UNESCO announced plans to install flood warning systems in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, TASS reports. The announcement was made by UNESCO General Director Audrey Azoulay at the Glacier Forum, part of the high-level international conference ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ in Dushanbe.
Azoulay stated that UNESCO's science mandate includes assessing populations' vulnerability to glacial melting. She revealed that ‘flood early warning systems will be installed in the Talgar River basin in Kazakhstan, in the Psem River basin in Uzbekistan,’ and in the Alay Valley in Kyrgyzstan. Additionally, plans are in place to implement this system in Tajikistan.
Azoulay referenced a UNESCO report from 2022, which projected that glaciers would disappear in one-third of the organisation's World Heritage sites by 2050. She stressed the importance of safeguarding the remaining two-thirds, stating, "These glaciers are the common heritage of humanity. And that is why we must act together."
Azoulay expressed gratitude to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon for initiating global discussions on glacier conservation.
The Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028 conference is currently being held in Dushanbe from June 10-13. It has attracted politicians, scientists, experts, and representatives from over 100 countries.
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