#WorldWeWant campaign - CANEECCA: Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA)

The Climate Action Network ignited a spark of hope with #WorldWeWant campaign. This powerful initiative amplifies the voices of those at the forefront of the climate crisis, demanding urgent action from world leaders.

Through gripping short films crafted by international filmmakers, the campaign doesn’t shy away from painting a stark picture. We witness the devastating effects of climate change, fossil fuel dependence, and pollution, yet the films also ignite hope by showcasing real solutions and the inspiring resilience of communities.

Activists from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe are not just lending their voices, they’re actively pushing for change. Their stories and unwavering determination transform this campaign into a true movement, one with the power to build a brighter future for all.

Join the #WorldWeWant movement and stand alongside these courageous individuals. Together, we can fight for a clean and healthy planet, ensuring a just and sustainable future for generations to come.

#WorldWeWant: Vulnerable but Fierce: Moldova’s Youth Fight for a Climate Future

Moldova, facing significant vulnerability to climate change, suffers an annual economic loss of 2.13% of its GDP due to rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. Despite this, Moldova displayed strong determination at COP28, actively working on measures to mitigate and adapt to climate impacts, including exploring green finance and signing international agreements on renewable energy and energy efficiency. However, concerns arise regarding the translation of these ambitious plans into action, particularly given the declining engagement of Moldovan youth in climate activism, though today’s heroes of the #WorldWeWant campaign offer hope by engaging young people in climate solutions through innovative approaches like summer climate camps and environmental campaigns.

Karaganda coal basin is swallowing Kazakhstan’s climate

The Karaganda coal basin in Kazakhstan, one of the world’s largest, faces severe environmental and social consequences due to coal mining, including pollution, deforestation, and displacement of communities. Despite Kazakhstan being a major emitter of greenhouse gases, relying heavily on coal for electricity, there’s a lack of commitment to phasing out coal or prioritizing community interests in national policy, prompting calls for urgent action and a shift towards sustainable energy systems. The involvement of local organizations like Ecomuseum underscores the importance of grassroots efforts in promoting sustainable development and climate action in the region.

Climate Solutions in Kyrgyzstan – #WorldWeWant

Lake Song-Köl, a crucial water source in Kyrgyzstan, faces the threat of disappearing by 2050, posing significant challenges for local communities, particularly women and children, who depend on it for survival. Local environmental activists, supported by organizations like the Institute for Sustainable Development Strategy, are implementing projects to raise awareness and facilitate adaptation efforts in the region, underscoring the importance of grassroots initiatives in addressing climate challenges. Despite Kyrgyzstan’s small size, its vulnerability to climate change has far-reaching implications for Central Asia, highlighting the need for global action to address environmental threats and protect vulnerable communities.

Climate Crisis in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley: Story of Survival and Adaptation

Climate change, compounded by the Soviet-era irrigation system, has triggered a water scarcity crisis in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley, threatening the livelihoods of its population, particularly women farmers who manage 21% of the valley’s farms and urgently seek adaptive solutions. Today we spotlight this issue through interviews with these women, shedding light on their struggles to sustain families and communities amidst receding glaciers and intensifying water shortages. With experts warning of a potential fivefold increase in the existing water shortage, there’s a growing risk of the Fergana Valley becoming a hotspot for climate refugees, underscoring the need for urgent global action to address the crisis.

Russia: Coal in Kuzbass and the effects of climate change

Kuzbass is Russia’s main coal mining region, producing more than 70% of the country’s total coal. In 2019, the region’s enterprises emitted 1.76 million tons of pollutants into the atmosphere – more than the entire Northwestern Federal District (NWFD), which is 18 times larger than the Kemerovo region. According to the Ecoprotect report, the total volume of emissions from coal mining in Kuzbass has almost doubled in 14 years: from 591,000 tons in 2005 to 1,147,000 tons in 2019. The industry’s contribution to air pollution is also growing and increased from 44.1% to 65.2% over the same period.

Tajikistan: Why people in the Pamirs spend days collecting firewood

The main reason for the increased pressure on nature is the collapse of the fuel supply system that has existed in Tajikistan since Soviet times, as well as the lack of electricity. The hero of the new #BestWorld campaign video, a hostage of the energy crisis, is forced to spend days collecting dry bush branches and firewood to cook and heat his home. However, there is almost no vegetation left near the village where the young man lives, and the soil and pastures have degraded.

How drought threatens Ukraine

Salt lakes in the Ukrainian city of Slavyansk in Donetsk region are on the verge of disappearing. According to environmentalists, the drop in the water level is due to a decrease in the amount of precipitation and an increase in the average annual air temperature. As explained by Kapitalina Pasikova, a representative of the public organization “Drukarnya”, the population of Slavyansk lives off income from tourists’ visits to salt lakes, so the level of their well-being depends on the preservation of natural water bodies. The activists urge the Ukrainian government to protect the endangered natural monument, as well as to take care of reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

Georgia: “We don’t know how high the river will rise and what will happen to us”

In July 2020, the Rioni River flooded the streets of Kutaisi, the largest city in western Georgia. The disaster paralyzed car traffic for days, with torrents knocking people off their feet. The flooding damaged more than 200 houses, leaving many families without electricity and drinking water. Several villages in Ona municipality were also hit, and roads to them were washed out. 2,000 people were cut off from the world.

Russia: “Fires have started in regions where there were none before”

The total area of forest fires in the Russian Federation during the last two years was not less than 9 million hectares according to official data only. For comparison, from 2015 to 2018, the area annually covered by fire did not exceed 3.2 million hectares. Because of fires, the country loses tens of billions of rubles every year, and hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere. Thus, for eight months of 2019, greenhouse gas emissions from burning Russian forests amounted to 284 million tons of CO2 (approximately equal to the annual emissions of 62 million cars). The forests of Siberia and the Far East were particularly affected. According to experts of the Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, it may take at least 100 years for the forests of northern latitudes to recover.

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