4 February 2010: The World Bank is undertaking a consultative process towards the adoption of its new corporate Environment Strategy. According to the Bank, the new Strategy will take into account a set of principles, realities and challenges faced in the implementation of environmental activities such as climate change and urbanization. As part of the consultation process, a workshop for Central Asia was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, at the World Bank office, on 4 February 2010.
The event gathered over 20 representatives from the ministries of environment and finance, environment protection agencies, think tanks, and environmental NGOs from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. During the consultations, two breakout working groups commented on various issues being considered in preparation of the Environment Strategy, including: challenges and opportunities in achieving environmentally sustainable development; the role of the Bank in addressing these challenges and opportunities; and the ways to achieve the balance between economic development and environmental sustainability.
The results of the consultations with stakeholders across the world will be accumulated in the new World Bank Group Environment Strategy, which is expected to be finalized by December 2010. [World Bank Press Release]