The conference is aimed at establishing multisectorial dialogue and exchange of knowledge on priority measures on adaptation and technologic demands to climate change in economic sectors of Central Asia.

The event is also aimed at raising awareness and sharing knowledge on funding opportunities for adaptation to climate change, and preparing joint recommendations for the 18th conference of the UNFCCC parties, which will be held in Doha, Qatar, on 26 November - 7 December 2012.

The event was organized by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia and its office in Uzbekistan, at the assistance of the State Committee on nature protection of Uzbekistan and Center for Hydrometeorology of Uzbekistan and at the participation of the Asia-Pacific Adaptation Network, UNDP Central Asian Multi-Country Programme on Climate Risk Managemen (CA-CRM), Drynet global network, and the Norwegian government.

Climate change is diverse, in particular, a change in the frequency and intensity anomalies and extreme weather events. During the 21th century, it is likely that climate change can accelerate.

High speed of global warming, observed in last several decades in Central Asia, is a great concern. Climate change poses serious challenges for countries with arid climate, fragile mountain and very sensitive delta ecosystems and affected by drought, flood debris to accelerated land degradation and desertification. Moreover, the projected impacts of climate change, as well as current and future climate risks will aggravate situation with water supply in the region.

Currently, role and necessity of adaptation to current and expected climate change in all climate-depended sectors of economy is growing.

Global warming will continue to impact to extreme weather conditions in the region. It is expected that number of drought and high temperature will increase in the region. It can also change regime of formation of water resources and can lead to other negative consequences. Therefore, there is need for consolidation of efforts to limit the negative impacts to the environment.

Timely determining and developing of system of measures on climate risks management will allow to mitigate or prevent negative impacts to climate change, decrease damage to climate-depended of natural disasters.

Egor Volikov, participant of the conference and regional coordinator of CA-CRM, said that already today impact of climate change stretch beyond borders of separate countries and became regional issues. CA-CRM, which was developed on the initiative of the Central Asian Governments, directed at eliminating existing gaps and is a complex measures on coordination of existing approaches in eight areas of climate risks management.

He said that the programme also implements measures on further effective coordination of projects, related to climate change and implemented in Central Asia.