Eligibility Criteria E1 The request has a clear and positive benefit to the requesting country in mitigating, or adapting to the negative effect of, climate change. Yes The request is expected to provide clear adaptation benefits by strengthening Uzbekistan’s capacity to monitor, analyse and respond to Sand and Dust Storms (SDS). The TA will integrate satellite, meteorological and air-quality data, develop and validate an SDS monitoring and impact-based early warning prototype, establish impact-based alert logic, and demonstrate user-oriented warning dissemination. These activities are intended to improve the availability of timely and actionable SDS risk information for exposed communities and sectors. E2 The request is in line with national strategies and plans. Yes The request is aligned with Uzbekistan’s national climate adaptation and disaster risk management priorities. The request identifies alignment with the Updated NDC 3.0, Strategy “Uzbekistan-2030”, the Sectoral National Adaptation Plan for Emergencies (2025–2030), the Programme for Combating Sand and Dust Storms 2024–2030, and national legislation on hydrometeorological activities and emergency management. These frameworks support the strengthening of early warning, hydrometeorological monitoring and SDS-related risk management. E3 The request enhances endogenous capacities. Yes The request has a strong endogenous capacity-building component. It will strengthen Uzhydromet’s and relevant national institutions’ technical and operational capacities through SDS data architecture development, prototype testing and validation, institutional workflows and SOPs, technical training, and preparation of an operational roadmap for a future National SDS Monitoring Centre. The TA is designed to enable Uzhydromet to progressively operate, maintain and further develop SDS monitoring and early warning functions beyond the TA period. E4 Processes are placed in the requesting country to monitor and evaluate any support provided. Yes The NDE has guaranteed that mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation are in place. Prioritisation Criteria P1 The request is aligned to the CTCN’s existing Programme of Work. Yes The request is aligned with the CTCN Third Programme of Work 2023–2027. Its strongest alignment is with the Digitalization enabler, through the integration of satellite, meteorological and air-quality data, atmospheric transport modelling, development of a digital SDS prototype, automated alert logic and API-based system integration. The request identifies Buildings and Infrastructure as the relevant system transformation area. P2 The request is aligned to the key themes of the Technology Framework of the Paris Agreement. Yes The request is aligned with the Technology Framework, particularly Innovation, Implementation, Enabling Environment and Capacity-building, Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement, and Support. It combines technology prototyping and validation with institutional capacity building, operational integration among national institutions, stakeholder engagement, and preparation of a scale-up investment and financing roadmap. P3 The request is submitted by LDCs or SIDS or by a country that has not received CTCN technical assistance in the last 5 years, taking into account regional balance. No Uzbekistan is neither an LDC nor a SIDS and has received CTCN technical assistance within the last five years. P4 The request contributes to the CTCN’s portfolio balance between mitigation and adaptation. Yes The request contributes to the CTCN’s portfolio balance by strengthening adaptation-focused technical assistance in the area of climate-induced Sand and Dust Storms, impact-based early warning and climate resilience. P5 The request has the potential to contribute to systems transformations (nationally, regionally, and/or internationally). Yes The request has the potential to contribute to systems transformation at the national level by establishing an integrated SDS monitoring and impact-based early warning architecture, strengthening institutional workflows between Uzhydromet and emergency-management institutions, demonstrating an operational prototype, and preparing the institutional, technical and investment roadmap for a future National SDS Monitoring Centre. The approach is intended to support progressive national operationalization and future scale-up. P6 The request is part of multi-country approach to allow regional bundling of requests to promote collaboration among stakeholders, including between countries (South-South, bilateral, or multilateral cooperation). No The request is a national technical assistance request for Uzbekistan and is not formally structured as a multi-country or regionally bundled CTCN technical assistance. P7 The request, developed in consultation with or with the engagement of various national climate-related focal points, enables leveraging public and/or private financing or is developed in consultation with research or private sector. Yes The request demonstrates a collaborative and financing-oriented approach. Uzhydromet developed the request through consultations involving the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, while relevant line ministries and academic/training institutions are identified as implementation stakeholders. The TA will also prepare a preliminary scale-up investment concept and financing roadmap identifying potential national, bilateral, multilateral and climate-finance pathways. P8 The request promotes gender equality and / or the empowerment of youth, Indigenous Peoples, or local communities. Yes The request includes explicit gender-responsive and vulnerable-group considerations. It will assess sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated exposure and vulnerability information, engage women and other vulnerable user groups in the design and testing of SDS warning products, assess accessibility and usability of warning messages, and apply a minimum target of 30% participation by women in technical training, consultations and validation activities, subject to institutional staffing composition. Eligibility score 4/4 Prioritisation score 6/8 Appraisal recommendation Eligible and prioritised