Climate & Water Security: Tajikistan published a long-term power system plan for the Pamir’s Gorno-Badakhshan region, locking in hydropower-led development through 2050 and adding new sustainability tools (HydroSelect and a Hydropower Sustainability Standard) to guide future projects. Biodiversity & Wildlife: Central Asian countries agreed at the GEF Assembly in Samarkand to jointly preserve the snow leopard and strengthen mountain ecosystem resilience, including plans for ecological corridors and modern wildlife monitoring across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Regional Conservation Science: China and Central Asia are pushing Aral Sea restoration research, using monitoring sites and remote sensing to track desertification and ecological rehabilitation after the sea shrank by over 90% since the 1960s. Energy & Environment: Tajikistan is positioning renewable energy and regional electricity exports as a climate-resilient strategy, noting hydropower supplies about 95% of its electricity while diversifying to reduce glacier-melt and seasonal-flow risks. Extreme Weather Watch: The UN’s WMO warns El Niño could bring unusually heavy summer rains to Central Asia in 2026, alongside drought and heatwave risks—urging preparedness for swings in weather. Clean Air Cooperation: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan discussed with UNEP a regional clean air push, including tackling health impacts from sand and dust storms via monitoring and a potential coalition. Sustainable Transport Culture: Turkmenistan marked World Bicycle Day with cycling events abroad, promoting an environmentally responsible lifestyle through sports diplomacy.