Environment

Research on and monitoring of the effects of air pollution on different environmental media and health has been carried out for more than four decades under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. The data and research that has emerged from these efforts is unique as it gives insights into long-term trends. It has also created a common understanding of the harmful effects of air pollution, which has been a prerequisite for informing policy decisions and reaching agreement on effective pollution control under the Convention.

How can regional and international cooperation be fostered in a region that faces unprecedented water scarcity? How can the benefits of this vital resource be shared to increase resilience to climate change?

Air pollutants are not only harming human health and the environment but are also degrading surfaces of historical buildings and monuments. Corrosion and soiling of cultural heritage sites as a result of air pollution can lead to severe economic losses as a result of high maintenance and restoration costs. For example, the total annual cost of maintenance work from soiling of the limestone surface of the Colosseum in Rome, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is estimated to be about € 680,000 per year. 

Uzbekistan is one of the world's largest producers of gold and uranium. In the last 40 years, Uzbekistan has built a strong mining industry, which is expected to grow in the years to come, given that only 20 % of the country’s territory has yet been explored.

Experts from Albania and Montenegro met in Shkoder (Albania) on 25 April 2023 to progress with the exchange of information on the shared Cijevna/Cem River. This was the second meeting of the joint technical group on monitoring and assessment established upon recommendation of the Implementation Committee under the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention). Two members of the Implementation Committee, Pedro Cunha Serra and Ivan Zavadsky, joined the meeting to facilitate the development of data exchange. 

Countries are increasingly facing multiple interlinked environmental, social, economic and health challenges – climate change, pollution from chemicals and wastes, biodiversity loss and species extinction, deforestation, land degradation, emerging zoonotic diseases, and the impact of armed conflicts on the lives and well-being of people and on the environment. The complexity of addressing these challenges is compounded by the urgent need for regulatory measures, legislative changes and good environmental governance at all levels. 

The massive use of fertilizers and the production and use of manure in agriculture over the past 100 years have led to significant reactive nitrogen emissions to air and releases to water and land. Burning of fossil fuels (in vehicles, power plants and industry) is another source of reactive nitrogen emissions. Air, soil and water pollution are among the dire consequences of these nitrogen emissions, with knock-on damages to human health, and biodiversity of forests and rivers. In soils and water bodies, too much nitrogen can lead to nutrient overloads or eutrophication.

Prevention of and preparedness for industrial accidents require special attention in Tajikistan, a country with a strong mining industry. The mountainous terrain of mining sites makes them highly susceptible to earthquakes, mudflows and floods, which can provoke Natech events (natural hazards triggering technological disasters). In these circumstances, coordinated work by government authorities is key to preventing industrial accidents and minimizing their consequences.