Osh-Alay highway, killing six people. Emergency officials have said improved response work has helped reduce casualties compared with last year, but the scale of the damage remains severe. The draft regional roadmap is expected to set out priority protection measures and identify where investment is most urgently needed. It also proposes closer coordination between emergency agencies, which is particularly important in cross-border mountainous areas. Central Asia is highly exposed to natural hazards, including earthquakes and climate-related disasters. A World Bank blog has previously estimated that natural disasters cause about $10 billion in economic losses across the region each year. The Bishkek discussions also covered digital tools for monitoring and forecasting climate-related risks. Participants reviewed a shared regional database and an interactive platform intended to improve the exchange of information between national agencies. Kyrgyzstan’s mountainous geography makes it especially vulnerable, with officials noting that heavier and less predictable rainfall are compounding the problems. The World Bank-backed RESILAND CA+ program is already supporting work at 21 high-risk sites in four Kyrgyz regions, including the restoration of mudflow-protection infrastructure. The regional plan will not eliminate mudflows or floods, but its supporters argue that better forecasting, stronger protective infrastructure, and more coordinated land management could reduce the human and economic cost of disasters that are becoming harder to treat as purely national problems.

Water Security

Kyrgyzstan’s Water Compensation Push Tests Central Asian Unity

Central Asia’s water diplomacy is entering a contentious phase. Kyrgyzstan, where much of the region’s runoff is formed, is reviving calls for economic compensation from downstream users. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have rejected the idea, saying current agreements do not provide for payments for transboundary river water. The dispute comes as the region tries to maintain annual water-allocation deals while adapting agriculture to worsening scarcity and climate pressure. Water has long tied together the region’s upstream and downstream states. The 2021 and 2022 clashes on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border showed how disputes over land, border infrastructure, roads, security posts, and water access can escalate when local tensions are not contained. Yet political will alone does not guarantee agreements between countries. The Central Asian republics cooperate on water issues through two interstate bodies. One is the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, established in 1993 by all five Central Asian republics. Kyrgyzstan suspended its participation in IFAS in 2016, and now attends the fund’s meetings as an observer. The second body is the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination, whose meetings are held once a quarter. At its 93rd meeting in Bukhara in early April, the commission confirmed limits for water withdrawal from transboundary rivers, following decisions approved at the 92nd meeting in Dushanbe. For the Amu Darya, the 2026 water allocations set the total withdrawal limit for the water-management year from October 2025 to October 2026 at about 55.4 billion cubic meters. Of this, 15.9 billion cubic meters is allocated for the cold period, from October to April. Tajikistan has been allocated 9.8 billion cubic meters per year, while Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan each receive 22 billion. A significant part of the flow, 44 billion cubic meters, must pass through the adjusted section of the Kerki hydrological post, helping secure the lower reaches of the river. For the Syr Darya, the total water withdrawal limit for the non-growing season is 4.219 billion cubic meters. Kazakhstan will receive 460 million cubic meters through the Dustlik Canal, Kyrgyzstan 47 million, and Tajikistan 365 million, while the largest share will go to Uzbekistan, 3.347 billion cubic meters. The inherited framework is also facing pressure from outside the five-state system. Afghanistan’s Qosh-Tepa Canal, which is being advanced outside the Soviet-era allocation structure, has added uncertainty on the Amu Darya. The Central Asian republics also cooperate in bilateral and trilateral formats. In January, Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan joint working groups met in Turkestan. The sides reaffirmed water cooperation, agreed to continue repairs on the Dostyk canal, and planned automated hydrological posts on the Syr Darya. In May, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan agreed on the operating regime of the Bahri-Tojik Reservoir for the summer of 2026. From June to August, the reservoir is to operate in a coordinated mode to supply irrigation water to farmers in the Maktaaral and Zhetysai districts of southern Kazakhstan. These agreements show that regional mechanisms still work, but experts continue to warn that climate pressure, data gaps, and uneven national interests could overwhelm existing formats. “Forecasting the...

Water Security

New Study Finds Sharp Decline in Amu Darya Flows

Central Asia’s water woes continue to grow worse. The water flow in the Amu Darya, one of Central Asia’s two great rivers, is slowly but significantly diminishing in Tajikistan, where the river originates. A recently released report shows the Amu Darya’s water flow in the middle and lower reaches in Tajikistan has fallen over the course of recent decades by 54-77%. And the report lays the blame firmly on human activity, not climate change. Up In the Mountains of Tajikistan The study published on ScienceDirect looked at data collected over 90 years and concludes that “streamflow decreased by 54–77% in the middle and lower reaches” of the Amu Darya in Tajikistan. Interestingly, the report mentions that precipitation in the mountains of Tajikistan has actually increased between 6 and 13%, but the Amu Darya’s water level is falling because people are using more water. The expansion of agriculture is the reason, accounting for 92% of the water reduction in Tajikistan, but the recent construction of water reservoirs is also playing a role. Lower flows of water were noted on many of the tributaries in Tajikistan that feed into the Amu Darya, including the “Vakhsh, Kunduz, Kofirnihon, Surkhandarya, Zeravshan, and Kashkadarya (rivers),” which showed streamflow reductions of 4–34%. The report said that areas in the upper reaches of the Amu Darya should see increased water levels, but this is mainly due to climate change hastening the melting of snow and glaciers. Once the glaciers are gone, the water will rapidly decrease. Bad News Downstream Water problems upstream in Tajikistan translate to bigger problems downstream in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Both have already noticed a reduction in the amount of water in the Amu Darya, most visibly that the river has not reached the Aral Sea for about two decades now, contributing to the sea shrinking by some 90% since the 1960s. Every year the river recedes further south, forcing downstream communities suddenly without water to relocate. Climate change is now hastening this process in the arid, desert lands along the Uzbek-Turkmen border, but both countries are preparing for a bigger, impending shock. The Taliban started construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal in 2022, with the project scheduled to be completed in 2028. While Central Asia was liberally taking water from the Amu Darya for agricultural use, Afghanistan was in no position to claim its share until now. The canal will draw water from the Amu Darya at an area across from Uzbekistan and open up new agricultural land in northern Afghanistan, where food has long been in short supply. The 280-kilometer canal is expected to take some 16-20% of the water left in the Amu Darya after it leaves Tajikistan. Upstream Tajikistan’s falling water levels, of course, mean the Qosh Tepa Canal will also be receiving less and less water. The Combination For most of the 2020s, large areas of Central Asia have been experiencing droughts, prompting the governments there to implement water conservation measures. But as they find more ways to save...

