Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACCC-2025) “Achieving the Global Climate Finance Goal through Regional and National Actions in Central Asia”

May 13-15, 2025 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Date and place of birth: November 11, 1982, Republic of Tajikistan. 
Nationality: Tajik 

Country of citizenship: Republic of Tajikistan 

Country of current residence and work: Republic of Kazakhstan 
Position Name: Executive Director 

Organization: Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) 

Mr. Zafar Makhmudov is the Executive Director of the Regional Environmental 
Centre for Central Asia (CAREC).   

His main areas of professional expertise and activities are related to the mainstreaming climate change adaptation and mitigation into national development plans and strategies. Prior to joining CAREC, Mr.  Makhmudov served as the Head of the Project Implementation Unit at the Committee for Environment  Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, where he coordinated projects on natural  resource management at all levels of their implementation, including project development, structuring,  negotiation, execution and monitoring. He negotiated the initiation of new projects, which are carried out in close cooperation with a number of international development partners, in close coordination with the donor community and concerted actions of the multilateral development banks by providing access to climate and environmental funds with the support of the National Coordinator. The portfolio of implemented projects included the PPCR project in Tajikistan “Environmental Land Management and Improving Livelihoods in Rural Areas” and the “Program for Adaptation to Climate Change and Mitigation of Its Consequences in the Aral Sea Basin”. 

Mr. Zafar Makhmudov also served as the Senior Advisor to the Chairman of the Committee on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement of 2030. As a member of the Board of the Climate Investment Funds and Co-chair of the Pilot Program Committee for Climate Resilience, he  has advanced experience in managing and preparing National Adaptation Plans, a National Adaptation  Strategy for Climate Change, National Environmental Plan and extensive experience in conducting  negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other  climate related funds.  

Mansur Oshurbayev, Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Mansur Oshurbayev was born in 1988 in the city of Semey. He graduated from Satbayev Kazakh National Technical University and Turan-Astana University.

He began his professional career in 2010 as a lead specialist in the Environmental Regulation Department of the Yesil District Environmental Department under the Committee for Environmental Regulation and Control of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

From 2012 to 2016, he served as a specialist, head of department, and deputy head of environmental regulation in the Yesil District Environmental Department.

From 2016 to 2017, he was Deputy Head of the Ecology Department for the Aktobe Region under the Committee for Environmental Regulation and Control of the Ministry of Energy.

From 2017 to 2019, he served as Head of the Ecology Department for the city of Astana.

Since 2019, he has served as Director of the Department of State Policy on Waste Management at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

He currently holds the position of Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Asel Raimkulova, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic

Asel Raimkulova has over 27 years of experience in the field of environmental protection and ecology. Since the establishment of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, she has held several key leadership positions: from 2021 to 2022, she headed the Department for Water Resources Protection, and from 2022 to 2023, she led the Department of State Environmental Expertise. Since August 2023, she has been serving as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Loik Rakhmonzoda, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan

Speaker at the Opening Plenary Session “Regional and National Climate Policy: Achievements and Plans”

Loik Rakhmonzoda graduated from Tajik National University with a degree in Biology.

He has over 15 years of professional experience in the field of environmental protection. He previously served as Head of the Environmental Protection Department in the city of Tursunzoda and later in Dushanbe. He is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

He is fluent in Tajik (native), Russian, and Uzbek.

Makhtumkuli Akmuradov, Turkmen Statesman, Diplomat

Makhtumkuli Akmuradov was born in Ashgabat in 1962. He graduated from the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute in 1984 with a degree in geology. He holds the academic title of Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences.

His career began in 1984 as a Senior Laboratory Assistant at the Institute of Geology of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan. Until 1996, he pursued postgraduate studies and worked as a Junior Research Assistant and later as a Senior Research Assistant at the same institute. He subsequently held the positions of Head of the Department at the Ministry of Nature Management and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, and Head of the UNDP National Program for Environmental Protection in Turkmenistan. Later, he served as Acting Head and then Head of the Information and International Relations Department of the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan.

From 2001 to 2005, he was Deputy Minister of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan.
From 2005 to 2009, he served as Minister of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan.

In October 2009, he was appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
From February 24, 2010, to February 15, 2016, he served as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Currently, Makhtumkuli Akmuradov is an Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan on environmental and water diplomacy.

He actively contributed to the development of several key programs, including:

-       National Program for Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan (1999)

-       Caspian Environmental Program (2003)

-       Concept of the UN Special Program for the Aral Sea (2018)

-       Aral Sea Basin Program-4 (2020)

-       Concept of the New Caspian Environmental Program (2020)

-       Aral National Program (2021) 

Tatiana Proskuryakova is the World Bank’s Regional Director for the Central Asia region that encompasses five countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Prior to this appointment, she served as the Country Manager for Romania and Hungary during 2017-2021, Country Manager in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro based in Sarajevo since 2015, Country Manager in North Macedonia during 2013-14, and Country Operations Adviser for Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay during 2010-13.

Ms. Proskuryakova joined the World Bank in 1992 and throughout her career she has held various positions both in headquarters and in field offices, including in operations (in Europe and Central Asia Region and in Latin America and the Caribbean Region), portfolio management (in Latin America Department of Development Effectiveness), and corporate strategy (in Operational Policy and Country Services Vice Presidency). From 2003-2007, Ms. Proskuryakova was Senior Advisor representing the Russian Federation at the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors. Ms. Proskuryakova holds an M.Sc. in Economics/Political Economy from the Moscow State University, Russia, and an M. Phil. in Economics from the University of Oxford, UK

Svetlana Mogilyuk, Regional Coordinator of the Civil Society Climate Network of Central Asia

Svetlana Mogilyuk serves as the Regional Coordinator of the Civil Society Climate Network of Central Asia. She is also Chair of the NGO “ECOM,” Chair of the Association “Civic Alliance of Pavlodar Region,” and Coordinator of the Aarhus Centre. She holds a PhD in Geography.

Svetlana has extensive experience in public hearings, NGO work, donor communications, media engagement, and advocacy. She is skilled at creating compelling narratives and formulating professional arguments in opposition to specific initiatives.

Expert on climate issues at the Russian "Nature and People" Foundation, lead author of IPCC reports

Alexey Kokorin has nearly 45 years of experience in climate issues. He is the author of more than 190 scientific and popular works on the underlying physical causes and consequences of climate change, international climate cooperation, education and popularization of scientific knowledge. In 1981, Kokorin graduated with honors from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Physics Department. In 1984, he received his PhD degree in physics and mathematics from the same university. For over 15 years he worked at the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology of Roshydromet (Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring) and the Russian Academy of Sciences, where he progressed from junior to lead researcher.

Since the late 1980s, he participated as a leading author in the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for the dissemination of scientific knowledge on climate change among thousands of scientists who contributed to this work. In 2017, Mr. Kokorin was awarded the badge "Honorary Conservationist of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia", as well as the certificate of honor of Roshydromet for many years of diligent work.

Since 1994, Alexey Kokorin actively participates in the work of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in the 1990s - as a member of the Russian delegation, and for the last 20 years - as an observer and independent expert. From 2000 till Summer 2023, he was the Director of Climate Program of WWF-Russia (in March 2023, the organization was included in the Russian Registry of Foreign Agents).

Over many years of his work, Alexey Kokorin has been the leader or leading expert on over 30 climate projects of UNEP, UNDP, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, Fund of Presidential Grants and a number of international and national cooperation agencies. In recent years he became involved in activities in the Central Asia, in particular in the promotion of adaptation to climate change. From Summer 2023 till Spring 2024, he was consultant of the Central Asia Regional Ecological Centre. He also represents countries of the region in the special expert group of non-governmental organizations working on climate issues and the UNFCCC (Policy Coordination Group of the Climate Action Network). Since February 2024, Alexey Kokorin has been an expert on climate issues in the Russian “Nature and People” Foundation, where, in particular, he is in charge of preparing analytical materials on different aspects of the climate issues.

Through his work with the media Mr. Kokorin is actively involved in communicating scientific information on climate change to the public at large. Over the past 20 years he provided about 4,000 interviews to Russian and foreign media. Alexey Kokorin is constantly analyzing the activities of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement; since 2000, twice a year, he has been preparing detailed information reviews for specialists in Russia and neighboring countries. 

William Hynes, Co-Director of the C3A Program, the World Bank

Moderator at Parallel Sessions 1.1: Innovative Tools for Designing Climate Financing Strategies in Central Asia (WB C3A)

Speaker at Central Asia Regional Economy-climate Scenario-building workshop

William Hynes is a Senior Climate Change Economist at the World Bank, an Honorary Professor of UCL and an External Applied Complexity Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute. He works on integrating climate issues into the Bank’s macroeconomic analysis and dialogue in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Prior to this, as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary General and Head of New Approaches to Economic Challenges (NAEC) at OECD, he developed research programs on systems thinking, anticipation and resilience, new analytical tools and techniques and new economic and growth narratives. His publications and research are broad and interdisciplinary with a recent focus on green growth, systemic resilience and neuroscience inspired policy. He holds a DPhil from Oxford University, was a Marie Curie Fellow at the London School of Economics and is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin.

