IFPRI CENTRAL ASIA NEWS WEEKLY DIGEST (SEPTEMBER 15 – SEPTEMBER 21, 2015)
News and Analysis
Uzbekistan approves complex of measures on ensuring healthy nutrition of population for 2015-2020
(UzDaily, 7 Sep 2015) The Government of Uzbekistan approved a concept and complex of measures on ensuring healthy nutrition of population of Uzbekistan for 2015-2020, informs the news article. The concept adopted four prioritized objectives including improving legal-regulatory framework healthy nutrition, undertaking measures to create necessary conditions and promote healthy nutrition and lifestyles and to conduct research on healthy nutrition and diets. Overall, the plan of activities includes 22 projects. The concept and list of planned activities is available in Russian language.
Europe, Central Asia struggling with malnutrition in many forms
(FAO RECA, 15 Sep 2015) “More than 55 percent of adults in Europe and Central Asia are overweight or obese. Millions are anaemic, or suffer from iodine, zinc and Vitamin A deficiencies. In children, malnourishment persists at alarming rates in many countries, leading to stunted growth and other problems,” suggests the study published by FAO in advance of 39th session of the European Commission on Agriculture. According to FAO, micronutrient deficiencies and other nutrition-related problems are caused by monotonous diets, seasonal variations in food availability, food shortages, failure to breast-feed, low education, poverty, illness, and infections. However, FAO also recognizes that many countries are already taking action to improve nutrition, by addressing unhealthy diets and reviewing government policies that influence nutrition.
(Link to the publication is given below in the Publications section.)
IMF Executive Board Concludes 2015 Article IV Consultation with Uzbekistan
(IMF Press Release, 15 Sep 2015) The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Uzbekistan. According to the IMF, Uzbekistan’s economy has been resilient in a difficult external environment and showed solid GDP growth in 2014 (8.1%) and in the first quarter of 2015 (7.5%). Inflation has been lower than anticipated at around 9% through April 2015. Looking further ahead, Directors welcomed the authorities’ newly adopted industrial modernization program, commitment to structural reform, recently announced strategy to strengthen corporate governance and accelerate privatization. At the same time, Directors stressed the importance of improving the availability, timeliness, and quality of key macroeconomic and social data.
UN, Uzbekistan sign UNDAF for 2016-2020
(UNDP in Uzbekistan, 16 Sep 2015) The UN Office in Uzbekistan held an official ceremony to launch the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for 2016-2020 and announce the start of a new phase of cooperation between the UN and Uzbekistan, informs UN Country Office in Uzbekistan. The new UNDAF program focuses on four issues determined by the UN Office in Uzbekistan in collaboration with national partners including inclusive economic; quality health and education; environmental protection; and, effective governance.
XII Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum
(Kremlin.ru, 16 Sep 2015) Vladimir Putin and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev took part in the XII Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum in Sochi. The forum’s theme this year is Cooperation in Agriculture Sector and Food Security, informs the Kremlin’s press office. It brought together heads of key ministries and agencies, heads of regions of Russia and Kazakhstan and business leaders, reports TengriNews.
Central Asia Battered by Currency Turmoil
(Eurasianet.org, 17 Sep 2015) The surge of the US dollar against currencies of developing economies across the world has been producing many tales of woe in Central Asia, prompting governments to either surrender to events, or resort to their characteristic authoritarian methods to contain alarm, suggests the article. Authors analyze the current situation in the countries describing different levels of intervention and exchange rate dynamics.
Central Asian Cooperation Stands at Crossroads of New Era
(ADB, 18 Sep 2015) Countries participating in the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CARECC) program can emerge as the center for trade and commerce amid rapid expansion in trade from the People's Republic of China, Japan, and Republic of Korea to the east, the Russian Federation to the north, and India and Pakistan to the south, according to the ADB. CAREC focuses on four priority sectors: transport, trade facilitation, energy, and trade policy. Ten CAREC countries gathering this week (23-25 September) in Ulaanbataar for the 14th CAREC Ministerial Conference to discuss the four priority sectors, and new initiatives such as Ten Actions to Make CAREC Corridors Safer, and the Common Agenda for Modernization of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, informs the ADB.
Publications
(FAO. 2015. Background paper for European Commission on Agriculture 39th Session on 22-23 September in Budapest, Hungary.)
Description: This paper provides an updated overview of the social and economic burden of malnutrition across EuCA sub-regions and countries, and recommendations to strengthen ongoing and future work. The study finds that differences in the prevalence of malnutrition are caused by socio-economic conditions, political commitment, and strategic and operational nutrition capacity in different countries. The paper also seeks to provide ways in which governments can effectively address malnutrition and meet the Second FAO/WHO International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) commitments, as well as broader countries’ nutrition agendas.
Impact of climate change on water level fluctuation of Issyk-Kul Lake
(A. Salamat, J. Abuduwaili and N. Shaidyldaeva. 2015. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. Vol. 8(8).)
Abstract Excerpts: The paper analyzes climatic and hydrologic data collected from the end of the nineteenth century to the present time from weather stations and hydro posts in the Teskei Ala Too and Kungei Ala Too mountain sites, around Issyk-Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan, and Central Asia. These databases showed that the water level of Issyk-Kul Lake varied along with changes in climate indicators… The analysis of the weather station database over the last 130 years showed that approximately every 30 years there was an abrupt increase in air temperature during the hottest summer months that gradually decreased over that three decade cycle. These periods indicated an abrupt change in air temperature of 1–1.5 °C by the end of each cycle. And any change in air temperature influenced the amount of river runoff, glacier melt, and lake volume in this region…
(K.M. de Beurs, G.M. Henebry, B.C. Owsley and I. Sokolik. 2015. Remote Sensing of Environment. Vol 170)
Abstract Excerpts: To understand the land surface changes that Central Asia experienced between 2001 and 2013, we applied a non-parametric change analysis method to the standard vegetation indices (NDVI and EVI), as well as to the MODIS Tasseled Cap indices Brightness, Greenness and Wetness. In addition, we evaluated the MODIS nighttime and daytime land surface temperature products and the MODIS evapotranspiration product. We compared the change results by country, land cover type, and anthropogenic biome, and we also evaluated the results according to an index of human influence (HII)… We found that the majority of the changes occurred in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan appeared more stable during this period. The observed changes were attributable to a combination of anthropogenic changes and weather effects. For example, changes in crop type south of the Aral Sea were revealed as increases in vegetation indices but declines in evapotranspiration, resulting from a shift from cotton to wheat. Across Kazakhstan large patches of negative vegetation changes, combined with increasing temperatures and declines in evapotranspiration were attributable to persistent droughts.
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