Tue, 28/01/2025 - 17:10
Pre-Appraisal Mission on the "Blueing the Caspian Sea" GEF Project was held in Astana on 3-6 December 2024
December 3–6, 2024, a mission led by the World Bank and UNEP convened in Astana, Kazakhstan, bringing together government representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. The primary focus of the mission was to advance discussions on the design and preparation of the GEF-funded "Blueing the Caspian Sea: Building Capacities for Pollution Management and Biodiversity Conservation" Project, set to launch in 2025.
The mission, held in a hybrid format, included representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan as well as from the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Tehran Convention Secretariat, and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Discussions revolved around finalizing the project’s problem statement, objectives, Theory of Change, and proposed activities, along with preliminary funding allocations for each country.
Key project outcomes include the expansion of protected areas, improved pollution monitoring, and strengthened institutional frameworks to support the transition to a sustainable Blue Economy. Specific activities will target marine and coastal ecosystems, addressing challenges like habitat degradation, overexploited fisheries, and pollution. The mission underscored the importance of leveraging regional cooperation and knowledge exchange to achieve the project’s goals.
By aligning with national and regional priorities, the "Blueing the Caspian Sea" Project aims to enhance the environmental health of the Caspian Sea while promoting long-term sustainability and resilience across the region. Further consultations will take place in 2025 to finalize project design and implementation strategies.