Nairobi, 9 December 2025 – as part of participation in the 7^th session of the UN Environment Assembly, taking place in Nairobi from 8 to 12 December 2025, the delegation of Kazakhstan organized an official side event on the topic “Drying Seas and Lakes - A Global Catastrophe of the 21st Century: Regional Responses through the Cases of the Caspian and Aral Seas, and Experiences from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia”

The event was attended by delegations of UN member states, the UN leadership, including the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme I.Anderson, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe T.Molchan, the Secretary-General of the Convention on Wetlands M. Mumba, the former Minister of Ecological Transition and Ambassador for the Environment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France B.Pompili, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea A.Orazbay.

The delegation of Kazakhstan organized the official side event to draw the global community's attention to the problems of drying up seas and lakes and to demonstrate how Central Asia's experience can be useful for other regions.

Forum participants examined regional challenges and opportunities related to the drying up of seas and lakes in countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, with an emphasis on integrated transboundary actions to restore ecosystems and strengthen community resilience. They highly praised Kazakhstan's efforts to address environmental issues, including the holding of the Regional Environmental Summit, which will be held in Astana in 2026 at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Tokayev. Kazakhstan's leadership in promoting sustainable development issues for Central Asian countries, as well as measures to preserve biodiversity and protect water resources, was particularly noted.

Following the event, participants recognized the need for urgent and collaborative action to combat the drying up of seas and lakes as one of the greatest environmental threats of the 21^st century, mobilize international cooperation between countries and regions to share knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions in ecosystem restoration and integrated water resources management, and promote nature-based solutions as a universal and cost-effective tool for adapting to climate change and strengthening water security for all regions of the world.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-nairobi/press/news/details/1123220?lang=kk