On August 22, a consultation meeting was held in Tashkent for stakeholders involved in the project "Support for the Realization of a Pilot Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

The aim of the consultation meeting is to ensure that the stakeholders understand the project activities required for implementation within the framework of the preliminary SEA assessment, discuss the implementation timeline and the stakeholder engagement plan. As a result of the meeting, it is planned to collect recommendations from stakeholders, which will further help improve the development and implementation of the SEA by a specialized environmental consulting company in Uzbekistan.

Representatives from ministries and agencies of Uzbekistan, international organizations including the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Asian Development Bank, and others attended the event.

"We are holding a consultation seminar today with stakeholders on the strategic environmental assessment project specifically for the "Charvak" tourism economic zone. This project will support the government in ensuring environmental sustainability for investments in infrastructure, buildings, and businesses that are attracted to this zone. As you know, this is a very popular region for tourists and has great potential for attracting further investment and growth, so it is very important for us to assess the current state of the environment and understand the likely impact of further development in this area. This will provide clear guidelines and a plan for the government to prioritize investments in this area," said Dr. Aaron Russell, GGGI Country Representative.

The project manager Goin Lorian also spoke about the role of the French Development Agency in Uzbekistan.

"Our agency mainly finances projects related to water supply, sanitation, and waste management. We also have a green economy project, within which we conduct a strategic environmental assessment with the help of GGGI's representation in Uzbekistan. It aims to include climate and environmental assessments in local institutions' strategic plans to provide them with assistance in incorporating these issues into their planning applications."

The meeting included presentations on the master plan and development prospects for the Charvak FTZ, opportunities and problems in the Bostanlyk district, interactive prioritization of environmental issues, group discussions, data collection for SEA research, and a plenary report on key ideas and presentation of next steps.

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) organized the event in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD) with support from the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change.

On February 15, 2023, GGGI and AFD signed an agreement on the project "Support for the Realization of a Pilot Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)."

 

The project aims to determine industry policy/programs at the development stage and subject to SEA, conduct pilot SEA, and summarize the experience gained during the pilot project to incorporate SEA approaches into the process of policy planning for sustainable tourism development with consideration for environmental protection. GGGI is responsible for creating basic conditions for SEA, which will be carried out by a specialized environmental consulting company engaged by AFD.