Regional Environmental Action Plan (REAP)
The Regional Environmental Action Plan (REAP) is a strategic document of the countries of Central Asia aimed at addressing priority environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development in the region, in line with the principles of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and Agenda 21. The Plan reflects concern over the state of the environment and reaffirms the commitment of the States to previously undertaken obligations and to regional cooperation. REAP was developed in accordance with the decisions of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) of 20 June and 17 October 2000, and 12 April 2001, as well as decisions related to the preparation of the Plan adopted in Bangkok (2000) and Dushanbe (2001). An important foundation of the document was provided by the outcomes of the meeting held in Chimbulak, Kazakhstan (28-31 March 2000), where experts from the Central Asian countries identified key regional environmental priorities, five of which were incorporated into REAP. The document serves as a framework for coordinated action in environmental protection and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Launched in September 2001, REAP demonstrated the need to strengthen its continuous implementation process through the sustained support of four key dimensions of strategy development: political, technical, participatory and resource mobilization.
REAP pursues the following objectives:
| (a) | Strengthening the political and institutional framework for regional cooperation |
| This objective aims to reinforce political commitment at the regional level, as well as at the level of individual countries and civil society. It envisages the involvement of ministries of economy and finance, along with other relevant governmental bodies responsible for shaping public policy in the context of REAP implementation. | |
| (b) | Enhancing capacity for decision-making |
| The REAP process includes activities related to the assessment of economic, social and environmental conditions; refinement of priorities, goals and objectives; development of project proposals; modelling and formulation of investment programmes; and monitoring of their implementation. It also предусматривает the development of mechanisms to balance economic, social and environmental policies and to establish a long-term foundation for such processes. This entails the creation of decision-support systems, the formation of expert groups and the strengthening of regional cooperation. | |
| (c) | Strengthening civil society participation |
| The participatory process предусматривает the full involvement of major stakeholder groups in both the development and implementation of REAP, as well as in decision-making processes, through sustained multi-stakeholder dialogue. Ensuring transparency and active engagement of non-governmental organizations, the media and other stakeholders is essential. | |
| (d) | Resource mobilization |
| This objective includes ensuring that ICSD, its Scientific Information Centres (SICs), and the REAP process are provided with adequate financial, material and human resources to build implementation capacity. Resources are to be mobilized from national, local and international sources, with particular emphasis on engaging the private sector. While international support is important, the countries of Central Asia retain primary responsibility for REAP implementation. |
The interlinkages among these objectives are ensured through their integration into a unified and coherent framework. REAP will continuously contribute to strengthening regional cooperation by promoting a common approach to environmental protection and sustainable development. It will refine and define regional priorities, develop priority project proposals, and support sustainable natural resource management. Decision-support systems will form an integral part of REAP implementation, providing ongoing information support and being grounded in regional priorities.
Efforts to strengthen regional cooperation will be based on the priorities of existing and planned national strategies and action plans in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. The proposed activities are to be implemented in close cooperation and partnership with the Governments of Central Asian countries, ICSD, SICs, the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), the REAP expert network, non-governmental organizations, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at both national and regional levels.