Etienne Espagne, Co-Director and Founder of the C3A Program, the World Bank

Moderator at Panel Session 1: Climate Finance and Innovations

Speaker at Central Asia Regional Economy-climate Scenario-building workshop

Étienne Espagne is a senior climate economist at the World Bank EFI chief economist office and an associate researcher at CERDI. He co-leads two major programs at the World Bank on analytical tool development and capacity development for finance ministries. Prior to this, as a senior economist at AFD (Agence Française de Développement), the bilateral development bank for the French government, he developed and contributed to a research program on the modelization and evaluation of climate damages, adaptation and mitigation strategies in developing and emerging economies, and previously worked at France Stratégie, CEPII and CIRED. He has published several papers on and continues to focus on building theories, models and methodologies to assess the macro-financial aspects of low-carbon and nature policies, especially in developing and emerging economies. He holds a PhD in environmental economics from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and is a graduate from the French École des Mines de Paris and the Paris School of Economics. 

Dilovarsho Dustzoda, CAREC Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (CCSE) Programme Manager, and Regional Climate Action Transparency Hub (ReCATH) Manager

Speaker and Moderator:

·       Pre-Conference Session: ReCATH AF kick-off meeting

·       Parallel Session 1.4: Regional Advisory Committee Meeting of the Resiland CA+ Programme

·       Panel Session 3: Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia

·       Parallel Session 2.2: Approaches to delivering NDC 3.0 and Methane ETF activities in Central Asia

·       Parallel Session 3.3: Green Economy Transition with Material Resource and Climate Change Linkage

Dilovarsho Dustzoda, Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (CCSE) Programme Manager, and Regional Climate Action Transparency Hub (ReCATH) Manager of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) that encompasses five countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Before this appointment, he served as the Head of the International Relations and Environmental Conventions Department of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan (2021-2023), Director of the Agency for Hydrometeorology of the Republic of Tajikistan (2020-2021), Director of the National Biodiversity and Biosafety Center (2019-2021). From 2003 to 2019, he had senior positions in the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Since 2001, Dilovarsho Dustzoda held management positions in several projects of international organizations (UNDP, World Bank, WWF, UNEP, GIZ), where he supervised projects on environmental protection, biodiversity, biosafety, protected areas, genetic resources and climate change.

He served as the National Focal Point for the UNFCCC and the permanent representative of WMO from Tajikistan. Being a member of COP/MOP UNCBD Bureue and member of several committees under these conventions, he has represented the Central and Eastern Europe region.

Dilovarsho Dustzoda holds an International Relations Master's Degree from the Tajik State National University; he is fluent in English, Russian, Turkish and Tajik languages.

 еорологической организации от Республики Таджикистан, членом бюро Конвенции по биоразнообразию, а также членом многочисленных комиссий этих конвенций, где представлял регион Центральной и Восточной Европы.

Диловаршо Дустзода имеет степень магистра международных отношений Таджикского национального университета, владеет русским, английским, турецким и таджикскими языками. 

Speaker at the Panel Session 3: Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia

Lyudmila Kiktenko has a background in economics and management of organizations, and economics of land degradation. She has worked in the development sector for over 23 years, including 18 years in the environmental sector and environmental issues in five Central Asian countries. As Programme Manager of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) Ludmila Kiktenko has prepared and managed the implementation of more than 15 multi-country and multi-partner grant projects in Central Asia, which have contributed to:

·        Understanding of water-energy-food security Nexus in Central Asia and practical application of the Nexus approach

·        Understanding of the opportunities offered by the Environmental Conventions to the countries

·        Promotion of ‘economization’ of environmental actions

·        Networking of experts and practitioners to strengthen educational programmers and implementation of pilot projects

Ludmila Kiktenko has practical skills in facilitating regional dialogues and cross-sectoral working groups, conceptualizing project ideas and preparing technical project proposals, implementing all phases of project management. She has extensive experience in monitoring project indicators, developing, consulting and evaluating the achievement of project objectives.

Fluent in Russian (native language) and English.

Nikolaenko Alexander Yurievich holds a Master's degree from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. With over two decades of expertise, he has contributed significantly to the development and execution of international projects focusing on environmental management and water resources across Central Asia. Notably, he has served as a regional advisor for the GIZ Program "Transboundary Water Resources Management" and, since 2020, for the "Green Central Asia" Program.

Senior Environmental Specialist in Environment, Natural Resources, and the Blue Economy

 Speaker at the Parallel Session D1 “Resilient Landscapes for Sustainable Development: Strategies, Innovations, and Partnerships” 

Asferachew Abate is Senior Environmental Specialist in Environment, Natural Resources, and the Blue Economy at the World Bank. Asferachew is Task Team Leader for Tajikistan RESILAND and the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin Projects. Asferachew joined the Bank in 2011 in the Ethiopia Country Office where he successfully led operations on sustainable land and forest management in Ethiopia, Sudan, Ghana, and India. He provided environmental safeguards support for many projects and played a key role in building clients capacity on safeguards. Prior to joining the Bank Asferachew had over 15 years of experience in environment and sustainable development by working in governmental and non-governmental organizations that included Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Heinrich Böll Foundation, and Ethiopia Wildlife and Natural History Society.  Asferachew holds a PhD in ecology from Bayreuth University, Germany.

Director, Knowledge and Learning, NDC Partnership

Speaker at Opening Plenary and Panel Session 2 “Climate capacity, innovation and financing: needs and opportunities”

Amanda McKee is the Director for Knowledge and Learning with the NDC Partnership Support Unit. She oversees the development of knowledge products and learning activities to support NDC implementation and ambition-raising efforts across the Partnership members and beyond. Previously, Amanda managed the Partnership’s Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP), supporting 67 developing countries to enhance their NDCs as part of the 2020 update process. This included disbursement of the Partnership's $30 million Technical Assistance Fund. Amanda has spent much of her career fostering collaboration to promote learning across sectors and disciplines to tackle policy challenges in the fields of climate change, green growth, and sustainable development.

Before joining the NDC Partnership, Amanda led knowledge management efforts for the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP), helping to shape global research efforts to support policy action on green growth, and encourage collaboration across multilateral organizations and research institutes. Prior to this, Amanda worked on trade and environment issues with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN’s International Trade Centre. This included contributions to the WTO/UN Environment report on Trade and Climate Change, development of training materials and delivery of training courses to government officials and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). She is a Canadian citizen and holds a Master’s degree in International Economics from the Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

GIZ

Sergey leads the programme “Climate Risk Management in Central Asia” implemented by GIZ on behalf of German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), working across all five countries on the cross-section of climate change, water resources management, DRR and transboundary cooperation. His previous assignments included coordinating regional GIZ projects in South-East Asia, negotiating on topics of climate finance and carbon markets, and working in different roles at the UNFCCC secretariat. He holds Master of Science in Physics and MBA from the London Business School.

Speaker at parallel session B.3: WEF Nexus Next Steps

Dmitry Petrin is a Senior operations officer of the World Bank Central Asia Regional office responsible for coordination of regional engagement agenda, development and update of the Regional Engagement Framework for Central Asia, operational support and policy guidance in connection with the preparation, approval, implementation, and evaluation of operational products and analytical works at regional and cross-regional levels. Serve as focal point to coordinate the Bank's high-level dialogue with other regional entities (e.g., other IFIs, CAREC, etc), internal and external parties (e.g., cooperation agencies and other international organizations) and monitor other regional engagements e.g., EU CA Strategy, China Belt and Road, US CA Strategy etc.

From 1993 contributed to preparation and implementation support of projects of the WB, EBRD, EU, DFID, New Development Bank, Foundation for Enterprise Restructuring. He was responsible for coordinating the activities of the project implementation team with partners and government agencies. 

Evetta Zenina, a specialist with broad experience in climate change, natural resources and sustainable management, from January 2019 taking up duties as Natural Resources Officer (Climate Change) in subregional office of FAO (Turkiye and Central Asia).  She is technically supporting countries of the region in the area of climate change and sustainable management of land and water, disaster risk reduction (DRR) to respond to the challenges posed by climate change and to implement and deliver on their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

She has expertise on managing the projects on   sustainable and resilient agrifood systems that provide a variety of solutions that respond to the climate crisis challenges and contribute to restoring degraded natural and managed ecosystems. Through the research, preparation of publications and supporting tool and methodologies development, she tailors and pilots good practices and innovative solutions, in the diverse range of regional, country and community to transform agrifood systems, policies supported by sustainable governance and appropriate legal and institutional frameworks.

Evetta holds Masters degrees in Economics from the Lomonosov Moscow State University and Sustainable Natural Resources Management from the Humboldt University of Berlin. She was also engaged as an Intern at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and wrote her master thesis there with the research focus on the global agricultural efficiency respective to the GHG emissions by applying quantitative analysis, qualitative methodologies and data collection methods.

Before joining FAO, Evetta worked in United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in the Chemicals and Health Branch in Geneva. She supported the management of the Special Programme projects on Institutional Strengthening (Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions related projects) with developing, least developed countries and economies in transition. Also, she is the co-author of several publications. 

Ms. Nailia Timerkhanova (Mustaeva) has 15 years of professional experience in climate change and sustainable development. She has been working with UNDP, CAREC and UNEP on climate resilience, transparency and climate reporting under the UNFCCC in all five countries of Central Asia. At present, she cooperates with ICAT/CAREC and UNEP-CCC on regional and global initiatives on capacity building for transparency in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Iskandar Abdullaev, a PhD Degree in water management, Facilitator at Session 3.1- Collaborative Climate Smart Solutions for Water and Land Restoration in Central Asia

Dr. Iskandar Abdullaev holds a PhD Degree in water management from Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME)

Dr. Abdullaev is a Senior Researcher at the International Water Management Institute. He is a water professional with around 30 years of experience. His professional career includes positions such as Professor at Giessen University, Germany, Deputy Director of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) from 2019 to 2023, and Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Center (CAREC) for Central Asia.

