FAO flag flies 7 000 m above Kyrgyzstan to promote eightieth anniversary, draw attention to climate change

On 16 October 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates 80 years of commitment to ending hunger, transforming agrifood systems and promoting inclusive and sustainable rural development.

In Kyrgyzstan, this milestone also serves as a tribute to decades of joint effort to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO has supported the country at key historical moments, providing technical assistance, generating evidence for public policies, building capacities, strengthening institutions and fostering cooperation.

As part of the celebration of the eightieth anniversary of FAO’s founding, a group of climbers from Kyrgyzstan ascended Lenin Peak – one of Central Asia’s highest, at 7 134 m – and raised the FAO flag at its summit. This symbolic gesture is designed to draw global attention to the problems of climate change and its consequences for mountain regions and the food security and well-being of their residents.

Lenin Peak is the third-highest summit in the Commonwealth of Independent States and the second-highest in Kyrgyzstan and the Pamir mountain system. It was first conquered in 1934.

The ascent – one of the last in the 2025 season, timed for the FAO anniversary – was a true test of resilience, with the climbers reporting storm-force winds. The assault on the summit was organized as a relay. The flag was carried to an altitude of 6 100 m by Alisa Kuchuko and to 6 350 m by Alexey Ivanov, with the final leg overcome by Roman Kuropyatnikov, who installed the FAO flag at the summit.

This action holds symbolic meaning. As a high-altitude country, Kyrgyzstan has been experiencing the effects of climate change earlier and more acutely than most.

“Mountain ecosystems play a key role in providing water and food for the population, but they are now under increasing pressure,” said Oleg Guchgeldiyev, FAO Representative in Kyrgyzstan. “Changes in temperatures are leading to changes in precipitation patterns and more frequent peaks in temperature, leading to aridity and drought, especially in mountain pastures.”

Climate risks such as droughts, glacier melt, landslides and mudflows already are having a noticeable impact on the resilience of food systems and the quality of life of people in the region. Crop growing seasons are disrupted due to abnormally high temperatures and acute water shortages, leading to crop loss. The melting of glaciers, which are the main source of water in Central Asia, represents one of the most serious long-term threats. The disruption of the balance between winter snow accumulation and summer ice melt threatens the region with a catastrophic water deficit in the coming decades.

FAO actively supports Kyrgyzstan and other countries in the region in adapting to these challenges. The Organization implements projects aimed at improving natural resource management, introducing water-saving technologies, combating land degradation, and training farmers in climate-oriented agricultural practices.

Speaking in April 2025 at an international conference in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu noted that mountain regions are under growing pressure due to climate change, biodiversity loss and soil degradation. However, he added, mountain populations have enormous potential for climate-resilient development, and work to modernize sectors producing mountain products already is bearing fruit.

Raising the FAO flag on the roof of the Pamirs is a call for solidarity and a reminder that the future of food security and sustainable development depends on our collective actions to preserve the fragile mountain environment today.