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Climate
Change and Energy
News:
Weekly Digest by CAN
EECCA
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Dear
subscribers,
Sustainable development
is picking up pace across the region: Armenia
has launched its first large-scale solar power
plant, Moldova is investing 125 million lei in
environmental protection projects, and
Azerbaijan is preparing to host World
Environment Day. At the same time, environmental
risks are mounting: coniferous forests in Russia
are being replaced by deciduous trees, the
Caspian Sea continues to recede, Kazakhstan is
experiencing severe effects of air pollution,
and residents in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan are
opposing environmentally hazardous
developments.
On
a global scale, alarm is growing: scientists
report ocean acidification, land subsidence in
coastal cities, and the disappearance of coral
reefs. New opportunities for activists are
listed at the end of this issue.
We’re always open to
hearing your thoughts, ideas, or stories — don’t
hesitate to get in touch.
Sincerely,
The
CAN EECCA Team
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News
from the EECCA Region
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Samarkand
has been selected as the host city for the 2026
Global Environment Facility Assembly. The event
is expected to serve as a platform for
attracting funding to combat climate change,
water scarcity, and land degradation in Central
Asia.
According
to the State Environmental Inspectorate of the
South-Western District, the June 3 shelling of
Odesa led to a warehouse fire that released
nearly 80 tons of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere. The fire covered an area of about
1,000 square meters.
According to Gulmira
Ismagulova, Advisor to the Chair of the ESGQ
Rating Agency, 2018 marked the worst year for
air pollution-related health outcomes in
Kazakhstan. Since then, conditions have worsened
in Karaganda, Temirtau, Astana, Almaty,
Zhezkazgan, and Aktau. Diseases such as cancer,
congenital anomalies, and infertility are
increasingly being linked to long-term exposure
to polluted air. While these illnesses have
multiple causes, Ismagulova noted that a clear
pattern is emerging.
In the
Issyk-Kul biosphere zone, the Kyrgyzaltyn
company has resumed uranium mining at the
Kyzyl-Ompol deposit, emphasizing the project’s
“high profitability” and its potential economic
benefits for the region. However, neither the
press nor the public has been given access to
the results of any environmental assessments.
Risks of water and soil contamination remain
unevaluated by independent experts, and the
protests of local residents from 2019 have been
disregarded.
In the Smolevichi
district, construction continues on Storage
Reservoir No. 19, intended for waste discharge
from Minsk’s wastewater treatment facilities.
Local residents have collected over 3,000
signatures opposing the project, citing the lack
of public consultations and potential threats to
soil and groundwater. The site is located on an
active military training ground, and no
environmental impact assessment has been
presented, raising public concern about health
risks.
In the Northwestern
Federal District of Russia, traditional
coniferous tree species are being replaced by
deciduous trees due to climate change. In the
North Caucasus, beech and hornbeam are under
threat of replacement, and in the Southern
Federal District — pine and
oak.
The Masrik-1 station
has been officially put into operation —
Armenia’s first large-scale solar energy
project. With this launch, the country is
confidently moving toward its goal of generating
50% of electricity from renewable sources by
2030.
A new institution will
be created in Dushanbe with support from
international partners to study the impact of
climate change on glaciers. Melting glaciers and
acute drinking water shortages are causing
serious harm to the economies and ecosystems of
Central Asian countries and pose a threat to
human life. President Rahmon called on the
global community to strengthen cooperation to
preserve the cryosphere and develop glaciology
at all levels.
Azerbaijan to Host World
Environment Day in
2026
The 2026 event will
serve as a platform to strengthen international
cooperation and promote green solutions in
climate, biodiversity, and sustainable urban
development.
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World
Climate and Energy News
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Ocean acidity has
already crossed the threshold where it poses a
threat to planetary health. Often referred to as
the "evil twin" of the climate crisis, this
phenomenon occurs when the ocean rapidly absorbs
carbon dioxide, causing the water’s pH levels to
drop. As a result, coral reefs and other marine
ecosystems are being damaged—and in extreme
cases, the acidity can literally dissolve the
shells of marine organisms.
A team from Nanyang
Technological University (NTU) studied land
subsidence in 48 coastal cities. According to
BBC and UN estimates, nearly 76 million people
live in cities where the ground subsided by an
average of at least 1 cm per year between 2014
and 2020. The impact can be severe—for example,
in Tianjin, China, 3,000 residents were
evacuated from high-rise buildings in 2023 after
cracks appeared in the surrounding
streets.
Scientists at the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution have developed an
AI-powered robot equipped with multiple cameras,
hydrophones (underwater microphones), and other
scientific tools to monitor and restore coral
reefs. The robot is designed to assess reef heat
stress, identify biodiversity hotspots, and
locate rare species—such as pillar corals, which
have nearly vanished from the Caribbean due to
disease.
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Japan Water Forum (JWF)
has opened applications for the 2025 funding
round. The program supports initiatives
addressing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)
issues in developing countries. Since 2005, the
JWF Fund has supported 204 projects in 32
countries, improving water access for over
280,000 people.
Grants are available
for Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Moldova.
Deadline: June 30,
2025
The
Ministry of Environment and ONIPM have launched
a call for proposals to fund environmental
initiatives in Moldova. Local governments and
civil society organizations are invited to
apply. Priority areas include water resource and
waste management.
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From: CAN
EECCA <dig...@caneecca.org>Date: вт, 10
июн. 2025 г. в 18:30 Subject: 🌍 CAN EECCA Newsletter: Rising
Solar Power, Shrinking Water
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