Dr Abdullaev's research interests include water sector developments and transformations, socio-technical aspects of water management, water history, water saving, and climate change. Dr. Abdullaev served as a Regional Advisor for Germany’s Berlin Initiative—Transboundary Water Management in Central Asia (Program) at the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). From 2007 to 2009, he served as a Senior Researcher at the ZEF Centre for Development Research, University of Bonn, Germany, where he conducted research in Central Asia and Afghanistan. From 2001 to 2007, Dr. Abdullaev worked as a regional researcher at the International Water Management Institute, Headquartered in Sri Lanka. His research focus included Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Caucasus.

Language Proficiency: English and Russian fluent, German- moderate, Uzbek- Native.

Георгий Куртовезов, кандидат технических наук

Georgy Kurtovezov, PhD in Technical Sciences

Speaker at Session 3.1 "Collective Climate-smart Solutions for Water Management and Land Restoration in Central Asia"

Georgy Durdyevich Kurtovezov is a graduate of the Hydromelioration Faculty of the Turkmen Agricultural Institute in 1977. Hydrotechnical Engineer. Academic degree - PhD in Technical Sciences, majoring in “ Melioration and Irrigated Agriculture”, Moscow Hydromelioration Institute, Moscow. 1985. 

Georgy Durdyevich Kurtovezov is the Head of the Laboratory of Hydrotechnics and Water Use at the Scientific-Production and Project Institute “Turkmensuwylymtaslama”. He started his professional career in 1977 at the Turkmen Research Institute of Hydrotechnics and Melioration. Since 1986, he has worked as a lecturer at the Hydromelioration Faculty of the S.A.Nyyazov Turkmen Agricultural University ( associate, senior lecturer, deputy dean, associate professor, head of the Department of Organization and Production of Hydromelioration Works).

Georgy Durdyevich Kurtovezov has the academic title of Associate Professor in the “Agricultural Melioration and Hydromelioration Systems Operation” , awarded by the Higher Certification Committee of Turkmenistan in 1995.

Since 2014, engaged in research activities at the Research and Production and Project Institute “Turkmensuwylymtaslama” of the State Water Management Committee of Turkmenistan (Deputy Director for Science, Head of Laboratory).

He has more than 40 published scientific works, including a lecture book for higher educational institutions of Turkmenistan, instructions, inventions and patents, as well as a number of methodological guidelines in the field of rational and integrated use of water resources.

Proficient in both Russian and Turkmen.

Gapurjan Hamrayev, Phd in "Physical Geography, Geophysics, Landscape Geochemistry and Biogeography"

Speaker at Parallel Session 2.1. Collaborative Climate Smart Solutions for Water and Land Restoration in Central Asia

Gapurzhan Hamraev obtained a degree in Physical Geography, Geography Teacher. PhD in Physical Geography, Geophysics, Landscape Geochemistry and Biogeography.

Gafurzhan Hamrayev has more than 30 years of experience in the environmental protection, physical geography and applied geomorphology, protection of engineering facilities from sand drifts and blowouts. He has extensive practical experience in the projecting and locating engineering facilities in the desert (roads and railways, power lines, pipelines and gas pipelines, etc.).

Gafurzhan Hamrayev has extensive experience in climate change, disaster risk management, and water resources management (both national and transboundary). Over the past two decades, he heads the Department of Hydrometeorology at the Makhtumkuli Turkmen State University.

Gapurzhan Hamrayev participated in international workshops in more than 10 countries, including Inwent and Erasmus+ workshops on emergency situations, sustainable land management, biosphere reserve planning in Central Asia. Including: Uzbekistan, Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan in the training seminars and workshops of UNDP-GEF, UNEP-GEF UNEP, ECO, Inwent and Erasmus+, etc.

Gafurzhan Hamrayev is proficient in Turkmen (native), Russian, and Uzbek.

Speaker at 2.1. Collaborative Climate Smart Solutions for Water and Land Restoration in Central Asia on the topic of the World Bank RESILAND CA+ Program Experience: Sustainable Landscape Restoration Project”

Durdyev Bayrammurad has a higher education in the field of agriculture, completed postgraduate and doctoral programs, and received a PhD in agriculture.

Durdyev Bayrammurad is the Head of the Biodiversity Laboratory of the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna of the Ministry of Environment Protection of Turkmenistan. He has more than 35 years of experience in the field of agroecology, has practical knowledge in the land resources management, increasing productivity of irrigated lands, optimization of crop fertilization system and introduction of coordinate farming system.

Over the past five years, he has contributed as a national expert in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Regional Program "Integrated Natural Resource Management in Drought-prone and Salt-affected Agricultural Production Landscapes in Central Asia and Türkiye" (CACILM-2) and the World Bank RESILAND CA+ Regional Program on the problems of restoration of degraded landscapes of Turkmenistan.

Published more than 40 scientific works, including 3 monographs on the environmental improvement in the Central Asian region.

He speaks Turkmen (native language) and Russian fluently.

Pirli Kepbanov, Кепбанов, PhD in Biology

Speaker at Session 2.1. Collaborative Climate Smart Solutions for Water and Land Restoration in Central Asia

Pirli Kepbanov graduated from the Faculty of Biology of the A.M. Gorky Turkmen State University in 1985. He obtained a diploma as Biologist and Teacher of biology and chemistry.

In 1995, he obtained PhD in Biology, specializing in Botany.

Pirli Kepbanov is the Director of the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna under the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan. He has more than 35 years of experience in the field of ecology, studying desert vegetation of Turkmenistan.

Author and co-author of about 75 publications, including 5 biology textbooks for secondary schools and a medical vocational college, 25 articles, 6 brochures, theses, etc. He also provides academic supervision for PhD students.

Projects successfully implemented with his participation include:

·       The Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management (CACILM)

·       The Multinational Capacity Building Project for Sustainable Land Management in Turkmenistan (2011);

·       "Conservation and Use of Agriculture and Biodiversity (Fruit Crops and Their Wild Relatives) in Central Asia" (Biodiversity International / UNEP-GEF, 2009);

·       Multinational Project on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Temperate Desert Ecosystems (Central Asian Desert Initiative – CADI, 2019–2020).

Pyrly Kepbanov has practical knowledge of pasture management, protected areas, forest restoration, and the sustainable use of natural resources. Since 1988, he has been actively involved in education and training: he lectures on Plant Physiology and Ecology at Magtymguly Turkmen State University. For the past 12 years, he has served as the Chairman of the State Examination Commission of the Faculty of Biology.

He is fluent in Turkmen (native) and Russian.

Moderator of Sessoin 2.1. Collaborative Climate Smart Solutions for Water and Land Restoration in Central Asia

Dovlet Jumakuliev is a law school graduate of the Turkmen State University named after A.M. Gorky in 1983. He obtained a degree in jurisprudence. In 1992, he completed postgraduate studies at the Institute of Socio-Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and successfully defended his thesis and was awarded the degree of PhD in Social Sciences.

Dovlet Jumakuliyev for more than 25 years carries out activities on implementation of international projects and programs, works on development of international relations and contacts in the field of ecology, environmental protection, water resources with such organizations as FAO, ADB, CAREC Institute, CAREC and other development partners. Within accomplished projects and programs, he produced 7 reсords and reports on relevant areas of environmental protection, water resources and other spheres of social life.

Within the framework of implemented projects Dovlet Jumakuliyev has gained extensive experience and practical knowledge in the field of ecology, environmental protection, water resources use, combating desertification and land degradation, reforestation, etc.

Proficient in Turkmen (native), Russian and English.

Dastan Abdyldaev, a National Expert at the SWITCH-Asia Programme Policy Support Component (PSC) in Kyrgyzstan

Speaker at Parallel Session 3.3. Green Economy Transition with Material Resource and Climate Change Linkage

Dastan Abdyldaev earned an MSc in Global Governance at the University of London Birkbeck, UK, and an MA in International Relations at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

He has 20 years of experience in Kyrgyzstan’s Government key positions as well as national projects. Experience in a variety of sectors with major expertise in climate finance-policy-diplomacy-strategy and mountains-climate change. 

Delegate to the multiple UNFCCC conferences: COP29, COP28, COP27, COP26. 

Currently a National Expert at the SWITCH-Asia Programme Policy Support Component (PSC) in Kyrgyzstan 

Recently, worked as an Expert on Climate Diplomacy & Mountains at the Secretariat of the Special Representative of the President of Kyrgyzstan for the Development of Mountain Regions. 

Previously served as a Director of Climate Finance Center of Kyrgyzstan and Focal Point to the UNFCCC, CMA, COPs, SBs, GCF, CTCN. 

Before that, he worked as an Expert at the Government Administration of Kyrgyzstan.

He is fluent in Kyrgyz (native), English, and Russian.

Utchang Kang, UNCCD Secretariat 

Speaker at Panel Session 3: Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia 

Mr. Utchang Kang has over 20 years of experience in sustainable development and international cooperation, focusing on nature conservation. He has been working at the UNCCD Secretariat since 2015. Currently, his key responsibility includes the Peace Forest Initiative, which focuses on the nexus between land, peace, and security. Previously, he took the lead on the sand and dust storms portfolio of the UNCCD secretariat, advancing global policy on sand and dust storms (SDS), including the publication of the SDS Compendium in 2022. He also worked on several initiatives, including the Changwon Initiative and the Business for Land initiative of UNCCD. Before joining the secretariat, he served at the Korea Forest Service from 2002-2015, working on international cooperation, policy, and a number of science projects related to biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. Utchang Kang holds a master’s degree in Agriculture. 