Flood Risk

Tajikistan Warns of Mudslides as Central Asia Expands Flood Cooperation

Authorities in Tajikistan say heavy rain could trigger mudslides in parts of the country in the coming days and have warned people to be extremely careful when traveling on roads near mountains and riverbanks. The warning was issued on Wednesday, days after government officials, scientists, and other delegates from across Central Asia met in Bishkek to discuss ways to address cross-border mudflows and floods. The three-day meeting, which ended on Friday, was organized by Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, a group that gets support from the World Bank and other international partners. Mudslides and flooding often hit parts of Central Asia in the spring and early summer, when rainfall, rising temperatures, snow and glacier melt, and increasing water levels threaten communities that scientists say are more vulnerable because of climate change. In the spring of 2024, flooding in Kazakhstan displaced thousands of people and damaged many homes and other buildings in what the government called the worst natural disaster in the country in 80 years. Central Asian governments are increasing cooperation on mitigation measures, including early warning systems, data sharing, and other projects to better protect their populations. As temperatures rise faster in Central Asia than the global average, Tajikistan is especially vulnerable because it is a mountainous country where glacier melt is a growing concern. Heavy rains and mudslides are possible through Friday, July 3, in mountainous and hilly areas across the country, as well as in Sughd Region in northwest Tajikistan, which borders Uzbekistan, and in Khatlon Region in the southwest, which borders Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport said. Citing meteorological experts, the ministry also warned of dust storms in Khatlon and the capital, Dushanbe, because of strong winds blowing from the south. “As a result of rising temperatures, glacier melt, and increasing water levels in the Panj, Vakhsh, Varzob, and Zeravshan rivers, there is a risk of mudflows in these areas,” the ministry said. It added that it had “instructed all road maintenance departments and institutions to monitor the condition of highways around the clock.” The possibility of flooding from glacier melt and rising river levels is not only a problem in mountainous areas in upstream countries such as Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, but also in downstream countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, that rely on cross-border water supplies but are also vulnerable to natural disasters. Turkmenportal, an online news site, said the recent meeting in Kyrgyzstan on water cooperation in Central Asia was important to Turkmenistan because it “is located in the lower reaches of Central Asia's largest rivers and is directly dependent on the quality of transboundary cooperation in water management and flood risk reduction.”

Uranium

Kyrgyzstan Moves to Introduce Unified Monitoring System for Uranium Waste Sites

Kyrgyzstan is preparing to introduce a unified national system for radiological monitoring of former uranium production sites, tailings storage facilities, and other radioactive waste locations, shifting the focus from cleanup work to long-term oversight of Soviet-era uranium legacy sites. The draft resolution, published for public discussion by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision, would establish a single framework for monitoring reclaimed uranium sites across the country. Under the proposed rules, state monitoring would cover protective engineering structures, surface and groundwater, soil, atmospheric air, and other environmental components surrounding radioactive sites. The ministry said the initiative was developed under Kyrgyzstan’s Environmental Security Concept through 2040 and had been coordinated with the International Atomic Energy Agency. “The draft resolution is aimed at establishing a unified procedure for organizing and conducting radioecological monitoring in areas containing former uranium production sites, radioactive tailings, and waste storage facilities after remediation work has been completed,” the ministry said in its explanatory note. Officials said that despite large-scale rehabilitation efforts, former uranium facilities in Kyrgyzstan continue to pose potential radiation risks, making permanent state oversight necessary. According to the ministry, Kyrgyzstan still holds significant volumes of radioactive waste generated by uranium mining and processing during the Soviet era. These tailings and mining dumps remain long-term potential sources of radiation exposure for both local populations and the environment. The ministry said the effectiveness of remediation can only be confirmed through systematic monitoring over an extended period after restoration works are completed. International organizations have also recommended long-term post-remediation monitoring, the ministry added. Kyrgyzstan is one of several Central Asian states still dealing with the environmental legacy of Soviet uranium mining. Sites such as Mailuu-Suu, Min-Kush, Kadji-Sai, and Shekaftar have been priorities for international remediation work because many are located near populated areas, river systems, or unstable terrain. Official data show that Kyrgyzstan has 92 toxic and radionuclide waste burial sites, including 34 that directly contain radioactive materials. A separate rehabilitation track has been carried out jointly by Kyrgyz emergency authorities and Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. Other remediation efforts have been supported through the Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia, which is managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Over the past nine years, the Rosatom-linked program has covered more than 27 hectares of land, with more than 1.4 million cubic meters of radioactive tailings relocated. Total investments have exceeded $25 million. The proposed monitoring system would formalize the next stage: checking whether restored sites remain stable and whether contamination risks are contained over time.