In Kyrgyzstan, FAO and partners aim to help restore ecosystems critical to combating climate change

Whenever we drink water, eat fruit or take a deep breath, we should thank the forests that make it all possible. Forests and trees play a crucial role in addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development by absorbing greenhouse gases and creating more sustainable landscapes.

Today, more than 100 officials and experts attended a workshop to launch a carbon sequestration project in Kyrgyzstan. The goal of the project, which is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is to promote the development of a low-carbon and climate- resilient economy. Thanks to a grant of USD 30 million from the  Green Climate Fund and more than USD 20 million from project partners (including the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund and the Kyrgyzstan Community Development and Investment Agency), activities will be carried out to restore forests and pastures to enable the increase of carbon sequestration and ensure the stability of natural ecosystems.

As a high-altitude country, Kyrgyzstan has been experiencing the effects of climate change earlier and more acutely than most. 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. Because mountains cover more than 90 percent of the country, it is increasingly important to build resilience to the effects of climate change and to enable the continued sustainable use of natural resources.

“I would call today’s workshop an attempt to look into the future,” said Viorel Gutu, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and interim FAO Representative in Kyrgyzstan. “I am sure that the team of like-minded people gathered here will be able to work out effective green solutions that will reduce the burden on the ecosystem, reduce carbon emissions and ensure sustainable use of natural resources.”

According to a national forest inventory carried out in 2008–2010 with the support of FAO, forests cover an area in Kyrgyzstan of more than a million hectares, or 5.6 percent of the entire territory of the country. The new eight-year project aims to increase forest cover and rangeland productivity.

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 implementing those plans.

Forest plantations will also be an effective tool for preventing and reducing the risks of natural disasters, including landslides and mudflows, which are the most common in Kyrgyzstan.

To date, four contiguous districts located in the Jalal-Abad, Osh and Naryn regions of Kyrgyzstan have been selected as part of the project based on levels of disaster risk, the vulnerability of ecosystems and communities to climate change, and the potential for restoration of forests and pastures.

Workshop participants noted that the project represents a relatively new approach to forest and pasture management in Kyrgyzstan – one that aims not only to reduce existing and future vulnerability to climate change but also to find a reasonable compromise between increasing prosperity and preserving natural wealth.

11 April 2023, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan