Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The UNDP-GEF project on “Strengthening National Capacity in Rio Convention Implementation through Targeted Institutional Strengthening and Professional Development” (RIO project) in cooperation with the joint project of ADB and the Government of Uzbekistan “Development of the Welfare Improvement Strategy of Uzbekistan for 2011-2014” organized a working meeting to discuss global and national environmental priorities and their better integration into the proposed Welfare Improvement Strategy of Uzbekistan for 2011-2014.

The Welfare Improvement Strategy (WIS) is an important and strategic national policy document which establishes medium- and long-term development goals for Uzbekistan. During 2008-2010 Uzbek Government embarked on implementation of WIS I which was the government’s first national development strategy and aimed at supporting sustainable growth and employment generation by creating favorable conditions for attracting private investment and deepening structural and institutional reforms to increase the economy’s competitiveness. Currently, in collaboration with development partners including the Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and German Development Cooperation through GIZ, the preparation of a new welfare improvement strategy for 2011-2014 (WIS II) is underway. The WIS II is expected to focus on deepening progress toward sustainable growth, employment creation, human development and welfare improvement. One of the key thematic areas of WIS II is related to environment.

More than 25 participants including members of selected WIS II thematic groups and representatives from various environmental and other agencies including the State Committee for Nature Protection, the Center for Hydro meteorological service, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources and others, attended the meeting aimed at promoting the dialogue, ensuring broad participation and exchange of view among experts in the area of environment protection and specialists involved into the development of the Strategy.

The working meeting started with the presentation of global and national environmental priorities in the area of climate change, biodiversity conservation and land degradation as well as activities undertaken by relevant agencies towards meeting commitments under the global agreements and conventions. Presentations were followed by thematic discussions and group work. Participants focused on various issues related to vulnerability and impact of climate change to economic growth and development, resiliency and adaptation measures to climate change, influence of economic activities on ecosystems and its components, aftermaths of land degradation on agriculture, other sectors and ultimately on human welfare. During the group work experts were engaged into the identification and elaboration of steps and measures towards addressing and integration of key environmental priorities within the development of WIS II.

It is expected that the outcome of the meeting is strengthening the dialogue and ensuring broad participation of experts from various environmental agencies within the preparation of the Welfare Improvement Strategy for 2011-2014. It would help to build up an essential network for close cooperation among the economists and environmentalists and facilitate participatory consultations in elaboration of relevant thematic areas within WIS II. Ultimately better integration of major environmental concerns into the national strategy would further promote Government’s efforts towards sustainable development and welfare improvement.

The UNDP-GEF “Strengthening National Capacity on Rio Convention Implementation through Targeted Institutional Strengthening and Professional Development” project is a part of the UNDP Environment and Energy portfolio which works is to strengthen environmental administration and management by building institutional and human resource capacities within interested environmental agencies and to promote effective integration of national and global environmental priorities contained in Rio Conventions into the national policy planning process.

“Development of the Welfare Improvement Strategy of Uzbekistan for 2011-2014” is a joint project of ADB and the Government of Uzbekistan aimed at providing technical assistance towards preparation of Uzbekistan’s development strategy and programme for the next 4 years.