At the recent Aral Culture Summit, an initiative led by the Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), Gayane Umerova, and ALIPH’s newest board member, Valéry Freland, Executive Director of ALIPH, a new funding opportunity was announced to protect Central Asia's cultural heritage from the growing threats posed by climate change and disasters.
In partnership with the European Union, through the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), ALIPH unveiled a call for projects aimed at safeguarding both tangible and intangible cultural heritage across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This initiative aligns with the ongoing efforts to address the climate-induced risks to the region’s rich heritage.
Freland detailed the financial support available through two categories of grants: small grants (up to €27,000) and medium grants (up to €180,000). These funds will support concrete local initiatives designed to have measurable socio-economic impacts. This marks ALIPH’s second climate-focused call for projects in under a year, further reinforcing the urgency of protecting cultural sites at risk from climate change.
The European Union has joined forces with ALIPH to strengthen heritage protection efforts, focusing on both preserving historical artifacts and supporting cultural traditions in the region. The initiative encourages proposals from a wide range of institutions, including private organizations, universities, and research centers that are engaged in heritage protection.
Proposals are due by Thursday, 31 July 2025, at 3 PM CET, with funding decisions expected by December 2025 at the latest.
ALIPH (The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas) is a global fund dedicated to preserving cultural heritage at risk from conflict, climate change, and disasters. Since its creation in 2017, ALIPH has supported over 500 projects in 42 countries, providing swift and flexible assistance to protect heritage in the most challenging contexts.
The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) plays a central role in the promotion and preservation of Uzbekistan’s heritage and cultural landscape. ACDF leads several high-profile cultural initiatives, including the Aral Culture Summit and the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE), and is deeply involved in the renovation of cultural landmarks like the Centre for Contemporary Art in Tashkent and the State Museum of Arts.
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