Camels trot where water once flowed: The desiccation of the Aral Sea. © Panos Pictures

Land Degradation in Central Asia

Policy frameworks in Central Asian countries must increasingly integrate sustainable land management practices that are needed to underpin economic growth in rural areas.

Topics: Energy, Environment, Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , Energy and the Environment, Environment & Energy, Economic growth, Kazakhstan, Water, Social policy, Macroeconomic policy, Environmental sustainability, Agriculture, Rural poverty, Central Asia, Land degradation, Sustainable land management, Capacity development

People in the Tugai community help to plant new trees in the Nature Reserve in Karakalpak Autonomous Region, Uzbekistan. © UNDP Uzbekistan

Reforestation in Uzbekistan: Lessons from Nuratau

An innovative project in Uzbekistan is helping rural households reverse forest loss by granting them formal rights to forestry resources.

Topics: Energy, Environment, Rural development, Uzbekistan , Energy and the Environment, Environment & Energy, Property rights, Sustainable land management, Forests, Microcredit

Courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, (eol.jsc.nasa.gov), Image Nr. ISS002-E-7771.JPG

Tajikistan’s Lake Sarez: Natural Wonder, or Time Bomb?

Should a strong earthquake or rock slide hit, the resulting flood could generate a wave large enough to displace some 6 million people.

Topics: Energy, Environment, Tajikistan , Energy and the Environment, Environment & Energy, Water, Early warning, Disaster risk, Crisis prevention

The mouflon finds refuge in Cyprus’ buffer zone. © UNDP Cyprus

Hawks, Doves–and Wild Sheep

Cyprus’s buffer zone has become an unexpected sanctuary for the largest wild mammal of the island, and possibly many other rare species.

Topics: Conflict, Energy, Environment, Cyprus , Energy and the Environment, Environment & Energy, Peace building, Local development, Biodiversity, Environmental protection, United Nations

Activist NGOs such as Greenpeace in the Czech Republic bring public attention to environmental degradation. © Panos Pictures

Investing in Civil Society: Diversification of Environmental NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe

A new survey indicates that environmental NGOs in Central Europe have diversified into three categories, each making important contributions to environmental governance.

Topics: European Union, Energy, Environment, Energy and the Environment, Environment & Energy, Civil society, Central and Eastern Europe, NGOs, Environmental protection, Environmental policy, Capacity development