Language proficiency: English

Li Wenjun, Professor of Botany at the Herbarium of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Keynote speaker at Parallel session 3.1: Water, desertification, and biodiversity management under climate pressure

The topic is Experience and practice of sustainable landscape development from China and Asia

Prof. Wenjun Li graduated in Botany in 2016 from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he remained for his PhD in Plant Sciences.

Dr Li Wenjun is Professor of Botany at the Herbarium of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is now leading a research group working on plant taxonomy, evolution and distribution patterns of diversity in arid land.

He is fluent in Chinese (native), English.

Lei Jiaqiang, scientific leader of research project of desertification control in Central Asia region

Speaker at Panel Sessions 3: Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia

Prof. Lei Jiaqiang obtained a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Science degree, a Doctor of Science degree.

Prof. Lei Jiaqiang is former director-general of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, CAS, vice-chairman of Chinese Association of Sand Disaster Control and Sand Industry, director of ANSO-ACD (Association of Desertification Control) and so on.

Prof. Lei has been mainly engaged in the study of aeolian environment and sand encroachment control. He leads the research team to work on desertification combating technology and pilot demonstration in Xinjiang, China and in Central Asia and Africa Countries as well. One of the projects he involved is the Green Belt Project in the Taklimakan Sand Sea, the famous project in the world. And now, Prof. Lei is scientific leader of research project of desertification control in Central Asia region.

He is fluent in Chinese (native), English.

Duan Weili, the Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Keynote Speaker at Parallel Sessions 3.1: Water, desertification, and biodiversity management under climate pressure

The topic is Developing climate-proof water systems: examples and cases from China

Prof. Duan completed his B.S. in Safety Engineering at Sichuan University (2004–2008), concurrently pursuing a second major in National Economic Management (2006–2008). He earned an M.S. in Safety Technology and Engineering from South China University of Technology (2008–2011) and a Ph.D. from Kyoto University (2011–2014). From 2014 to 2017, he conducted postdoctoral research at Kyoto University’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute, CAS Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, and Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies.

Prof. Duan is the Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), specializing in watershed hydrological processes and sustainable development.

He has led major projects including the National Basic Resources Survey Program, the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, the CAS Pioneer B Program, and the Western Cross-Innovation Team Project. He has authored over 110 academic papers, including more than 80 SCI-indexed publications, with several recognized as ESI Highly Cited Papers. He has delivered keynote and invited speeches at international conferences such as the International Conference on Flood Management, UNESCO Hydrology and Water Quality Conference, and the International Congress on Modelling and Simulation (MODSIM).

His accolades include the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, Springer Nature’s "China New Development Award," First Prize of the 16th Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Natural Science Outstanding Academic Paper Award, First Prize of the Xinjiang Natural Science Award, CAS "Outstanding Communist Party Member," the 11th Xinjiang Youth Science and Technology Award, recognition as a "Top 2% Global Scientist," and designation as a Xinjiang Leading Talent in Scientific Innovation. He serves as Deputy Secretary-General of the Remote Sensing Subcommittee of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) China Committee, editorial board member for journals including National Science Review (NSR), Journal of Flood Risk Management (Wiley), and Hydrology Research (IWA), among others.

He is fluent in Chinese (native), English.

Tian Changyan, professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Discussant at the Parallel Sessions 3.1: Water, desertification, and biodiversity management under climate pressure

Prof. Tian Changyan obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Soil Agro-chemistry, a Master of Science degree in soil science.

Prof. Tian Changyan previously served as Deputy Director and Party Committee Secretary of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His notable professional affiliations include Standing Council Member of the Soil Science Society of China and President of the Xinjiang Society of Soil and Fertilizer. His research primarily focuses on soil improvement, plant nutrition, and oasis agro-ecology. His work addresses critical challenges in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, particularly in optimizing soil fertility, enhancing nutrient utilization efficiency, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in fragile ecological zones. He integrates multidisciplinary approaches to develop innovative strategies for combating soil degradation, salinization, and desertification, while advancing green agricultural technologies tailored to oasis environments. His studies emphasize the interplay between soil health, plant growth, and ecosystem stability, contributing to the scientific foundation for ecological restoration and agricultural productivity in arid regions.

Prof. Tian has led 16 national and provincial research projects, including key initiatives under China’s National Key R&D Programs (973, 863), National Natural Science Foundation grants, and regional collaborations. His impactful contributions have earned him prestigious honors such as the National Advanced Individual in Science and Technology Poverty Alleviation, National Outstanding Agricultural Science Worker, and Outstanding Contribution Expert of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He has published over 110 research papers, and holds 4 authorized national patents for soil improvement technologies. Recognized for translating research into practice, his methodologies have been widely applied in ecological restoration projects across Northwest China. Additionally, he serves in prominent academic roles, including professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Xinjiang Agricultural University, and holds leadership positions in professional societies such as the Chinese Society of Soil Science and the Soil and Fertilizer Society of Xinjiang. His work continues to shape policies and practices in sustainable agriculture and desertification control.

He is fluent in Chinese (native), English.

Jilili Abuduwaili, Vice President of the Xinjiang Geographical Society

Discussant at Parallel Sessions 3.1: Water, desertification, and biodiversity management under climate pressure

Prof. Jilili completed his Ph.D. in Geoecology at Lomonosov Moscow State University (2001–2005), B.S. in Physical Geography at Xinjiang University (1981–1986)

Prof. Jilili is the former Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). His research focuses on arid zone resource environments, ecological security, landscape evolution, and international cooperation with Russia and Central Asian countries. He has led over 20 national and international projects, including those funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, key initiatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, international collaborations, and programs under CAS, provincial/ministerial, and local governments.

He serves as director of the Kazakhstan Branch Center, CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, vice President of the CAS Overseas Returnees Association (Western Returned Scholars Association) and Chair of its Marine and Eco-environment Committee, Council Member of the Geographical Society of China and Deputy Director of its Geopolitics Committee, Vice President of the Xinjiang Geographical Society and Director of its Central Asian Regional Geography Committee, Expert Advisor to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Advisory Panel, Editorial board member for journals including Journal of Arid Land. With over 180 publications, he has authored/co-authored more than 50 SCI-indexed papers and 10 monographs.

He is fluent in Chinese (native), Russian.

Qiao Jianfang, the Head of Department of International Cooperation of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Speaker at Parallel Session 3.1: Water, desertification, and biodiversity management under climate pressure

Dr. Qiao Jianfang obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Soil Agro-chemistry, a Master of Science degree in soil science.

Dr. Qiao Jianfang is the Head of Department of International Cooperation of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences. She also is the director of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO) International Project Office for Science Initiative of Green Aral Sea, the secretary-general of Xinjiang Association of Sciences and Expedition, and the Executive Director of BCAA (Biodiversity Conservation Alliance for Arid Lands ) Secretariat.

She has led and participated in over ten international collaborative projects funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation, and international organizations. With nearly 20 years of experience in international collaborative management, she has initiated and chaired the establishment of the ANSO-Association for Combating Desertification (ANSO-ACD), the ANSO International Project Office for Science Initiative of Green Aral Sea, the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance for Arid Lands, and the China-Tajikistan Joint Laboratory for Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization.

She also has organized more than ten major international conferences and training workshops. Her extensive work experience and accomplishments in recruiting foreign expertise, establishing global collaborative platforms, and expanding international cooperation networks have contributed lot to cooperation and dialogue between the national research institute in China and the national research institutions in the Central Asian countries.

She is fluent in Chinese (native), English.

Gozel Atamuradova, Project Manager “Conservation of Land Resources in the Aral Sea Basin”, UNDP

Speaker at Panel Session 3.1: Collaborative Climate-Resilient Solutions for Water Management and Land Restoration in Central Asia

Gozel Atamuradova obtained a Bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, from Turkmen Polytechnical Institute and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management (Green Economy and Project Management) from Nicosia, Cyprus International University.

Gozel has more than 10 years of experience in the field of sustainable natural resource management and the implementation of environmental projects. She is currently leading a project of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan in collaboration with UNDP/GEF, aimed at the conservation and effective management of land resources and ecosystems in the Aral Sea basin. Prior to this, from 2017 to 2022, she held the position of Land Management Specialist in a UNDP/GEF project supporting the adaptation of agricultural communities to climate change in the arid regions of Turkmenistan. Her experience also includes coordinating a project by the Civil Society Organization "Bosfor" and the U.S. Embassy, focused on analyzing opportunities and risks for agribusiness development in the Ahal region, as well as working on initiatives aimed at capacity building and attracting investments for sustainable land management.

She is fluent in Russian, English and Turkmen.

Dr. Walid Ali, Policy Specialist – Climate and Security Risk, UNDP

Speaker at Panel Session 3: Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia

Has a PhD in Environment and Development from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, where he focused on sustainability and climate resilience. Dr. Walid Ali also earned an MSc in Strategic IT Planning from Universiti Sains Malaysia and a BSc in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Al-Gezira in Sudan, building a multidisciplinary foundation for addressing complex environmental and development challenges.

Walid Ali has over 18 years of experience in sustainability, climate change, and environmental governance across the Middle East, North Africa, Horn of Africa, Europe, and Central Asia. His expertise spans climate policy and risk management, sustainable development, low-carbon strategies, and circular economy initiatives. He has provided technical leadership in developing national policies and implementing multi-partner regional programmes to support countries' commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Over the past two decades, he has managed complex portfolios funded by bilateral donors, and vertical funds, delivering high-impact results in climate resilience, environmental governance, and ecosystem restoration. He has led over 25 strategic sustainability initiatives and supported transboundary cooperation in climate security hotspots.

