By Dilovarsho Dustzoda, Advisor to the Executive Director, the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC).
New approaches to strengthening cross-border cooperation on degraded land restoration have been proposed in Central Asia.
As part of the regional component of The Tajikistan Resilient Landscapes Restoration Project (RESILAND Tajikistan) under the World Bank’s RESILAND CA+ Program, a comprehensive analytical report prepared by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) has been published. The report makes the case for introducing harmonized cross-border policies to jointly address environmental and climate challenges across Central Asian countries.
The report proposes practical mechanisms for strengthening regional cooperation in biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, wildfire prevention and response, and sustainable natural resource use.
The study is based on an analysis of international experience and regional specificities and is intended to support governments across the region in addressing shared environmental and climate challenges.
Central Asian countries are increasingly facing challenges whose impacts extend beyond national borders. Land degradation, biodiversity loss, rising wildfire incidence, and climate change affect interconnected ecosystems across the region and require coordinated action and long-term cooperation. The mountains, forests, rangelands, ecological corridors, and protected areas of Central Asia form integrated natural systems whose functioning is not confined by state boundaries. In this context, effective natural resource management is not possible without coordination among neighboring countries.
The report treats the harmonization of cross-border policies as a practical instrument that enables countries to align principles, procedures, and cooperation mechanisms while preserving national sovereignty and the specific features of domestic legal frameworks. This approach improves compatibility of action and creates a durable foundation for long-term cooperation.
The research reviewed international practices in transboundary ecosystem governance, nature-based tourism development, biodiversity monitoring, wildfire prevention and response, the establishment of transboundary protected areas, and the application of nature-based solutions (NbS).
The analysis found that the most successful cooperation models are based on flexible cooperation mechanisms, institutional coordination, and regular data exchange. Based on the findings, the report presents a package of six harmonized cross-border policies focused on key areas of cooperation in Central Asia:
Promoting sustainable nature-based tourism and facilitating access to border areas
Establishing unified biodiversity inventories and comparable monitoring systems
Developing joint management arrangements for transboundary wildfires and biological threats
Creating transboundary protected areas and “Peace Parks”
Launching a regional forest-fire early warning system
Applying nature-based solutions (NbS) to protect infrastructure
The proposed policies are designed as framework instruments and envisage phased implementation, allowing adaptation to the diverse institutional and resource conditions of countries in the region. This approach enables gradual strengthening of cooperation without the need to create supranational structures or amend national legislation.
The analytical report concludes that the development of harmonized cross-border approaches can become an important step toward more effective natural resource management, reduced environmental and climate risks, and stronger regional cooperation in Central Asia.
The recommendations presented in the report can be used by government authorities and development partners in planning and implementing joint initiatives across the region.
Download the report in Russian (PDF)
The RESILAND CA+ Program is the World Bank’s flagship initiative implemented with financial support from the Global Environment Facility and the PROGREEN Multi Donor Trust Fund.
Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia implements the regional component of the national projects under RESILAND CA+ in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
