Kazakhstan Steps Up to Plate on Climate Change – Creating Road Map for More Sustainable Future
The world is confronting an incontrovertible truth: the effects of climate change are no longer a distant threat, but a reality requiring urgent action. From extreme weather events to water scarcity and agricultural disruption, the consequences are crystal clear. To ensure a sustainable and resilient future, countries must act now and integrate climate change adaptation into their national strategies. This is not just a matter of environmental responsibility — but a necessity for the economic stability and well-being of future generations and the planet.
Developing a National Adaptation Plan – a crucial step in addressing climate change
Katarzyna Wawiernia.
At the 16th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties in 2010, countries agreed to formulate and implement National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). This enabled Parties to formulate and implement NAPs to identify medium- and long-term adaptation needs and to develop and implement strategies and programmes to address these requisites. Parties were invited to apply the modalities formulated to support the NAPs.
In 2016, Kazakhstan ratified the Paris Agreement, which stipulates that global warming must be limited to below 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era, in addition to its efforts to mitigate climate change. The Agreement also states that each country should participate in climate change adaptation planning processes and further strengthen measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
In 2019, Kazakhstan started formulating its NAP process which involved extensive consultations at national and subnational levels. Recognizing that much of the adaptation action would be implemented at the subnational level, Kazakhstan developed the most effective approach to the NAP process – a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches.
In 2024, UNDP officially launched the NAP project with financial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF). However, to be effective, the NAP must be more than a broad policy. It must focus on the key sectors and have an actionable strategy that reflects Kazakhstan’s unique vulnerabilities and priorities.
A catalog of challenges across multiple sectors
In recent years, Kazakhstan has faced numerous emergency situations directly linked to climate change. Official data shows that forest fires in the Abay and Kostanay regions in 2022-2023 destroyed over 100,000 hectares of forest. In 2023, south Kazakhstan declared a state of emergency caused by a severe shortage of transboundary water for irrigation. In 2024 more than 300 billion tenge was spent to mitigate the damage caused by devastating floods that impacted nearly every region of the country except the south.
Kazakhstan faces significant challenges across multiple sectors due to climate change. Addressing these issues calls for a comprehensive approach. Agriculture depends significantly on climate conditions and the sector is particularly vulnerable to droughts, heat waves and changing rainfall patterns, all of which threaten food security. Sustainable water management, including modernized irrigation systems and regional cooperation on shared water resources, must be prioritized, as Kazakhstan’s water supply is already under stress.
Forests are increasingly threatened by fires and extreme weather, making it essential to strengthen forest management to protect biodiversity and reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, as climate-related disasters like floods and droughts become more frequent, improving early warning systems, enhancing disaster preparedness and developing robust risk reduction strategies are critical to ensuring Kazakhstan’s sustainable growth.
National Adaptation Plans – a key role in countering climate change
Emergency situations in 2024 have demonstrated that three factors, namely coordinated actions at all levels, collaboration with local authorities and civil society and a clear understanding of the needs required, will help Kazakhstan overcome hard times.
In 2023, Kazakhstan enhanced its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by incorporating climate change adaptation measures, in accordance with its international commitments under the Paris Agreement. The focus is on four key sectors: forestry, agriculture, water resources and civil protection/disaster risk reduction. The integration of digital technologies is vital for advancing climate adaptation efforts. Utilizing these technologies will allow Kazakhstan to strengthen early warning systems, track environmental shifts and support data-driven decision-making to tackle climate-related challenges more effectively.
Therefore, the next step for Kazakhstan is to develop a National Adaptation Plan as it would establish clear roles and responsibilities at each government level, set out all the strategies and measures to address the impacts of climate change in the above mentioned sectors and ensure that national and local institutions cooperate.
Building strong partnerships, mobilizing funding, engaging the private sector
For the NAP to be successful, all partners need to work together. Civil society organizations will play a key role in ensuring transparency and promoting grassroots initiatives. International partners, such as the GCF and other multilateral organizations, will provide the necessary expertise and funding to implement effective adaptation measures. National organizations will coordinate and communicate priorities to key stakeholders in the climate change adaptation process.
Kazakhstan cannot rely on government funding alone to finance adaptation measures. The involvement of the private sector is the key to unlocking new resources and fostering innovation. Improving access to national and international funds, such as the GCF and the Global Environment Facility, encouraging local and international financial institutions and developing financial mechanisms, are other steps to attract investment in climate-resilience projects.
The Government of Kazakhstan actively supports effective, collaborative water management, especially in the face of growing climate challenges. A clear example of these intentions is the Water Partnership Initiative, recently launched by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and UNDP. The initiative creates a framework for donor engagement and promotes coordination between the public and private sectors. The programme aims to improve climate change resilience and sustainable water management through institutional strengthening and regional cooperation.
Securing a climate-resilient future
The threats posed by climate change are real, but so are the opportunities to build a more resilient and sustainable future. The NAP is not just a road map, but a blueprint for building a paradigm of social, economic, and environmental sustainability in the face of challenges. Kazakhstan’s path to resilience is clear: it involves good governance, evidence-based decision-making, cross-sectoral collaboration, engagement with the private sector, leveraging international finance and fostering partnerships with civil society.
But this vision will only become a reality if we act now — together, decisively and with urgency. The worse the impacts of climate change become, the higher the cost of inaction. Our responsibility to future generations demands that we step up to the plate and act to avoid the looming climate cataclysm.
The author is Katarzyna Wawiernia, the UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan.
