The main objectives of the subregional workshop are: to strengthen tailings risk governance; to present recent achievements by Central Asian countries in this area, notably since the last subregional workshop on this topic, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2019; and to exchange experiences, good practices and lessons learned on the prevention of accidental water pollution from tailings at the regional level. It will be attended by representatives from industrial safety and water authorities, operators, NGOs, academia and international organizations. Among others, the workshop will feature: (a) a high-level panel discussion among Vice-Ministers from the region on key challenges and needs concerning tailings safety, (b) a round-table discussion on strengthening joint contingency planning in the Syr Darya River Basin; and (c) examples of applying a multi hazard/risk approach in Central Asia and beyond.
The subregional workshop is organized by the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, in cooperation with the Government of Tajikistan and with financial support from the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, GIZ, OSCE and the United Nations Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation. It is implemented as part of the UNECE Projects on strengthening mine tailings safety in Central Asia (2020-2023) and in Uzbekistan (2021-2023), which are financed by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment under the Convention’s Assistance and Cooperation Programme.