Fluent in English and Arabic.

Tazeen Fasih, a Program Leader and Lead Economist for Human Development and Jobs in the Central Asian countries, the World Bank

Speaker at Panel Session 2: Regional Priorities and Collaboration on Climate

Tazeen Fasih earned M.Phil degree in Economics at QUAID E AZAM UNIVERSITY and holds Phd in Economics, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

Tazeen Fasih is working as a Program Leader and Lead Economist for Human Development and Jobs in the Central Asian countries in the World Bank, based in Almaty. She has global experience working on issues related to education and human capital development. During her career at the World Bank, she has managed and contributed to lending operations and analytical work programs in a number of countries in Africa, East Asia, South Asia and the Middle East regions.  Her policy-oriented research focuses on economics of education including improved efficiency of education expenditure in decentralized settings and on skills and labor market outcomes. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of London.

She is fluent in Urdu and English

Dr. Caroline Milow, Programme Manager, Green Central Asia Project, GIZ

Programme Director, Green Central Asia Phase II - Transboundary Dialogue on Climate, Environment and Security in Central Asia 2024 – present

Programme Director, Transboundary Water Management in Central Asia and Team Leader Uzbekistan at Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, based in Tashkent since September 2014-2020

Political Advisor to European Union Special Representative for Central Asia / European Union External Action Service (2011-2014)

Senior Project Officer / Programme Manager at OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan (2008-2011)

Analysis and Reporting Officer/Chief of Staff Office at OSCE Mission in Kosovo (2006-2008)

Deputy Head of Democratisation Department / Head of Civil Society Development and Gender Unit at OSCE Presence in Albania (2003-2005)

Head of Office - Regional Office Elbasan at OSCE Presence in Albania (2000-2003)

Field Officer at OSCE Presence in Albania (1999-2000)

Education

November 1993 to March 1998, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / University of Regensburg / Germany

November 1987 to August 1993, Master of Arts in history, political science, Slavic languages and literature

Barbara Janusz-Pawletta, Head of Regional Representative IWMI Office for Central Asia

International law expert with focus on water and environment, passionate about environmental research and education, with the working experience of the last 13 years in Central Asia and previously in her homeland Poland.

Currently Barbara serves as IWMI Country Representative – Uzbekistan, and Head of Regional Representative IWMI Office for Central Asia.

She is as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of the Central Asian Journal of Water Research (CAJWR) and a member of the International Law Association, International Water Law Academy and Centre for International Sustainable Development Law.

Sirojiddin Sorbon, the Deputy Head of the NDC Secretariat under the Committee for Environmental Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan

Speaker at Parallel Session 3.3. Green Economy Transition with Material Resource and Climate Change Linkage

Sirojiddin Sorbon earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University and a Master’s degree in International Relations, International Politics, and Global Development from the Diplomatic Academy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

He has over six years of experience in environmental and climate change initiatives at both the national and international levels. Currently serving as the Deputy Head of the NDC Secretariat under the Committee for Environmental Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan, he has coordinated and monitored climate finance programs, facilitated multi-stakeholder collaborations, and supported policy development for national commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Previously, he assisted with projects focused on land management, climate resilience, and sustainable development, working closely with various government entities, development partners, and international organizations. Throughout these engagements, he has honed his expertise in environmental impact assessments, project evaluations, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring comprehensive and inclusive approaches to addressing climate change challenges.

His professional background also includes contributions to regional forums and high-level dialogues on climate finance and resource management across Central Asia. Drawing on a strong foundation in international environmental law, policy formulation, and project coordination, he has actively participated in capacity-building efforts, networking events, and policy discussions that support Tajikistan’s broader sustainable development goals.

He is fluent in Tajik (native), English, Russian, Persian.

Deo Gabinete, the Regional Manager for Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Pacific at the NDC Partnership Support Unit 

Deo Gabinete is the Regional Manager for Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Pacific at the NDC Partnership Support Unit, based at the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Center in Bangkok. He leads regional coordination across over 30 actively engaged countries, supporting governments through all stages of NDC planning and implementation. Deo manages a regional team, contributes to global knowledge initiatives, and represents the Partnership in high-level dialogues to strengthen climate ambition and action. 

With nearly two decades of experience in climate policy, program management, and stakeholder engagement, Deo has worked across multilateral organizations, government agencies, and research institutions. He has consistently helped public and non-government stakeholders integrate climate and disaster resilience into development priorities, and has supported the design and delivery of climate programs backed by international partners and financial institutions. 

Before joining the NDC Partnership, he served as the Asia-Pacific Liaison for the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), facilitating technical assistance and capacity-building efforts to advance climate technology solutions. He also led the Climate and Disaster Resilience Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Philippines, supporting national efforts in disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable livelihoods. 

He holds a Master’s degree in Urban Environmental Management from the Asian Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science from Ateneo de Manila University.

Klaus Beck, UNFPA Deputy Regional Director in the Regional Office of Eastern Europe and Central Asia 

Klaus Beck took up the position of UNFPA Deputy Regional Director in the Regional Office of Eastern Europe and Central Asia in April 2024.

Before that he worked as Programme Adviser in the Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO) of UNFPA since December 2018. In this role he led a small team supporting the development and implementation of country programmes in the region.

Before becoming the Programme Adviser he was the UNFPA Country Representative for UNFPA in the Philippines from March 2014, where he started his career as Programme Officer (JPO) for UNFPA Philippines from 1997 to 2000.

Prior to taking up his position as Country Representative, over the previous decade (2005-2014) he held various positions at UNFPA Headquarters in New York including having served in an advisory capacity to the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Directors for more than six years. He re-joined UNFPA in 2005 after having undertaken consultancy work in the health sector in almost 20 countries across three continents from 2000-2005.

He graduated from the University of Copenhagen in 1997 with a Master’s Degree in Economics specializing in development economics and demography.

Solijon Mirzoev, Project Coordinator of the “Restoration of Sustainable Landscapes in Tajikistan”, Investment Projects Implementation Center under the Committee on Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan

Speaker at Panel Session 3 “Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia”.

Topic: “From local actions to regional policy: promoting harmonized approaches to landscape restoration”.

Mr. Solijon Mirzoev is a veterinary and environmental specialist, agronomist-ecologist, Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine, member of the Veterinary Association of Tajikistan.

He has more than 20 years of experience in the field of sustainable development and urbanization. He has practical knowledge in the management of forests, pastures, protected areas, policy and planning, and sustainable use of natural resources.

As an international environmental expert, Mr. Mirzoev possesses extensive knowledge and hands-on experience in environmental protection, sustainable development, and natural resource conservation at both national and international levels.

Solijon Mirzoev has extensive experience in environmental protection, climate change adaptation in agriculture, livestock and veterinary sectors, alongside strong project management and capacity-building skills.

Mr. Mirzoev is fluent in Tajik (native), English and Russian.

Johannes Baur, Head of Cooperation in the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan 

Since 1 September 2022 Head of Cooperation in the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan responsible for a wide portfolio of regional projects in Central Asia as well as for bilateral cooperation with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, including in the area of green transition, water, trade, transport relations. 

From 2020 to 2022, Johannes was working in DG Energy in the EU Commission in Brussels on the implementation of the European Green Deal. He was coordinating the revision of the EU Renewables Directive and international hydrogen policies. 

He was Head of Sector for Economic Cooperation, Energy, Transport and Environment at the EU Delegation in Ukraine from 2016-2020 and worked in the Support Group for Ukraine on energy reforms in Ukraine. Before 2014, he occupied different positions in the European Commission in the area of human resources, internal markets and international relations, including for EU-Russia energy relations and the negotiations of aviation agreements with third countries. 

Before starting his career at the Commission in 2000, he was working for the Foreign Ministry of Germany, as well as in the private and academic sector. He studied international law, history and Slavic languages and has a PhD in Russian history.

James Turitto, Director, Global Campaigns, Methane Pollution Prevention 

Moderator/Speaker at Panel Session 3.2: Mitigation and Global Methane Pledge in Central Asian NDCs 

James Turitto earned Masters in International Affairs degree at GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY and Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT. 

James Turitto joined CATF in October 2020 to work on global methane emissions reduction by partnering with environmental organizations, civil society groups, media, industry, and government officials. Based in Nashville, TN, James works directly with governments to support regulatory policy in the oil and gas sector. While at CATF, James has led major, successful international advocacy campaigns and launched the Fossil Fuel Regulatory Programme, a UN-sponsored program to support up to 20 countries on regulatory development. James has been quoted in news outlets around the world, including Reuters, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Boston Globe, the BBC, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, La Repubblica, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, and Climate Home News. 

Prior to joining CATF, James worked as a Senior Research Manager at MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) from 2013 to 2020, where he led efforts to promote transparency in social science research and organized regular training on research methods in Kenya, India, and the US for a global cadre of staff. He also served as a Senior Program Officer on a USAID-funded democracy and governance program in South Sudan from 2010 to 2013 for the International Republican Institute. James has a Masters of Arts in International Affairs from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Vermont.

He is fluent in English, speaks some German.

Oleg Bulanyi, Senior Programme Manager, ICAT

Oleg is Senior Programme Manager and coordinates the development and implementation of ICAT’s strategies and regional and country projects.

