Adoption of Climate Technology in the Agrifood Sector of Kazakhstan

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) hold a workshop in Astana on “Accelerating adoption of climate technologies in Kazakhstan’s agrifood sector” to discuss key findings of a recent FAO/EBRD study on the topic.

Today, the adaptation to climate change is a key global priority: climate change has both direct and indirect impact on agricultural productivity, including changes in rainfall patterns, droughts, floods and the geographical spread of pests and diseases.

Among the threats climate change can bring to Kazakhstan’s agriculture sector are possible shortages in water resources, which is expected to decrease by around 25% until 2030 putting the sector under additional stress and increased aridity, especially in South and Central Kazakhstan. Another expected climate change impact is the drying up of pastures and reduced water availability for livestock.

Changes in weather patterns may also result in spring floods, heavy rains in autumn and early frosts, which may result in harvest losses. It is thus urgent to increase the sector’s resilience through targeted investments that address key vulnerabilities in a country and/or regional context.

“Accelerating adoption of climate technologies is an essential step towards addressing these challenges and the use of climate technologies is a key element in this transition to more sustainable food systems”, said Nuno Santos, Economist at FAO and one of the study’s authors.

The FAO and EBRD are organizing this workshop in close cooperation with local authorities and the event aims to become a platform for dialogue between stakeholders from private sector, government organizations, research institutions, international development organizations and civil society. All these stakeholders have a role to play in supporting adoption of climate technologies in Kazakhstan.

During the workshop, EBRD will present its Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change (FINTECC) programme and, in particular, provide examples of its investments in Kazakhstan. “EBRD has made a strong commitment in 2015 with its Green Economy Transition approach which has set a target of 40% share of green financing in total EBRD financing by 2020,” said Astrid Motta, Principal, Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, EBRD.

The workshop will highlight key trends in adoption of climate technologies in Kazakhstan’s agrifood sector and seek to identify challenges and opportunities for private sector investments in modern agrifood technologies: participants will share experiences and suggestions to overcome constraints and encourage an enabling environment for private investments.

Moreover, the seminar will discuss possible areas for public support and cooperation with donors and international financial institutions to accelerate technology deployment. Indeed strategic alliances and close collaboration among stakeholders are key to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.