ILO brings decent work perspective to blue finance in Kazakhstan

ASTANA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) highlighted the importance of integrating employment and social considerations into blue finance at a panel discussion held during Astana Finance Days 2026 on 10 September.

The panel, "Advancing blue finance in Kazakhstan: Blue taxonomy and blue bonds for sustainable water management", discussed the development of Kazakhstan’s blue finance framework, including its Blue Taxonomy and Blue Bond Issuance Guidelines. The session was co-organized by the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Green Finance Centre, the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the ILO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Eurasian Development Bank also joining the discussion.

For Kazakhstan, investment in sustainable water management has implications not only for climate resilience but also for employment and livelihoods. Water availability directly affects agricultural production and farmers’ livelihoods, while investments in irrigation can reshape productivity and the economic prospects of entire communities.

“Ultimately, the objective is to use blue finance to achieve a double dividend: better climate and water outcomes, combined with better employment, livelihood and social outcomes,” said Cristina Martinez, ILO Senior Specialist on Enterprise Development and Green Jobs for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Martinez stressed the importance of considering who benefits from blue finance investments, who bears the costs of adjustment and how investments can create decent jobs, support sustainable enterprises and protect livelihoods.

From a just transition perspective, this can translate into practical action: investing in water-related skills, widening opportunities for women and young people, improving access for smallholder farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises, and measuring employment and social outcomes alongside water savings and ecosystem restoration.

The ILO stands ready to work with partners to help turn the principles of just transition, decent work and social equity into practical approaches for blue finance.