Urban climate resilience in transition economies: the case of Central Asia

Abstract Urban infrastructure in Central Asia—specifically in the cities of Almaty and Astana (Kazakhstan), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), and Tashkent (Uzbekistan)—is increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Despite rapid urbanization, much of the region’s critical urban infrastructure remains outdated and ill-equipped to withstand climate-induced risks. This study assesses and compares the vulnerability of urban infrastructure, examining governance priorities and climate change exposure across the six largest cities in this under-researched region. Based on the urban resilience framework, this study adopts a mixed-methods approach that integrates climate data, city strategies, and governance analyses, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of urban resilience. The findings reveal substantial variations in urban resilience across the cities, with Astana and Almaty exhibiting stronger financial capacities, while Bishkek and Dushanbe face severe financial and infrastructural constraints. The study underscores the need for adaptive governance mechanisms, integration of climate policy into infrastructure management, and sustainable financing models to build climate-resilient urban environments—lessons applicable to transition economies outside the region.