REAP

History of the Development of REAP

At a regional meeting held in Chimbulak, Kazakhstan, in March 2000, environmental experts from Central Asian countries identified regional ecological priorities, which laid the foundation for the Regional Environmental Action Plan for Central Asia (REAP). The Plan was officially endorsed by the decision of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) on 20 June 2000. A preliminary assessment of key priority areas was carried out, leading to the formulation of project proposals structured around the following priority themes:

#	Main Priority Area	Priority Themes
1.	Air Pollution Control	Improving air quality in industrial and urban areas. Reducing emissions from industrial and transport sources. Developing and introducing effective air purification technologies.
2.	Water Pollution Control	Treating wastewater and improving the quality of water resources. Enhancing the efficiency of collector-drainage systems. Reducing agricultural and industrial discharges into water bodies.
3.	Combating Land Degradation	Preventing erosion, salinization, and deforestation. Rehabilitating degraded lands and increasing soil fertility. Introducing modern agricultural practices to promote sustainable land use.
4.	Waste Management	Developing waste processing plants and ensuring compliance with sanitary norms. Establishing landfills for hazardous industrial waste. Promoting low-waste technologies and improving accounting and reporting systems.
5.	Degradation of Mountain Ecosystems	Combating deforestation and erosion in mountainous regions. Rehabilitating spoil heaps and restoring ecosystem resilience. Protecting specially protected areas and regulating economic activities in mountain zones.

Monitoring and Implementation

Implementation of the REAP is supported by national experts and grounded in the practical experiences of participating countries. The ICSD is responsible for the overall execution of the plan, while coordination is entrusted to the Regional Designated Officials Committee (RDOC) mechanism. The RCDL establishes and leads thematic working groups. The Scientific-Information Centre of the ICSD (SIC ICSD) reports annually on progress, while the RCDL is responsible for making decisions on proposed amendments.

Required Instruments

• Legislative Instruments: Implementation is based on intergovernmental agreements and national legislation.
• Financial Instruments: Financing is sourced from a variety of channels, including grants and concessional loans.
• Project Proposals: Project concepts developed by experts are prepared for submission at donor conferences.