Oleg brings to ICAT more than 15 years of hands-on experience in climate finance, MRV, and carbon markets. Prior to ICAT, he managed climate finance accounting and reporting at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Previously Oleg developed the carbon markets regulatory framework at the UNFCCC secretariat and provided climate change consultancy services in Ukraine.  

Dr. Alba Lorente, Methane Monitoring Scientist

Dinara Azhigaliyeva, Deputy head, Central Asia Climate Foundation

Speaker at Panel Session 3.3: Green Economy Transition with Material Resource and Climate Change Linkage

Dinara Azhigaliyeva earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Life Safety and Environmental Protection (Atyrau Institute of Oil and Gas, Atyrau, Kazakhstan), and Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy (University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA)

With over 16 years of experience, she specializes in waste management, circular economy, and climate policy, leading initiatives that bridge government, international organizations, and regional platforms. In Kazakhstan, she has been instrumental in advancing waste system modernization through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the integration of circular economy principles, and the development of public-private partnerships to strengthen sustainable waste infrastructure.

Currently, she leads regional work on climate and waste. Her efforts include establishing the Global Methane Pledge Secretariat in Kazakhstan, and coordinating the 2026 Regional Climate Summit in Kazakhstan. She also plays a key role in shaping Kazakhstan’s position in international negotiations on a legally binding plastics agreement, promoting circularity, equity, and long-term sustainability, participating in the negotiation process on Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions on chemicals and waste.

She is fluent in Russian and English.

Dr. Wiebke Foerch, Deputy Head of Programme, the GIZ Regional Programme on Integrative and Climate-sensitive Land Use in Central Asia (ILUCA)

Speaker at Parallel Session 2.1: Collaborative Climate Smart Solutions for Water and Land Restoration in Central Asia

Dr. Wiebke Foerch is deputy head of programme of the GIZ Regional Programme on Integrative and Climate-sensitive Land Use in Central Asia (ILUCA), based in Tashkent. She has joined GIZ in Central Asia in 2022. Prior, Wiebke has worked with GIZ in various positions in in Germany, as well as in Africa – covering topics of climate change, agriculture, regional integration, and rural development. Before joining GIZ, Wiebke has worked for the CGIAR Research Programme on climate change, agriculture and food security and various other organisations within international development cooperation and applied research. She has spent most of her career in eastern and southern Africa, and has also worked in e.g. Yemen, India, Germany. She holds a PhD in interdisciplinary drylands management and applied anthropology from the University of Arizona (USA) and a Bachelors´ in Agricultural Systems from the University of Reading (UK).

Peter Kristensen, Lead Environmental Specialist, Environment Department, World Bank Group

Speaker at Panel Session 3: Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia

Peter Kristensen is a Lead Environmental Specialist at the World Bank and has more than 30 years of professional experience in coastal-marine environmental management, climate change, and biodiversity. He joined the World Bank in 2003 and has worked in the Africa region, Global Environment Department, and presently in the Planet Department of the Europe and Central Asia region.

Peter’s professional work has focused on advancing the management of coastal and ocean resources and action on the ground through investment and policy operations and frontier analytics and knowledge development. He has conducted operational work on protected areas management, extractive industries and environment, locust control, and pesticide management.

He is currently working on the blue economy and state of the biophysical environment in the Black and Caspian Seas, climate resilience in Central Asia, and open to engaging with partners and existing processes to accelerate the generation of results on the ground.

Previously, Peter led the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA), which is a transformative response to the urgency of managing coastal erosion, flooding, and pollution using marine spatial planning, economics, and finance to advance green, resilient, and inclusive development. Before that, Peter headed the Bank's work on oceans leading into the Rio+20 process and the Global Partnership for Oceans that was forged on the nexus of sustainable seafood and livelihoods, ocean habitats and biodiversity, and pollution reduction. He also worked as Sector Leader for Sustainable Development in West Africa.

Prior to the World Bank, Peter worked for the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Conservation International.

Peter holds an M.Sc. in Geology with a specialization in coastal geomorphology from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. He undertook research at the University of Patras, Greece. He is fluent in English, French, and Danish.

Valerie Hickey, Global Director, Climate Change Group, World Bank

Valerie Hickey is the Global Director for Climate Change at the World Bank. Prior to that she was the Global Director for Environment (ENV) at the World Bank. Before that she was the manager for Advisory and Operations in the Climate Change Group, where she oversaw the implementation of the World Bank’s commitments on climate change, climate mainstreaming and climate finance, and before that the Practice Manager for ENV in Latin America and the Caribbean where she managed a cross-sectoral team that supported countries and communities on issues related to climate change, sustainable forest management, integrated conservation and development, integrated coastal zone management, fisheries, pollution management and environmental health, environmental economics and environmental risk management.

Valerie joined the World Bank in 2003 as a specialist in East Asia and the Pacific, working on environment and rural development projects in Cambodia, China and Lao. Valerie has since worked across the Bank’s regions providing design and implementation support to a variety of operations, including in fragile states, where she led the Bank’s environment portfolio in Haiti following the earthquake in 2010. She has also led analytical work and technical assistance on frontier issues related to the blue economy, biodiversity and wildlife crime. Valerie focuses on solving problems and deploying the World Bank’s capital, convening services and analytical powers to unlock healthy nature as an engine of jobs and GDP, ensure healthy environments set communities, cities and whole countries up to succeed, and build green, inclusive and resilient economies. Before joining the World Bank, Valerie worked for World Wildlife Fund, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the US National Park Service where she worked on invasive species programs in Lake Mead, the reservoir to the Hoover Dam. Valerie holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University.

Sanjay Srivastava, Practice Manager, Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practice, Europe and Central Asia, World Bank

Speaker at Panel Session 3: Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia

Sanjay Srivastava is Practice Manager for the Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy (ENB) Global Practice for Europe and Central Asia. He leads a large team and Bank’s engagement in lending and advisory support to promote green growth, addressing air, water and land pollution; strategy to promote biodiversity and forest conservation, growing blue economy, and managing environmental risks across the Bank’s lending operation. Previously, he served as Practice Manager for ENB in West and Central Africa.  Sanjay brings vast global experience in devising environmental strategy and policy dialogue related to sustainable development, as well as hands-on experience addressing complex environmental challenges in several developing countries. He is a trained environmental engineer and a global leader in sustainable development with more than 30 years of applied international experience, including 18 years in Africa and South Asia region. 
Prior to joining the Bank, Sanjay worked in the private sector (natural resource management consulting), the public sector (environmental research utility), for a bilateral donor (clean technology financing) and a non-government organization (conservation advocacy).

Axel Lemus, an analyst on SFOC’s Methane Team

Axel Lemus is an analyst on SFOC’s Methane Team, supporting energy methane mitigation efforts across Korea and Asia. He works on research-based policy advocacy and collaborates with government stakeholders in East Asia, as well as international partners to advance methane mitigation in the energy sector. He has experience fostering technical cooperation on climate change, with a background in decarbonization at a Korean industrial association and work with UN organizations based in Korea.

Zhyldyz Toktorbaeva, Director of Project Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic

Speaker of Panel Session 3.Transboundary Landscape Restoration in Central Asia

Zhyldyz Toktorbaeva holds a Master’s degree in Law. She has over 20 years of professional experience in the field of disaster risk reduction. Her expertise includes planning and implementing preventive measures, disaster response and humanitarian action, development of legal and regulatory frameworks, and coordination of global sustainable development programs.

Over the past 10 years, she has worked on the implementation of public investment projects focused on disaster risk reduction, improving access to safe school infrastructure, and developing the insurance market — consistently and successfully achieving project goals. She also has extensive experience in drafting regional and national disaster risk reduction declarations and organizing high-level conferences in this field.

She is fluent in Kyrgyz (native) and Russian.

Saule Kozyke, Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the non-profit joint stock company “International Center for Green Technologies and Investment Projects”

Saule Kozyke graduated from the Almaty Institute of National Economy with a degree in “Economics and Planning of Material and Technical Supply and Sales”. She completed her doctoral studies at the Kazakh Economic University named after T. Ryskulov and completed an internship at the University of California, Berkeley, HAAS School of Business (USA) under the international "Bolashak" scholarship program. She holds a PhD in Economics.

With over 35 years of professional experience, she began her career in 1987 as an economist in a planning department. Since 2000, she has held senior positions in scientific, educational, governmental, and quasi-governmental institutions. These include serving as Deputy Head of the Information and Analytical Department of the Mazhilis (Lower House) of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Head of the Kazakhstan-American Technology Transfer Center of the “National Agency for Technological Development” in Silicon Valley (San Francisco, USA); and Head of the National Technology Foresight GreenTech at “QazInnovations” (National Agency for Innovation Development).

She has also served as a member of the National Scientific Council on commercialization of the results of scientific and technical activities.

Kristina Haverkamp, Managing Director, DENA

Kristina Haverkamp has been dena’s Managing Director since October 2015. As such, she is responsible for commercial administration, as well as the key areas of international cooperation and sustainability in transport –

Kristina Haverkamp studied law in Germany, Switzerland and the USA. She began her career in the German Foreign Office as a consultant in international environmental policy, and later became a rapporteur for the transport sector at the Federal Cartel Office.

She was subsequently appointed to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and the Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU, where, most recently, as Head of the Department of Economics, the ministerial adviser was in charge of energy and environmental policy, as well as industrial policy and policies relating to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Kristina Haverkamp is a member of the Executive Committee of the Weltenergierat – Deutschland e.V. (World Energy Council – Germany).

