On December 18, 2020, a regular meeting of the Advisory Board of the UNDP/GEF project "Conservation of globally important biodiversity and associated land and forest resources of Western Tian Shan mountain ecosystems to support sustainable livelihoods" took place to sum up the interim results of the project and discuss its further plans.

The meeting was attended by Eldiyar Sheripov, Deputy Director of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (SAEPF), Almaz Musaev, Director of the Department for Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas of the SAEPF, Tomica Paovic, a.i. Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic, representatives of the SAEPF, deputy akims of Toktogul and Toguz-Toro districts, representatives of non-governmental organizations in the field of environmental protection and UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Deputy Head of the SAEPF Eldiyar Sheripov in his speech emphasized the positive effect of the joint implementation of the project and noted that within its framework “significant work is being done to support the protected areas of the Western Tian Shan, preserve biodiversity and expand forest areas. We express our hope for further cooperation with UNDP in the implementation of projects in this direction. This year, due to the pandemic, a number of planned activities remained unfulfilled, and in this regard, I would like to appeal to our partners to prolong this project". 

During the meeting, a presentation was made on the results of the project implementation for 2020, on the concept of High Conservation Value Forests, on the results of exchange visits to improve the PA system, on the Electronic PA system, on anti-poaching raids, on the training of rangers, on measures for the effective implementation of CITES.

Tomica Paovic, a.i. Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic, said: “The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic demonstrates positive dynamics in making a commitment to increase the territories of specially protected natural areas up to 10%. Due to the newly formed three parks, the share of protected areas reached 7.38%. The United Nations Development Program thanks the SAEPF and our partners for your trust in the implementation of GEF projects aimed at supporting the establishment of young natural parks – “Khan Tengri”, “Alatai” and “Kan-Achuu”, and we also hope to continue our joint efforts in this direction within the framework of the future GEF 7 project”.  

The Board members discussed plans for the upcoming years, in particular, the construction of new administrative buildings and ranger houses for Alatai and Kan-Achuu PAs, drawing up of  a development strategy for PAs, conducting inventory of wildlife sanctuaries, developing ecotourism and environmental education as well as small grants for local communities of Toktogul and Toguz-Toro.

UNDP is currently implementing the project "Conservation of globally important biodiversity and associated land and forest resources of Western Tian Shan mountain ecosystems to support sustainable livelihoods" to preserve unique natural complexes and biodiversity, to promote the protection of rare and endangered species of fauna and flora. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is being implemented in partnership with the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry under the Kyrgyz Republic Government. More about the project here.

About the Western Tian Shan

Western Tian Shan is a mountain system characterized by a high level of endemism and rich flora and fauna. The region is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the 34 Global Biodiversity Hotspots and is included in the World Ecoregion Rating of Global 200, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The territory of the Western Tian Shan is inhabited by 27 species of animals, which are on the verge of extinction, and 54 Red Book species of plants grow here.