Kyrgyzstan priorities in environment protection B. Tolongutov, Director, State Regulation Center on Environment Protection & Ecological Safety Sector State Agency for Environment Protection & Forest Management under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection  New challenges related to climate changes and degradation processes of natural resources, negatively influence quality of citizens’ life requiring adoption of timely measures.  The second report of the Kyrgyz Republic on MDG notes that climate change will also lead to the increase of extreme weather effects, collapse of ecosystems, threats to human health, loss of biodiversity, degradation of land resources.  Food and energy safety issues directly impacting poverty in the country can become particularly topical.

 The Kyrgyz Republic President Decree #506 dated approved the Concept on Ecological Safety of Kyrgyzstan that determines the key focuses of the government policy on the environment protection and rational use of natural resources in the context of sustainable development for the nearest prespective (until 2020).  The Kyrgyz Republic Government developed and approved Regulation #599 dated September 23, 2011 on “Complex of measures on ensuring ecological safety of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2015”. Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection

The Draft on “The Kyrgyz Republic Mid-Term Development Program for ” has been approved via the Kyrgyz Republic Government Regulation #540 dated September 8, The Program reflects general vision and conceptual action plan of the Kyrgyz Republic Government on social and economical development of the country until Specific measures on the program implementation also include ecological safety ensuring measures.

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection In order to resolve ecological problems the KR Government is planning to promote the following initiatives : Reforming of the governmental ecological policy and legislation; Development of national policy on climate change; Improvement of efficiency of measures related to biodiversity safeguarding and rational use of natural resources; Development of international cooperation to resolve national ecological problems.

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection  The recommendations of Kyrgyzstan’s second report on MDG (2010) underline the need to improve legislation on the use of natural resources and the environment protection including the system on ecological regulatory activities related to scheduling of the use of natural resources, regulation of functions on ownership, use and administration of natural resources and harmonization with international agreements to which Kyrgyzstan is included as well.

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection  In the frame of the governmental ecological policy reforming the work on separation of permissive policy and control system, on development and revision of national ecological strategic documents will be conducted legislatively.

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection  A national policy and a package of measures on adaptation, facilitation of consequences of climate change will be developed including promotion of low- carbon development, “green economics” principles and improvement of energy efficiency of the buildings.

In implementing the Kyrgyz Republic’s commitments on Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol the issues on vulnerability and adaptation to conditions of the changing climate are considered in the sectors of: Water resources, Agriculture, Population health Emergency climatic situations. National Action Plan on the country’s adaptation to conditions of the changing climate is getting finalized by the State Agency jointly with experts of the ministries and agencies with the UNDP support. Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection

 A special attention will be paid to improvement of the investment climate to resolve national ecological problems via improvement of transparency of GEF and other donors’ financial resources attraction;  Promotion of the country mechanism on “Exchange of external debt to sustainable development”, there are examples of exchanging external debt to sustainable development: The Government of Germany – resolution of social problems (Tuberculosis) in the penitentiary system of the country. Also negotiations with Germany on the use of this mechanism on energy effectiveness and reforestation are conducted.

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection  Progressing urbanization of the territories involve decrease of access to quality drinking water and adequate sewerage systems, significant growth of air pollution by emissions from immovable resources and auto transport, by the problem on solid domestic waste disposal.  Irrational use of chemical substances is one of the reasons of the environmental sites contamination, especially in the obsolete pesticides burial grounds. In this course it is planned to develop a complex program on proper management of chemical substances using an inter-sectoral approach.

 Coordination of measures on ensuring radiation safety in the frame of IAEA Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection

 The Kyrgyz Republic is a Party of 13 international agreements and conventions on the nature protection and performance of commitments within them contributes to supporting of ecological sustainability and allows attracting external funds for stabilization, prevention of degradation processes of natural resources, improvement of the country’s life support capacity as a basis for poverty rate reduction and social and economical development.  Within development of the international cooperation a range of projects focused on performance of commitments on the global ecology-related conventions and agreements are implemented for the purpose of resolving national ecological problems.

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection The process on biodiversity loss is progressing in Kyrgyzstan. A particular concern is caused by the state of endemic fish fauna of the Issyk-Kul Lake. Due to the lack of adequate financing the activity related to biodiversity safeguarding is conducted in the specially protected areas only and there is a need for enlarging of their areas, capacity strengthening, biodiversity safeguarding in productive landscapes as well as for development of National Strategy and Action Plan on biodiversity safeguarding.

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection Within improvement of effectiveness of measures related to specially protected areas network capacity strengthening and rational use of natural resources the activity on protected areas and forestry ecosystems rehabilitation will be conducted. Forestation of the unified forest fund and protected areas, inventory of hunting grounds will be realized as well as planting of forest cultures in the territory of the State Forest Fund and outside those lands.

Kyrgyzstan priorities in the environment protection One of the priorities will be development of inter-agency and inter-sectoral cooperation via: Implementation of measures provided in “Complex of measures on ecological safety of Kyrgyzstan until 2015”; Development of the basis for implementation of Strategic Ecological Assessment; Improvement of informing and involvement of the civil society into the process of development and implementation of the ecology-related policy and regulatory and legal acts.

Thank you for attention!