UCA at COP29: Advancing Climate Resilience and Decarbonisation in Central Asia

The University of Central Asia (UCA) actively participated at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), held on 11-15 November in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event brought together global leaders, researchers, and activists to tackle pressing climate issues, with a spotlight on international cooperation for resilience, sustainability, and decarbonisation.

Representing UCA’s Graduate School of Development (GSD), Dr Madina Junussova, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Policy and Administration (IPPA), participated in a session on decarbonising urban transport in Central Asia. Addressing a distinguished audience, Dr Junussova highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure adaptation in the region to meet decarbonisation goals. She called for unified regional strategies and emphasised collaboration as the key to a low-carbon future. UCA’s research methodologies earned praise, with participants encouraged to adopt similar approaches across Central Asia.

At the Kyrgyz Republic Pavilion, Dr Vitalii Zaginaev, a Research Fellow at GSD’s Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI), shared his research on leveraging modern technologies to monitor natural disasters. He highlighted innovative methods, such as early warning systems for debris flows and flash floods in the Fergana Valley, emphasising their importance for building climate resilience in transboundary areas of Central Asia.

Maksim Kulikov, MSRI’s Academic Team Lead, further enriched UCA’s presence at COP29 by sharing findings from social studies conducted in Batken and Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic illustrating how local communities observe and adapt to climate change. He also presented comparative research on the impact of climate change on natural resources in these provinces.

UCA’s involvement at COP29 contributed to raising awareness about the importance of climate risk management in Central Asia, particularly through innovative research and the application of technology. Building on the momentum of COP29, UCA is planning several follow-up initiatives, including the Post-COP29 Winter School in Tekeli in January 2025, which will focus on urban resilience and carbon neutrality for high school students. Additionally, UCA is organising a Green Finance Webinar in collaboration with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to disseminate knowledge on green finance initiatives.