| May 22nd, 2025 | News

We have some exciting news to mark International Biodiversity Day (May 22)! One of the CAMCA project’s most significant achievements was recently unveiled at the National Consultation Meeting convened in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on April 30, 2025. A second ecological corridor has been created in the country, called “Ak Ilbirs,” connecting three state nature reserves in the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions and creating a safe habitat for rare species such as the snow leopard, ibex, argali, red deer, and wolf.

The length of the ecological corridor is approximately 200 km, with a width ranging from 25 to 75 km. It is a logical continuation of the first ecological corridor, created earlier in the Chatkal mountain range. Together, the two areas form a unified network of protected natural areas (PNA) covering about 1 million hectares. This brings Kyrgyzstan closer to fulfilling its commitments under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, particularly towards Target 3 – increasing the share of protected areas to 10% of the country’s total area (up from 7.38%).

Talant Turdumaatov from the Biodiversity Conservation Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kyrgyz Republic explained that a special procedure for creating ecological corridors was developed and approved by the government’s decision. The event was attended by other officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, the German Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), representatives of international and civil organizations, academic circles, and local communities.

Experts from the СAMР Alatoo also discussed the development of pasture management and grazing plans for local communities. “The locals graze livestock in areas where wild animals live. They suffer from the presence of domestic animals and compete with them for food. We tried to convince people to redistribute livestock to other areas. Now we are working on creating a pasture management guide that considers climate conditions and the regime of ecological corridors,” explained Salamat Djumabaeva, project coordinator from the СAMР Alatoo.

According to Talant Turdumaatov, livestock farming, particularly yak breeding, traditionally develops in mountain areas, and yaks graze year-round, which creates additional challenges for the migration of wild animals. “To protect them, we introduced temporary restrictions on issuing permits for livestock farming during the breeding and migration periods. This decision was supported by local residents,” he said.

Kubat Kaseinov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, emphasised the growing impact of climate change in Kyrgyzstan: rising temperatures, increased extreme events, and accelerated glacier melt, which leads to soil degradation, desertification, and disruption of ecological corridors. The growth of livestock populations exacerbates pressure on resources and reduces the ecosystems’ ability to recover.

“The CAMCA project in Central Asia is an example of coordinated interaction between government bodies, science, and local communities. Only by working together can we develop effective adaptation measures and preserve ecosystems,” said Kubat Kaseinov.

This position was supported by Arnold Kreilhuber, Regional Director and Representative, Regional Office for Europe,UNEP, who noted: “The health of ecosystems determines the survival of migratory species. We are facing a triple crisis — climate, land degradation, and air pollution.”

Gabriela Gillil, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kyrgyz Republic, added: “Germany, through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), supports projects like CAMCA. We believe it is crucial to consider the impact of climate change on migratory animals. The survival of the snow leopard, ibex, and argali is linked to the well-being of local communities and the sustainability of pastures and forests.”

The meeting also summarised the results of other aspects of the CAMCA project, including the development of eco-education programs in local schools, wildlife monitoring, and modern approaches to biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management. Special attention was given to the use of tools such as PAVA, IBEX, and Climate Crowd. According to UNEP regional consultant Azamat Isakov, testing and applying these tools in PNAs and working with local communities helped assess the effectiveness of ecosystem management and gain a better understanding of how populations and natural systems adapt to climate change.

Participants also received information on how the results of the CAMCA project can be used within the political mechanisms of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The event was organized by UNEP with support from IKI, in collaboration with the СAMР Alatoo Public Foundation and the Ilbirs Foundation, who are partners in the implementation of the CAMCA project in Kyrgyzstan.

*Snow leopard – translation from Kyrgyz language