Since 2022, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in response to a request from the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, has been implementing a project to support National Adaptation Planning to strengthen climate resilience in four key sectors: agriculture and irrigation, health, emergencies and biodiversity conservation under the negative impacts of climate change. This project is being conducted in close alignment with the national development priorities of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Central-Asian Institute for Applied Geosciences (CAIAR), engaged by UNDP, is conducting a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) in the target sectors (biodiversity conservation, agriculture, health and disaster risk reduction) and southern regions of Kyrgyzstan. This includes the development of sectoral and oblast adaptation plans based on the assessment in sectoral working groups including representatives of government agencies, research institutions, business and NGOs. These groups have the expertise to identify sector-specific vulnerabilities based on prior research in the country.

In the period from 5 to 10 February 2023, consultation workshops were held with oblast representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Technical Supervision (MNREETS KR), Ministry of Water Resources and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic (MWRAPPI KR), Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic (MoH KR) and Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic (MES KR) in Osh, Batken and Jalal-Abad oblasts.

The participants of the workshops received up-to-date information on current and future climate change trends, climate policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, and tools for assessing climate risks and vulnerability at the national and oblast levels. 

During the discussions, each workshop participant was able to express his/her opinion, talk about problems and share expectations, recommendations and proposals for inclusion in the adaptation action plan at the oblast level.

Representatives of Batken, Osh and Jalal-Abad provinces voiced the problem of shortage of irrigation and drinking water, the problem of increasing frequency of natural emergencies and forest fires, intensification of drought, lack of financial resources, increasing morbidity of the population due to heat waves, etc. The participants of the workshop expressed their appreciation of the importance of integrating adaptation measures into provincial development plans in the context of climate change. 

All workshop participants appreciated the importance of integrating adaptation measures into regional development plans in the context of climate change. At the same time, it should be noted that representatives of regional level governmental bodies have a clear vision of how to address climate change and proposed specific adaptation measures at their level.

The consultations have been finalised and the crucial stage of developing regional adaptation plans lies ahead. 

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For reference: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is the leading UN organization fighting injustice caused by poverty, inequality and climate change. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help create integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more about us at undp.org/Kyrgyzstan or follow us at @UNDPkg. 

For more information, please contact Ainagul Abdrakhmanova, UNDP Communications Officer at ainagul.abdrakhmanova@undp.org

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