DUSHANBE, 28.05.2025 (NIAT Khovar) – On May 29, within the framework of the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, Dushanbe will host a specialized forum titled: “Agriculture in the Era of Glaciers Retreat: Tackling Droughts and Floods through Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience in Glacier-Dependent Regions.”

The forum is part of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (2025) and will bring together domestic and international experts in both in-person and online formats.

The event will focus on key strategies for adapting agricultural and food systems to shifting water and climate realities, with an emphasis on:

• Best practices and innovations across Central Asia,
• The transformative role of water, land, and climate resources in food system resilience,
• And broader challenges associated with climate change in glacier-dependent regions.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), more than 50% of glaciers in Central Asia may disappear by 2050, posing a direct threat to water and food security for over 64 million people across the region.

As glaciers retreat and snow cover diminishes, access to freshwater will become increasingly difficult, intensifying competition over water resources. The variability in glacial and snowmelt rates affects the timing and volume of water flows, reducing water availability for agriculture in both mountainous and lowland areas.

The forum aims to foster science-based dialogue and policy recommendations to help vulnerable communities mitigate these threats through sustainable land and water management, carbon capture strategies, and resilience-building initiatives in the agricultural sector.

This event takes place during the High-Level International Conference on Glacier Preservation, being hosted by the Republic of Tajikistan from May 29 to 31.

The conference is a key milestone of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, an initiative spearheaded by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon. The initiative was endorsed by more than 150 UN Member States and formally adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution 77/172 in December 2022.