Path to resilience: Uzbekistan's focus on climate change adaptation reporting

8 April 2025, Tashkent, Uzbekistan – A workshop convened today in Tashkent underscored Uzbekistan's commitment to enhanced climate reporting transparency through adaptation measures. The event, focusing on the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under the Capacity-Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) project, was a joint effort by the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Hydrometeorological Service of Uzbekistan (Uzhydromet, the Nature and People Foundation, and Club Vostok. It brought together a diverse group of technical experts from government, development partners, non-governmental organizations, and youth to discuss their vital role in adaptation reporting processes.

The CBIT project is implemented within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and aims to strengthen Uzbekistan’s institutional and technical capacities for transparent climate reporting, aligning with its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Paris Agreement. Led by Uzhydromet, with implementation by, the project will enhance the country's ability to collect, monitor, and report climate data in accordance with international standards.

This workshop builds upon Uzbekistan's submission on 30 December 2024 of its first Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) under the Paris Agreement's Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF). Recognizing its significant vulnerability to climate change impacts such as rising temperatures, water scarcity, land degradation, and biodiversity loss, Uzbekistan is actively advancing its efforts to enhance transparency in tracking climate action through the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded CBIT project. A key aspect is improving the measurement of adaptation progress, integrating relevant indicators into national policies, and mainstreaming adaptation actions across various sectors.

Highlighting the role of civil society, Sergey Rybakov, General Director of the Foundation Nature and People, stated that “Non-profit organizations serve as crucial independent auditors and early responders to environmental challenges. This enables governments and businesses to gain critical time and more accurately assess potential risks and opportunities, leading to more effective action plans.”

The workshop served as a platform to facilitate in-depth discussions on adaptation tracking within the BTR, ETF, and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), fostering institutional coordination and knowledge-sharing among key stakeholders.

The specific objectives of the workshop included strengthening the understanding of ETF reporting requirements, with a specific emphasis on the adaptation component within Uzbekistan’s BTR and NDC; enhancing national capacities to effectively track climate risks, adaptation actions, and progress through the use of relevant indicators. It also considered fostering regional knowledge exchange by sharing valuable experiences and best practices in adaptation reporting from other countries; improving institutional coordination among key government agencies, organizations, and stakeholders for more effective adaptation monitoring; and supporting Uzbekistan’s preparation for upcoming climate negotiations, including future UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COPs).

Evetta Zenina, Natural Resources Officer at FAO, emphasized the workshop's technical focus and collaborative spirit. “This workshop was an excellent opportunity to take a deep dive into the technical aspects of adaptation reporting under the Paris Agreement, with valuable inputs from FAO’s global CBIT projects in the Spell this out in full and put the (AFOLU) and forest sectors. FAO has developed a range of tools to support countries in building robust transparency systems. The active engagement of diverse stakeholders also highlighted how cross-sectoral efforts are essential for tracking adaptation progress effectively”. Rocío Cóndor, Forestry Officer at FAO has also shared with participants how the CBIT-Forest II project is scaling up support and embedding forest transparency systems within national processes. By promoting resources, regional collaboration, and long-term capacity building, the project is helping countries generate better forest data and use it to drive more transparent, effective climate action.

Sara Scardavilli, Youth Sector Project Manager for Central Asia at the International Secretariat for Water, highlighted the importance of inclusivity. “The discussion on the crucial link between water, adaptation, and youth, and how best to engage young people in adaptation reporting, was particularly insightful given that over 60 percent of Uzbekistan’s population is under 30 years old”.

The collaborative approach involving diverse stakeholders directly supports the CBIT project's goal of strengthening national capacity. Firuz Safarov, Advisor to the Director of Uzhydromet, underscored the CBIT project's impact. "The activities of the CBIT project have significantly contributed to building the capacity of experts involved in the climate reporting process as we transition to the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement. This has directly enabled us to improve our Greenhouse Gas inventory and prepare our First Biennial Transparency Report to a high standard". 

For the source of this story, please click here.