RESILAND CA+ environmental project has been launched in Kyrgyzstan, aimed at protecting nature and preventing natural disasters. The press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported.
The initiator of the project was the Minister of Emergency Situations Boobek Azhikeev. He negotiated with international partners and donors, and also advocated for the need for a large-scale program for sustainable landscape management and disaster risk reduction.
The project will help prevent mudflows, restore degraded lands and strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries in the field of sustainable landscape management.
The project is being implemented until 2029 and is financed by international partners:
- $45 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA);
- $5 million PROGREEN grant;
- $2.4 million grant from the Korea — World Bank Partnership Facility (KWPF).
The program will cover Osh, Jalal-Abad, Naryn and Issyk-Kul regions. Particular attention will be paid to Kara Darya River basin, where there is a high risk of mudflows.
«Together with the team, we have set ourselves the task of not limiting ourselves to responding to emergency disasters, but to systematically preventing them. The project is the result of our firm position and partnership approach,» Boobek Azhikeev said.
Particular attention will be paid to preventing accelerated melting of glaciers, maintaining the water balance and improving water resource management.
The project will intensify work on the construction of protective structures. Mudflows will not destroy areas in different branches, but will be directed into a safe channel — this will help not only prevent damage within the republic, but also minimize risks for neighboring states located downstream.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, over the past five years, 32 people have died as a result of mudflows and floods.
In July 2023, Jany-Zher village in Osh region was threatened with complete flooding due to a powerful mudflow that came down after heavy rains. Three people died, houses and roads were destroyed. In 2022, the village of Emgekchil in Naryn region suffered from constant landslides caused by soil erosion and the lack of protective forest belts. More than 100 families were resettled. Residents of Issyk-Kul region are faced with the growing problem of melting glaciers that feed the region’s rivers and lakes. This affects water levels and threatens agriculture.
The above tragedies highlight the need for urgent measures to prevent disasters and protect the population.
