Second National Seminar

under the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Project “Strengthening the Resilience of Central Asian Countries through Promoting Regional Cooperation in the Assessment of Nival-Glacial Systems for the Development of Integrated Approaches to Sustainable Development and Climate Change Adaptation”

On April 15–16, 2025, a national seminar was held in Almaty as part of the project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in cooperation with UNDP and implemented by UNESCO. An overview of the project, its objectives, and the status of the initiative was presented by Ms. N. Bramidze, Project Manager at the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty.

The objective of the seminar was to develop country-specific activities aimed at improving cryosphere monitoring, facilitating data and knowledge product exchange, and strengthening the capacity of specialists.

Approximately 60 participants attended the seminar, including representatives from the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Kazhydromet, Ile-Alatau National Park, universities, research institutes, NGOs, and youth organizations.

The Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre Category 2 under the auspices of UNESCO (CARGC) was represented by leading researchers N.V. Pimankina and A.B. Egorov, as well as specialists from the International Relations Department, I.A. Dikyh and A.Zh. Daulenkhan.

Seminar participants. April 15–16, 2025.

The seminar was opened with welcome remarks from Mr. B. Koishybayev – National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ICESCO Affairs, Mr. Amir Piric – Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty, and Mr. S. Khodzhimatov – Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP. In their addresses, they emphasized the importance of uniting the efforts of scientists to strengthen scientific transboundary cooperation in the study of the cryosphere. The United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Glacier Preservation. This global initiative aims to draw public attention to the issue of glacier melting and the risks associated with climate change. Dr. A. Ilyasova highlighted the importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women within the project.

According to the program, the seminar included a discussion of the national context for the vision, goals, and tasks to create a joint action plan. The main ideas focused on quality monitoring using unified methodologies, joint scientific research, and the transfer of information to stakeholders, as well as the training of qualified personnel.

The results of the seminar included the formulation of key tasks for studying the cryosphere of the Republic of Kazakhstan, considering the urgency of their implementation, as well as the necessary activities to address these tasks in light of ongoing global changes. Recommendations were developed for the creation of a bilingual platform for managing and exchanging data, experience, and knowledge.

N.V. Pimankina
Head of the Laboratory for Monitoring of the Dynamics of Snow and Ice Resources at the                       CARGC.