• ^{UNDP has started developing its flagship independent study on human development at national level through a participatory process involving a large group of stakeholders.}
• ^{The report will focus on energy poverty, vulnerability and a fair and just energy transition in the Kyrgyz Republic.}
• ^{The goal is to stimulate dialogue on energy as a development accelerator of for the country, in generating, or limiting, people’s opportunities and choice}  

9 February 2023, Bishkek – Energy vulnerability will become the focus of UNDP’s next flagship national human development report to be published by the end of 2023.  This independent report will recognize Kyrgyzstan’s energy performance parameters over the last decade – while undertaking a deep dive into questions of a fair and just energy transition that matches national strategic priorities, pledges and widely debated international commitments on climate change.  

Like other Central Asian countries, the Kyrgyz Republic has abundant potential for renewable energy resources, considerable opportunities for energy efficiency, and an interest in increased regional energy cooperation. Yet, the countries of the region share parallel energy challenges as well, stemming from obsolete infrastructure and water shortages limiting hydroelectricity generation. This leaves many households in the country at risk of multiple, intersecting energy vulnerabilities, including health impacts, climate risks, infrastructure challenges, progressive tariffs and other.  

 To identify new ways to address these challenges, UNDP is commissioning this national human development report to investigate the nature and extent of Kyrgyzstani households’ energy-related vulnerabilities and to identify opportunities for timely and meaningful improvements, adaptive to an uncertain future given recent macroeconomic and political shifts. The report is expected to spark policy debates around just energy transition and lay out suggestions for bold policy action to raise the quality of living of the country’s citizens through improving access to energy.  

 Having planned as a policy development process beyond just a research, UNDP will engage a wide range of stakeholders in the development of this report to reflect multiple views on energy issues. As the first major step, today UNDP hosted a workshop to co-create the conceptual framework and research design of the study together with representatives of the Government, academia, independent experts, civil society, businesses in the field of energy, as well as other United Nations agencies and development partners.  

 Louise Chamberlain, UNDP Resident Representative emphasized in her opening speech: “The importance of a fair and just energy transition will be one of the key themes for the national human development report and we want to focus on people’s ability to make choices around energy that affect multiple aspects of their wellbeing, including for example in health, education and work.”

 How can the Kyrgyz Republic’s energy transition power human development? That is the key question for this national human development report. Focused on this overall theme, UNDP will continue the development of the study by collecting insight from policymakers, academics, and researchers to identify new approaches to the energy transition.  

Among the initial focus themes on energy and human development discussed by the workshop participants was the linkage of persistent use of polluting fuels – particularly coal – to air pollution in Bishkek, Osh and other areas, and human health. Experts also noted increasing climate and water-related risks and vulnerability of households to energy shortages, given the country’s high dependence on electricity generated by hydropower. Much of the discussion was about the energy infrastructure issues and electricity tariff policies, both affecting the equity of transition to green energy in the Kyrgyz Republic.  

 What is a National Human Development Report? 

 National and regional human development reports are UNDP’s flagship studies and represent a locally led movement for change. Human development reporting transforms goals for poverty reduction and human development into benchmarks, plans and approaches for national, regional, and international action. The reports make recommendations for change that generate attention and debate among stakeholders and policy makers, and they raise public awareness of ideas about human development.  

 Since 1999, UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic has prepared national human development reports on such themes as human development trends, democratic governance, human development in the mountainous regions, civil society and human development, youth, local self-governance, and trade.  

About UNDP

UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build better life. We are on the ground in some 170 countries and territories, working with them on their solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @undpkg. 

^{For more information, please contact Ainagul Abdrakhmanova, UNDP Communications Officer, +996 770 755 776, ainagul.abdrakhmanova@undp.org}