Tashkent hosted the second meeting of the Interdepartmental Working Group (IWG) on the prevention of water pollution and the safety of tailings facilities in Uzbekistan. The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Ecology, environmental protection and climate change, government agencies, international organizations, the scientific community, the private sector and civil society.
The main objectives of the second meeting included the discussion and approval of:
- The Roadmap and the draft concept of the law on Uzbekistan’s accession to the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents;
- Progress in the situational analysis in the areas of water, sanitation, and health within the framework of the Protocol on Water and Health;
- The framework of a Joint Emergency Action Plan for the Syrdarya River Basin;
- The IWG’s work plan for the second half of 2025 and key directions for project implementation.
During three sessions, participants reviewed the progress of national initiatives on industrial safety, discussed the impacts of climate change on water resources and tailings facilities, shared inter-agency experiences and agreed on next steps for project management.
A key outcome of the meeting was the endorsement of the draft Joint Emergency Action Plan for the Syrdarya River Basin, as well as the strengthening of cross-sectoral collaboration among stakeholders.
The event marked a significant step forward in Uzbekistan’s efforts to build a more resilient system for water resource protection and industrial safety in the context of climate change. The next IWG meeting is scheduled for the second half of 2025.
