ASTANA, Apr 22: The Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES 2026), being held in Astana from 22–24 April 2026, is a high-level international gathering aimed at strengthening coordinated responses to pressing environmental and climate challenges across Central Asia. Hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan in partnership with the United Nations and a broad coalition of international and regional stakeholders, the Summit will bring together heads of state, policymakers, financial institutions, experts, and civil society to advance practical cooperation on water, energy, land, and food systems. Designed as a platform for both political dialogue and implementation-focused action, RES 2026 seeks to align regional priorities, mobilise investment, and translate shared environmental challenges into concrete, cross-border solutions.
Factsheet on the Regional Ecological Summit
The Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES 2026), taking place in Astana on 22–24 April 2026, will convene heads of state, senior policymakers, international organisations, financial institutions, and experts to advance coordinated responses to environmental and climate challenges in Central Asia. Hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan in partnership with the United Nations and international stakeholders, the Summit is designed as a high-level platform for aligning regional priorities, strengthening cooperation, and promoting practical solutions across interconnected systems of water, energy, land, and food.
By bringing together political leadership, technical expertise, and financing partners, the Summit will focus on translating shared challenges into coordinated policies, targeted investments, and scalable cross-border initiatives.
The summit, hosted by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in partnership with the United Nations and other regional and international stakeholders, will serve as a high-level platform to strengthen cooperation on water, energy, land, and food systems, while advancing coordinated regional responses to climate-related risks.
High-Level Format and Participation
RES 2026 will feature head-of-state-level plenary sessions, alongside more than 20 thematic and country-specific discussions focused on policy coordination and practical solutions. The event will function as a multi-stakeholder platform, bringing together government leaders, international organisations, financial institutions, private sector representatives, scientists, civil society groups, and youth participants.
Among the expected participants are heads of state and senior officials from Central Asia and partner countries, alongside representatives of United Nations agencies, international financial institutions, and development partners.
Confirmed Key Speakers
The summit will include participation from regional political leaders such as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Vahagn Khachaturyan of Armenia, and President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh of Mongolia.
International institutional leaders are also expected, including Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, Secretary General of the OSCE; Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General; Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization; and Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union.
CNN has been announced as an official media partner of RES 2026.
Why the Summit Is Being Held
The summit comes amid rising environmental pressures in Central Asia, including water scarcity, glacier retreat, land degradation, and biodiversity loss. These challenges are being intensified by climate change, growing resource demand, and aging infrastructure systems.
Environmental risks are increasingly affecting economic stability, food security, energy systems, and long-term development prospects across the region. Many of these issues are transboundary in nature, requiring coordinated regional responses.
While environmental cooperation has been discussed at various levels, RES 2026 is designed to shift the focus from dialogue to implementation, aiming to align policies, mobilise financing, and advance joint regional initiatives.
Objectives of RES 2026
The summit is structured around five key objectives: strengthening regional cooperation, mobilising climate finance and investment, advancing practical solutions, aligning policy with implementation, and supporting long-term resilience across energy, water, and food systems.
It also seeks to promote low-carbon technologies, facilitate cross-border environmental projects, and improve coordination between national, regional, and international frameworks.
Key Thematic Areas
Discussions at RES 2026 will focus on climate resilience and adaptation, water and land management, energy transition, green finance, and technology-driven innovation. Particular emphasis will be placed on improving sustainable resource use and strengthening regional knowledge-sharing mechanisms.
Strategic Significance
The summit is expected to serve as one of the most comprehensive regional environmental platforms ever convened at the head-of-state level in Central Asia. It aims to strengthen regional cooperation while linking Central Asia’s environmental priorities with global climate and sustainable development frameworks.
By bringing together governments, financial institutions, scientists, and private sector actors, RES 2026 seeks to advance practical cooperation and position Central Asia as a coordinated actor in addressing complex environmental challenges.
Kazakhstan’s Environmental Initiatives
Kazakhstan has highlighted several major environmental achievements, including the recovery of the Saiga antelope population, reintroduction of the Przewalski’s horse, and efforts to restore the Caspian tiger ecosystem.
Land restoration projects, including partial recovery of the North Aral Sea, large-scale anti-desertification programmes, and national afforestation initiatives, have also been implemented.
The country has adopted a Green Economy Strategy with a target of carbon neutrality by 2060, alongside expanding renewable energy capacity in the wind and solar sectors. Kazakhstan is also active in green finance through the Astana International Financial Centre and continues to play a role in global environmental initiatives.