Kristina Haverkamp was born in 1961 and is the mother of a son.

Dr Ranga Pallawala, Key Expert on integrating Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP)

Dr. Ranga Pallawala serves as the Key Expert on integrating Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and ensuring compliance with global and regional multilateral environmental and climate change agreements under the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component of the SWITCH-Asia Programme. He brings extensive expertise in international climate change negotiations, collaborating with governments, businesses, and civil society to evaluate and develop strategies for achieving and adhering to international climate standards.

Hoyoung Jo, Climate Technology Specialist at the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)

Speaker at Parallel Session 1.2: Green Bridge: Innovative Technologies to Accelerate and Strengthen NDC Implementation

Hoyoung Jo holds a Master of Arts with a major in International Development and Cooperation from Korea University in Seoul and a Master of Science in Public Management from Fudan University in Shanghai.

Hoyoung Jo is a seasoned professional in climate technology and finance, currently serving as a Climate Technology Specialist at the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). With experience in the international development and climate sectors, Hoyoung has worked extensively with multiple UN organizations, including the CTCN, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Global Compact. His expertise spans the full lifecycle of climate projects, ranging from project design and implementation to scaling and financing.

At the CTCN, Hoyoung manages a global portfolio of technical assistance (TA) projects aimed at accelerating climate technology transfer and enhancing climate resilience in developing countries with a regional focus in Asia and the Pacific. He has led the development and implementation of TA projects, overseen collaborative RD&D initiatives, and facilitated strategic linkages between technology and finance mechanisms under the UNFCCC. His work involves close engagement with CTCN NDEs, GCF NDAs, and a broad network of UN agencies, MDBs, private sector entities, philanthropic foundations, and academic institutions. Previously at the GCF, Hoyoung played a role in managing a portfolio of funded activities, processed in Readiness support, and contributed to the quality assurance and results monitoring frameworks for GCF’s global operations. He has also supported country programming efforts within the Asia and Pacific region.

He is fluent in Korean (native) and English.

Bokhodir Rozikhodjaev, Project Officer at the Uzbekistan Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank 

Bokhodir Rozikhodjaev is a Project Officer at the Uzbekistan Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank, specializing in agriculture, food, nature, and rural development. He has over 20 years of experience in project management, infrastructure development, and geoinformation systems, contributing to major energy, water, and transport sector projects in Uzbekistan and beyond.

Bokhodir holds a Master’s in Environmental Science (Geoinformation Systems) and a degree in Civil Engineering. His expertise spans sustainable resource management, climate resilience, and policy development, with a strong focus on integrated water resource management.

Currently, Bokhodir manages two ongoing irrigation projects and one livestock financial intermediation (FI) project in Uzbekistan. He also co-leads the processing of a new sector development program in the country, supporting strategic investments in rural and agricultural development.

In addition to his technical expertise, Bokhodir has a strong research background, having published studies on natural resource conservation, land management, and remote sensing applications. He has also been actively engaged in capacity-building initiatives, training professionals in GIS, remote sensing, and environmental planning.

Aidzhan Karieva is an experienced banking professional leading the ESG agenda at Eldik Bank. With over 20 years in the financial sector, she specializes in integrating sustainability principles, developing green financial products, and fostering partnerships with international climate funds. She is a certified ESG trainer, a member of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic’s working group on ESG standards for the banking sector, and a member of the NAPI working group on green energy for the housing sector. Aidzhan actively contributes to strengthening the capacity of the Central Asian banking sector to support climate resilience and inclusive growth.

Alimkhan Abulkhan, Chairman of the Youth Organization "Climate for Us", Kazakhstan

Alimkhan Abulkhan is the founder and chairman of the student organization Climate for Us, dedicated to actively engaging youth in the fight against climate change and promoting sustainable development. Under his leadership, the organization implements educational initiatives, fosters climate leadership, and creates a platform for youth dialogue.

In addition, Alimkhan serves as the Eurasia Regional Representative in the global student network UN PRME (PRME Global Students), where he contributes to the integration of responsible management principles into education. His achievements were recognized with the title "Young Scholar of the Year" at the University of Narxoz Grand Ball 2024.

Yury Skochilov, Director of the Youth Environmental Center, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Yury Skochilov is the Director of the Youth Environmental Center in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and the National Coordinator of the NGO Climate Change Network of Tajikistan. He holds a PhD in Geological and Mineralogical Sciences and is a member of the Public Council under the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development of Central Asia (ICSD).

His professional focus includes education for sustainable development, sustainable natural resource management, climate risk and vulnerability assessment, climate change adaptation, rural development, and the promotion of renewable energy. He has worked as a consultant for climate projects of international development banks, where he contributed to the development of adaptation planning methodologies and the first pilot LAPAs (Local Action Plans for Adaptation) in Tajikistan, as well as the creation of a knowledge management platform and the establishment of a network for environmentally sustainable land management.

Yury is also a member of the Working Group on the development of the National Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change in Tajikistan.

Farrukh Sattarov, Director of the National Centre for Climate Change under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Farrukh Sattarov was born on July 28, 1986, in Jizzakh, the administrative center of Jizzakh Region. He graduated from Tashkent State Technical University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree and completed his master’s degree at the Higher School of Entrepreneurship and Business in 2023.

Before his appointment, Farrukh Sattarov served as the Head of the Environmental Policy Department at the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change. He has also held various positions at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection, the "Uzstandard" Agency, and other organizations.

Anna Piwowarska, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE

Project Management expert, dealing with energy related issues, markets, authorities and companies for the last 14 years.
Fields of professional interest: Energy Policies, Policy Analysis, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Development, SDGs, Power markets, Project Management, Project Planning, Program Management, Strategic Management, Business Analysis, Process Improvement, Change Management

Ilze Purina

•Over 20 years of overall work experience in the energy sector, specialized in energy efficiency and designing financing schemes and mechanisms for implementation of EE/ RES projects
• More than 10 years of experience in technical assistance / international cooperation projects in the area of energy efficiency, notably in Central Asia and the Balkans region
• Experience working with international financing institutions, as well as in the development of the national level investment programs, their implementation supervision and effectiveness assessment at the program and also projects level (including the development of procedures for project implementation supervision, project post-implementation supervision etc.)

Ainur Sospanova, Chairman of the Board Qazaq Green Association

At present, Ainur Sospanova is a chairperson of the Board of the Qazaq Green Association in Kazakhstan.

As the Director of the RES Department in the Ministry of Energy participated in the creation of the existing RES support system in the Republic of Kazakhstan:
- in determining the target indicators for the development of the RES sector for 2020, 2030 and 2050;
- in the creation of a scheme for the purchase and sale of RES and the creation of a single buyer of renewable energy;
- in the development and approval of the standard form of the PPA contract;
- in calculating and approving fixed tariffs for various RES technologies;
- in the creation of an auction mechanism for the selection of RES projects.

Experience in interacting with government agencies, local executive bodies , major international investors of RES, IFOs (EBRD, ADB, EDB, AIIB IFC), international organizations (UNDP, IRENA, USAID, UNIDO, DENA).
Experience in organizing and holding major international events, including as a speaker, moderator.

Dr. Iulii Didovets, Postdoctoral Researcher, Project Lead, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Dr Iulii Didovets is a PostDoc researcher at the Climate Resilience department and a Project Lead of the Green Vision Central Asia,  CWEH-Uzbekistan and AQUASIA projects at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. His area of interest and professional experience covers hydrological modelling, extremes and climate change.  Iulii develops his knowledge working in projects on Europe, Africa and Central Asia, where he also expands his expertise in capacity building, teaching and assessment of the climate impacts.
Iulii holds a Master degree in Geoecology and PhD in Geography. As a PhD student got a scholarship from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) within Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees program, and was involved as a researcher at the NatRisk Change Research Program at the Potsdam University for flood risks assessment in the mountain regions.

Olzhas Baimakhanov, Head of Smart grid center Energo University (AUPET)

Olzhas Baimakhanov is a senior lecturer and researcher at the Almaty University of Power Engineering and Telecommunications, where he has been contributing to the academic and scientific community for over eight years. With a strong background in power systems, he has also worked as a lead researcher and previously held technical roles in Kazakhstan’s energy sector, including positions at JSC “Energosistema” REDC and LLP “KazEnergoExpertiza.” His expertise spans relay protection, energy systems analysis, and technical education.

Turukmen Zhabudaev, Head of the Renewable Energy Department at the Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov

Dr Turukmen Zhabudaev is the Head of the Renewable Energy Department at the Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov, Bishkek. He is also an Associate Professor of the Department. In 1995, he graduated from the Kyrgyz Technical University (KTU), Bishkek and obtained a diploma in specialty of Hydroelectric Power Stations. Mr. Zhabudaev is an author of 13 educational-methodical manuals, and four training programs and has published 24 scientific papers in local and international journals and textbooks. He owns the copyright certificate for the program for calculating and selecting the type of hydro-turbines for Micro Hydro Power Station, and the patent for the device for regulating the speed of rotation of the hydroelectric unit of a micro-hydroelectric power station. In 2009, he published the «Hydro-Energetic Mountings» manual for the High Educational Establishments under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic. Under the USAID-funded project, Mr. Zhabudaev developed a modern curriculum on renewable energy resources for higher educational institutions. He is also led and implemented the project of a network photovoltaic plant with a capacity of 80 kW in Bishkek.

