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Central Asian mountain stakeholders meet

23.05.2017

A mountain stakeholder meeting was held at the University of Central Asia (UCA) on 16 May 2017. Led by the Mountain Partnership Central Asia Mountain Hub (CAMH), about 30 representatives from 15 Mountain Partnership member organizations and institutions - including NGOs, community groups and research centres - gathered to discuss the status of ongoing joint activities on sustainable mountain development (SMD) in the region. Stakeholder meetings are one of several interactive, target-group specific platforms regularly organized by the CAMH to reach a wide range of mountain communities, practitioners and academia as well as multiple levels of policy-makers and governments in Central Asia.

Participants were updated on the 2017 activities of the Sustainable Mountain Development for Global Change (SMD4GC) programme, which is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Four grants are being co-implemented by the Alliance of Central Asian Mountain Communities, the Aigine Cultural Research Centre, the Kyrgyz Association of Forest and Land Users and the Rural Development Fund. Publications are also being produced and events featuring regional activities are being organized.

The participants were briefed on the status of upcoming capacity development initiatives. Topics included the Mountain Partnership’s International Programme on Research and Training on Sustainable Management of Mountain Areas (IPROMO), the Yrystan Public Foundation for Sustainable Community Development’s bilingual distance learning course and educational package on SMD, and the study tour to Mongolia on yak wool processing being led by Central Tien Shan and Jalalabad community representatives.

Results of work supported under the new Mountain Partnership Products (MPP) Initiative were presented, including the building of a storage facility for Farmer Cooperative Alysh Dan’s organic mountain apricots; the benefits of having the MPP label experienced by “Topchu” Art Group, the Agency of Development Initiatives and women herder groups from mountainous Western Mongolia; and an opportunity for the Federation of Organic Development Bio-KG to be engaged in the regional level inspection and certification process of mountain products.

Following a presentation by editor Indira Jakupova of EKOIS on running an online platform, the participants were consulted on the feasibility of using online tools and platforms for knowledge management and outreach work. The findings from their discussions are being compiled and will be shared with the UCA Mountain Societies Research Institute (UCA/MSRI) and its Knowledge Management Unit.

Several items were tabled for inputs, including planned activities; a summary of reflections and lessons learned from the 2015 Regional Mountain Forum in Dushanbe, Tajikistan; plans for forthcoming high profile events in 2017, including the International Snow Leopard and Forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, EXPO in Astana, Kazakhstan and the Regional Mountain Forum for Central Asia; and the recent change in funding scheme and its implications. In terms of upcoming events, the deadlines were set for the submission of potential thematic topics and tentative dates for the second quarterly meeting with the MSRI/UCA and the shared learning session on the study tour to Mongolia.

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News and photos by Alma Karsymbek