LocationsUNDP Uzbekistan Presents the Integrated Urban Resilience Approach at Eco Expo Central Asia 2025
June 20, 2025
Tashkent, 19 June 2025 – As part of the UNDP regional project Enhancing Urban Resilience to Disaster Risk and Climate Change in Central Asia, funded by the Government of Japan, UNDP Uzbekistan hosted a flagship side event on “Integrated Urban Resilience Approach” during the Eco Expo Central Asia 2025, bringing together national partners, experts, and city representatives to accelerate climate-smart urban transformation in the region. The event spotlighted innovative strategies for embedding climate and disaster risk reduction (CDRR) into urban systems to transform climate risk into a competitive advantage.
As climate change poses serious threats to Central Asia’s environment, cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts and disasters. The side event emphasized that cities across Central Asia are at a critical turning point: they can continue reacting to escalating climate hazards or can shift from fragmented, reactive planning toward systematic, inclusive, and economically strategic approaches.
The presentation session featured global and local insights, including:
Ara Nazinyan, International Expert from UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub, introduced the Central Asian Resilience Dividend concept – a system-thinking model that repositions cities from passive recipients of climate risk to active agents of transformation and investment. His presentation outlined how Central Asian cities can convert an estimated $100 billion in projected climate damages into market opportunities through systematic risk-informed planning. Nazinyan also introduced the Central Asian Resilient Cities Coalition (CARCC), an emerging alliance of cities committed to jointly applying standardized assessment tools, shared implementation guidelines, and cross-border cooperation frameworks to scale up resilience across the region.
Ulugbek Dedabaev, UNDP Project Manager, explained the vital role of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) in enhancing community-level preparedness and response capacity.
Feruza Nigmatova, Spatial Planning Expert at RAF LLC, discussed underlined the importance of sustainable urban design in reducing urban greenhouse gas emissions and promoting climate-neutral development.
Khojimurat Talipov, Chief Specialist at the Forestry Agency under the Ministry of Ecology, shared lessons from the “Yashil Makon” Green Belt initiative in Jarkurgan, which is reversing desertification and mitigating wind erosion through resilient afforestation efforts. The project also delivers measurable climate co-benefits, such as carbon sequestration and improved air quality for local residents.
Botir Ruziboyev, Deputy Khokim of Namangan, provided a practical view on integrating resilience into municipal development planning.
The event concluded with a call to action for national governments, development partners, and the private sector to join efforts in building a resilient urban future for Central Asia.
UNDP Uzbekistan reaffirmed its commitment to supporting partners in implementing integrated resilience models, contributing to global efforts aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, Sendai Framework, and Paris Agreement.
