Central Asian Leaders, Global Officials to Gather at RES 2026 for Climate Action

2026-03-05 - 09:35

The Astana Times provides news and information from Kazakhstan and around the world. ASTANA – Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES 2026), scheduled for April 22-24 under the theme A Shared Vision for a Sustainable Future, announced the list of high-level participants. The summit will convene decision-makers, experts, and leaders over three days, featuring high-level plenaries and more than 20 thematic and country sessions. Photo credit: RES Prominent speakers include Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the UN Li Junhua, Secretary General of the OSCE Feridun H. Sinirlioglu, Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Celeste Saulo, and Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union Doreen Bogdan-Martin. The summit will address deeply interlinked challenges facing Central Asia and the world, including water scarcity, glacier retreat, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and mounting pressure on finite land and water resources, reported by The Associated Press on March 3. While rooted in Central Asia’s specific vulnerabilities, the summit’s agenda will reflect challenges common to landlocked and developing regions worldwide, from drought-prone areas of Sub-Saharan Africa to glacial-fed river basins in South Asia and low-lying coastal and island states. In this context, RES 2026 will showcase the role of regional cooperation in advancing practical solutions, mobilising climate and development finance, strengthening early-warning systems, and improving resilience across interconnected energy, water, and food systems, the article reads.