During his inception mission to Tajikistan, SLU-CA’s new Programme Manager Mr. Klaus Schmidt-Corsitto paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Davlatshoh Gulmahmadzoda, the Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan (CoEP)*.
Mr. Gulmahmadzoda was updated on implemented and planned activities under different GIZ projects and programmes, such as SLU-CA, BMU IKI EbA project*, BMZ CF Ready* and IKI Biodiversity*. During the meeting, positive views were exchanged regarding the status of bilateral cooperation and expressed hope for future productive cooperation. The CoEP, as the main national partner, highlighted the importance of the work executed by SLU-CA and its internal partners. This serves as a strong impetus for continuing the work in this direction and for striving to enhance the areas where the projects are engaged.During the meeting, amendments to the Implementation Agreement of SLU-CA programme and BMU IKI EbA project were also approved.
“GIZ has been a long-term partner with Tajikistan in the field of the environment and we appreciate this cooperation with a reliable partner,” noted Mr. Gulmahmadzoda. Proposals made by the Chairman concerning awareness-raising, capacity-building and other related support, will be taken into account during the SLU-CA planning activities in early 2020.
Mr. Schmidt-Corsitto also met with Mr. Naim Nabizoda, the Deputy Director of the Forestry Agency, and other senior officials to discuss the current status of cooperation and next steps. Mr. Nabizoda highlighted the importance of the technical cooperation between GIZ and the Forestry Agency for developing the forestry sector, going so far as to request further support in developing the country’s Forest Management Planning and Monitoring System.
Mr. Schmidt-Corsitto also visited the Penjikent region, where the Joint Forest Management (JFM)* and Saving Book approach (SBA)* is being implemented. There he met with the local foresters, as well as with JFM/SBA forest users.
*Abbreviations/Explanation:
CoEP – Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan
BMU IKI EbA project – Regional Project “Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change in High Mountainous Regions of Central Asia”, financed
by the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Natural Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The project is being implemented in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan since 2015.
BMZ CF Ready – GIZ Climate Finance Readiness Programme is being implemented in cooperation with KfW Development Bank on behalf of BMZ. Since 2014, GIZ has also received support for implementation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic. The BMZ CF Ready is supporting the work of partner countries to access international climate financing. It advises on establishing the necessary institutions for the fund and provides assistance for the process of selecting and setting up national institutions to gain access to the programme’s funds through accreditation. The programme operates in 16 countries and one region in close consultation with the commissioning party and the co-financier.
IKI Biodiversity – Global Project “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Agrarian Landscapes” implemented on behalf of IKI BMU.
JFM – Joint Forest Management is partnerships involving both the local forest enterprises and local communities to rehabilitate forests. Its central idea is a long-term lease of degraded forest land to the local population. JFM is implemented in Tajikistan since 2006.
SBA – Saving Book approach was first implemented in the village Vuzh of Shughnan district in Tajikistan from 2010 to 2012, within the GIZ project “Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Gorno-Badakhshan” on behalf of BMZ.