Tatiana Vedeneva, President at Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Development

Tatiana Vedeneva’s area of expertise lies in renewable energy—particularly solar and biogas technologies—and the green economy. She has developed, fundraised, and managed numerous renewable energy projects, ranging from analytical reports and desktop studies to practical field research. Her work includes preparing feasibility studies, conducting express energy audits of buildings and enterprises, and developing tailored recommendations for implementing green energy and energy efficiency solutions. She has also overseen installation services and managed maintenance and repairs of distributed renewable systems. Tatiana has extensive experience in capacity building, including the development of informational and educational materials, as well as delivering trainings and practical seminars. In addition, she is actively engaged in system dynamics modeling of the green economy using Vensim and has contributed to drafting and advocating for policy and regulatory documents that support sustainable development in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Sven Ernedal, Programme Manager for Renewable Energy in Central Asia, GIZ

Sven Ernedal is an experienced international energy expert currently serving as Program Manager for Renewable Energy in Central Asia at GIZ in Astana, Kazakhstan. With over 17 years at GIZ, he has led and managed numerous high-impact initiatives across Asia and Africa, including rooftop solar development in Vietnam, energy efficiency programs in Tanzania, and EU-China energy collaboration. Sven brings deep expertise in renewable energy policy, project implementation, and regional cooperation, and has worked extensively to promote sustainable energy transitions in both emerging and developing economies.

Yerlik Karazhan, CA Climate Foundation, CEO and ESGQ Rating Agency, co-founder

Yerlik Karazhan is the CEO of the Central Asia Climate Foundation (CACF), where he leads regional initiatives to combat climate change, including the organization of the 2026 Regional Climate Summit. With a strong background in sustainable development, strategic communications, and ESG, he is also the co-founder of ESGQ Rating Agency and a member of the Experts Club under the Senate of Kazakhstan. Yerlik has over a decade of experience in professional education, consulting, and public engagement, having founded KEN Business Academy and lectured at Atyrau Oil and Gas University. His work bridges government, business, and academia to accelerate Central Asia’s transition toward a more sustainable future.

Wulf-Hendrik Goretzky, IRDP/TRIGGER Project Director in GIZ

Speaker at Parallel Session 3.1.: Water and Energy NEXUS in Central Asia under a Changing Climate

Wulf-Hendrik Goretzky holds a degree in Economics from the University of Cologne (1978–1985), and was a visiting student at the University of Sussex in Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom (1981–1982).

Wulf-Hendrik Goretzky is an experienced international development professional currently working as IRDP/TRIGGER Project Director in GIZ, where he is responsible for overall project management, strategic planning, and monitoring of project implementation. Throughout his career, he has held various leadership positions, consistently overseeing complex development projects, coordinating multi-stakeholder efforts, and guiding teams toward sustainable and results-oriented outcomes. His work has focused on economic development, institutional strengthening, and cross-sectoral cooperation. He brings extensive managerial experience from assignments in Tajikistan, Myanmar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Germany.

He is fluent in German (native) and English.

Amina Akhmetzhanova, Country Engagement and Outreach Consultant

UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

Amina Akhmetzhanova is a specialist in agricultural policy, climate governance, and international development, currently serving as Country Engagement and Outreach Consultant at the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Secretariat in Paris. In this role, she supports governments in advancing short-lived climate pollutant mitigation. 

Prior to joining CCAC, Amina held senior roles in the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, the Islamic Organization for Food Security (OIC), and the private sector, where she led climate-smart agriculture and food security programs across Central Asia. 

She brings over a decade of experience in multilateral cooperation, climate policy integration, and public sector engagement. 

Amina holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Bergen, Norway, and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from KIMEP University in Kazakhstan.

Dzhergalbek Ukashev, the Deputy Director of the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction

Dzhergalbek Ukashev is a graduate of the Moscow Higher Command School and the Higher Central Officer Courses of the USSR Defense Ministry. He served in the Armed Forces of the USSR, rising to battalion commander, and later held senior positions in the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic. He worked as a UN Coordinator on emergency response projects in Kyrgyzstan and served as an advisor to the Minister of Emergency Situations. He has extensive experience as a project manager, expert, and consultant for various international organizations. Currently, he is the Deputy Director of the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction.

Burcu Dagurkuden, Technical Specialist on Climate Change Adaptation at UNDP 

Burcu Dagurkuden is a Technical Specialist on Climate Change Adaptation at UNDP, providing technical assistance and strategic guidance to over 40 countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, Central Asia and the MENA region on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and climate finance, with a focus on accessing and implementing Green Climate Fund readiness projects.

In her role, Burcu supports countries to advance inclusive, gender-responsive, and climate-resilient development by strengthening institutional capacities, policy frameworks, and financing mechanisms. She advises on the design and management of climate adaptation projects, facilitates stakeholder engagement, and contributes to regional and global knowledge-sharing platforms. Her work focuses on fostering partnerships with governments, development partners, and the private sector to mobilize resources and align adaptation planning with broader sustainable development and climate action goals.

She completed graduate studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Solvay Business School and the University of California, Berkeley's College of Natural Resources, and holds a degree in Political Studies from Istanbul University. Earlier in her career, Burcu worked with the European Parliament and European Commission and she has also collaborated with civil society organizations on environmental advocacy and public policy initiatives.

She is fluent in English, French and Turkish.

Sylvie Goyet, Deputy Coordinator, Head Environmental Activities, OSCE

Speaker at Parallel Session 3.1.: Water and Energy NEXUS in Central Asia under a Changing Climate

Sylvie holds Master degree in Environmental Management from the University of London, an MBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master in International Business from the Lyon Business School.

Prior to joining OCEEA, Sylvie was Advisor to the CEO and Vice President at Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. She served as Director, Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability programme at SPC / Pacific Community, based in New Caledonia from 2015 to 2020, and Director General of Fondation Internationale du Banc d’Arguin from 2008 to 2014, working in West Africa on coastal and marine issues, marine protected areas and conservation finance. Her past assignments also included positions of Regional Coordinator of the UNOPS/UNDP/GEF MedWetCoast project and Programme Manager at WWF International, UNDP Black Sea, UNEP Caspian Sea, and UNDP Fiji. Particularly committed to environmental protection and conservation finance, she serves on the boards of Rewilding Europe, Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA), BioGuine Foundation, BaCoMab Foundation, Tour du Valat research center, and Edinburgh Ocean Leaders. Sylvie is a French and Swiss citizen.

She is fluent in French (native) and English.

Alessandra Fidanza, an International Environment and Climate Change Advisor, Chartered Architect, Urban Planner, and Programme Manager

Speaker at Panel Session 1: Climate Finance for Central Asia: Regional and National Perspectives - Achieving the Global Climate Finance Goal through Regional and National Actions in Central Asia

·        European and International Environment and Climate Change Advisor

·        Chartered Architect and Urban Planner

·        Vice-Chairperson of the UN-ECE Committee on Environmental Policies

·        WHO European Environment and Health Task Force Bureau Member

·        Focal Point for Italy in the Intergovernmental Council Buildings and Climate

·        Laurea Magistralis (BA+MSc) in Architecture and Urban Planning (Hons)

·        Master in Global Environmental Protection and International Politics (Hons)

·        Registered at the Board of Architects and Urban Planners of Rome (Italy) #16053

·        Full Member of the Italian Institute of Urban Planning (INU)

Alessandra Fidanza is an International Environment and Climate Change Advisor, Chartered Architect, Urban Planner, and Programme Manager with over 25 years of experience in cities, sustainability and environmental projects, mainly focused on climate change. She is a Senior Expert at the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, representing Italy in various European and international organisations such as UNFCCC, UN-Habitat, WHO Environment and Health, UNECE, FAO, and IEA. She has managed several multilateral activities for the Italian Ministry of Environment, including initiatives such as ICAT (UNOPS), 3DEN Initiative (with the IEA and UNEP), and FAO-IACSA, which have received substantial funding from Italy.

Alessandra serves as vice-chair of the Bureau of the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policies, a Bureau Member of the WHO European Environment and Health Task Force, and a Member of the UNECE Environmental Performance Reviews Expert Group.

Alessandra frequently speaks or chairs international environmental and climate change forums. She also organises high-level events involving government participation.

She was part of the Italian climate change negotiation unit and the International Panel of Experts, which contributed to drafting the UN New Urban Agenda. She has actively participated in the "EU-Central Asia Platform of Environment and Water Multilateral Cooperation" framework and engaged in various bilateral governmental environmental agreements and international cooperation projects in Central Asia, Nepal, Vietnam, and North Africa.

In 2023, she organised and co-chaired the EU-Central Asia High-Level Conference on Environment and Water Cooperation in Rome on behalf of Italy, collaborating with the European Commission. She also chaired the Green Transition Session of the second EU-Central Asia Economic Forum held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Alessandra has further contributed to the elaboration of Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) for several countries, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Morocco, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Additionally, she authored the UNECE Country Profile on Housing and Land Management of Uzbekistan in 2014.

With a solid academic background, Alessandra has lectured at the Universities of Rome (La Sapienza) and Berlin (Technische Universität).

She is fluent in Italian (native), English and French. She has working knowledge of Russian and German and understands Spanish.

Martin Jaeger, Regional Advisor, CRMCA Project/ GIZ 

Martin Jaeger is a German national and works especially on the adaptation to climate change component within the CRMCA project-team and technically backstops relevant regional activities for 1,5 years. Besides, he carries out the overall monitoring & evaluation activities of three major project components. He holds a degree in Geology and has longstanding experience in development cooperation within GIZ and other development agencies among other, in the areas of transboundary water resources management, groundwater management, disaster risk management and food security.