The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) have officially launched a "Feasibility Study on Carbon Farming Solutions in Greater Central Asia", marking a new milestone in the region’s efforts toward sustainable land management and climate-resilient development.
1 October 2025, Laxenburg / Bonn
Focusing on Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia, the study will explore practical pathways to scale up carbon farming as an integrated systems approach to tackling land degradation, climate change, and rural development. By promoting soil-based carbon sequestration and regenerative land-use practices, it directly contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly SDG15 Life on Land.
This work continues a long-standing collaboration between IIASA and UNCCD under the UNCCD 2018–2030 Strategic Framework, which fosters joint research and knowledge exchange to advance land degradation neutrality and sustainable land management worldwide.
Building on the momentum of the Kazakhstan Carbon Farming Report – Carbon Farming in Kazakhstan: Unlocking the Opportunity, a highly successful study that sparked strong regional and international interest, the new regional initiative seeks to identify enabling conditions, financing mechanisms, and policy frameworks that can support broader replication and investment in sustainable land-use systems across Greater Central Asia.
Findings from the feasibility study will feed into ongoing regional and international discussions on ecosystem restoration, carbon markets, and food systems resilience, including contributions to UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia (2026) and the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (2026).
With growing regional momentum, Greater Central Asia is emerging as a key area for developing win–win solutions for people, nature, and the economy. The initiative builds on IIASA’s long-term expertise in climate–land–energy–water systems research and UNCCD’s leadership in advancing sustainable land-use practices worldwide.
For more information, visit www.eurasiancarbon.com.
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