FAO representative visits Kyrgyzstan to discuss the climate change and forest ecosystem restoration agenda
Kazarman, Kyrgyzstan – Forests and trees play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing greenhouse gases and in achieving sustainable development by creating resilient landscapes.
Launched in 2023, the eight-year project “Carbon Sequestration through climate investment in forests and rangelands in the Kyrgyz Republic,” which is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), aims to promote the development of a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy through increased forest cover and rangeland productivity. Activities will be carried out to restore forests and pastures to enable the increase of carbon sequestration and ensure the stability of natural ecosystems.
The project is funded by the Green Climate Fund and project partners including the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund and the Kyrgyzstan Community Development and Investment Agency.
On 25 July, the third meeting of the National Project Steering Committee was held in the village of Kazarman, located in the east of Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan. It was attended by Nabil Gangi, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia. Other participants at the meeting were representatives of the Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industries, as well as officials and residents of four contiguous districts located in the Jalal-Abad, Osh and Naryn regions of Kyrgyzstan that have been selected as part of the project.
In his welcoming speech, Nabil Gangi emphasised the importance of the FAO project for Kyrgyzstan, which will improve the climate resilience of farms in pilot districts in the south of the country.
“The lives of over a million people will be changed for the better by this project,” said Gangi. “This will be facilitated by income diversification, reduced pressure on natural resources and ecosystem restoration. Within five years, at least three thousand hectares will be planted with new forests. This will help reverse the degradation of these territories.”
The project is expected to sequester over 19.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent within 20 years, which in turn represents 7.6 percent of the country’s total emissions and 22.6 percent of its agricultural emissions. Kyrgyzstan has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15.97 percent by 2030 under the Paris Agreement, and this project will be key to achieving that target.
Forest plantations will also be an effective tool for preventing and reducing the risks of natural disasters, including landslides and mudflows, which are the common in Kyrgyzstan. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, for first six months of 2024, the damage from natural and man-made accidents amounted to 1 billion 900 million soms or more than 22.5 million US dollars.
“The uniqueness of this project is that it brings together all stakeholders,” said Oleg Guchgeldiyev, FAO Representative in Kyrgyzstan. “This is very important because often projects focus on only one area, such as water resources, or pastures. This project has created Community Resource Management Groups, which aim to bring together all stakeholders for joint decision-making on climate change and natural resource management, and that’s going to help us make sure we have sustainable outcomes.”
During the meeting, FAO project experts presented developed standards on adaptation and mitigation of forests and pastures to climate change. These standards were developed for the first time based on an evaluation conducted in pilot regions.
The presentation prepared by the Forestry Service of Kyrgyzstan aroused great interest among the participants. In the near future, specialists from the Forest Service will begin to develop mechanisms for managing forests growing outside the State Forest Fund and specially protected natural areas. The Forestry Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan has also started to develop a forestry programme that will set strategic targets for reducing greenhouse gases.
“The implementation of the project is very important,” said Kubat Kaseyinov, First Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan. “Climate change is forcing us to scale up our efforts to conserve forests. Active educational work of a caring attitude towards nature in society are of particular importance.”
The meeting included a field trip to Ataiy village, which is located in Toguz-Toro. At the Karabulak pasture, members of the National Steering Committee observed how the project will be implemented and heard from residents of their high hopes for the project.
The project team also visited the Kurtka Forestry in Ak-Tala district, and toured the site of the future nursery where Tianshan spruce seedlings will be grown.
Nabil Gangi also discussed FAO's joint work with Kyrgyzstan on adaptation and climate change in bilateral meetings with senior officials of the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industries and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan, as well as with key international development partners and civil society organizations.
As Gangi noted, as part of its work on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, FAO is helping Kyrgyzstan to both mitigate and adapt to climate change through a wide range of research and practical programmes and projects on the ground.
“During my visit to Kyrgyzstan, I was pleased to see the implementation of the GCF-funded FAO project,” said Gangi,. “The project is multifaceted, covering agriculture, forestry, pastures, livestock breeding and even improving the livelihoods of local people. The enthusiasm of all stakeholders impressed me. During meetings with representatives of various agencies, residents, as well as during visits to nurseries and pastures, I saw Kyrgyzstan's great desire to conserve and restore its natural resources for socio-economic development. I look forward to seeing the success of the project in the future.”
Nabil Gangi also met with the team of the FAO Representation Office in the Kyrgyz Republic at which time he commended the work of the country office and identified potential starting points for expanding and strengthening FAO-Kyrgyzstan cooperation.
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