Strengthening Resilience and Adaptive Capacity of Natural Ecosystems and Local Communities
The role of local communities is essential in the conservation of local natural resources as they have direct interaction with biodiversity and their livelihoods are based on successful coexistence with surrounding landscapes. Communities are the main actors or the main driving force that ensures the continued protection of ecosystems.
The current Project was based on the introduction and adoption of the bottom-up inclusion and integrated approach, which was focused on strengthening the role of the local communities in the management of the local ecosystems. The role of local communities was principal in the implementation of the development initiatives through the sharing of experience, practices and vision related to the conservation and protection of natural resources not only among communities but also among decision-making institutions. Project activities were focused on the encouragement of the process of local participation in every aspect of development policy.
Implementation Period: 2022 – 2023 (24 months).
Donor: Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF)
Partners: Country Office of the Regional Environmental Center of Central Asia (CAREC) in Kyrgyzstan; The State Forest Service of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Area: Toktogul district of the Jalal-Abad region of the Kyrgyz Republic. The pilot site is the Chychkan Gorge.
From March 22 to 24, 2022, the Kick-off Seminar of the project was held in Toktogul, attended by representatives of the Toktogul District State Administration, Jany-Zhol Ayil Okmotu, Toktogul Forestry, representatives of the business community and municipal enterprises, pasture users, forest users, and beekeepers. The event was held by Rural Development Fund and the Country Office of the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC) in Kyrgyzstan, with the participation of representatives of the State Forest Service of the Kyrgyz Republic. At the kick-off seminar, information about the goals and objectives of the project was presented, and the planned project activities, indicators and problems related to the environmental state of the Chychkan Gorge were also discussed.
The approach assisted local communities in identifying their strengths, potential, and priorities by allowing them to reflect on the challenges and problems and to work out bottom-up decisions to address the issues of ecosystem and biodiversity degradation existing in the area. Community inclusion and participation ensure the cost-effective, sustainable, and replicable implementation of the project activities.
The result of the project was the establishment of the Natural Resources Management Platform. Integration of biodiversity conservation issues into the Development Plans of aiyl aimaks (rural areas), pasture committees provides an opportunity to mainstream biodiversity conservation issues during the implementation of these Plans. The introduced Approach and Concept of local development with sparing use of natural resources lays the foundation for further sustainable development of the region as a whole.
The sustainability of the project is ensured by the introduction and adoption of the Bottom Management plan which is based on the inclusion of the local communities at all stages of the decision-making process. The project contributes to strengthening the local capacity to appreciate, understand, reflect and address the challenges throughout the whole course of the conservation of local ecosystems.
The role of local communities is essential in the conservation of local natural resources as they have direct interaction with biodiversity and their livelihoods are based on successful coexistence with surrounding landscapes. Communities are the main actors or the main driving force that ensures the continued protection of ecosystems.
The current Project was based on the introduction and adoption of the bottom-up inclusion and integrated approach, which was focused on strengthening the role of the local communities in the management of the local ecosystems. The role of local communities was principal in the implementation of the development initiatives through the sharing of experience, practices and vision related to the conservation and protection of natural resources not only among communities but also among decision-making institutions. Project activities were focused on the encouragement of the process of local participation in every aspect of development policy.
Implementation Period: 2022 – 2023 (24 months).
Donor: Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF)
Partners: Country Office of the Regional Environmental Center of Central Asia (CAREC) in Kyrgyzstan; The State Forest Service of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Area: Toktogul district of the Jalal-Abad region of the Kyrgyz Republic. The pilot site is the Chychkan Gorge.
From March 22 to 24, 2022, the Kick-off Seminar of the project was held in Toktogul, attended by representatives of the Toktogul District State Administration, Jany-Zhol Ayil Okmotu, Toktogul Forestry, representatives of the business community and municipal enterprises, pasture users, forest users, and beekeepers. The event was held by Rural Development Fund and the Country Office of the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC) in Kyrgyzstan, with the participation of representatives of the State Forest Service of the Kyrgyz Republic. At the kick-off seminar, information about the goals and objectives of the project was presented, and the planned project activities, indicators and problems related to the environmental state of the Chychkan Gorge were also discussed.
The approach assisted local communities in identifying their strengths, potential, and priorities by allowing them to reflect on the challenges and problems and to work out bottom-up decisions to address the issues of ecosystem and biodiversity degradation existing in the area. Community inclusion and participation ensure the cost-effective, sustainable, and replicable implementation of the project activities.
The result of the project was the establishment of the Natural Resources Management Platform. Integration of biodiversity conservation issues into the Development Plans of aiyl aimaks (rural areas), pasture committees provides an opportunity to mainstream biodiversity conservation issues during the implementation of these Plans. The introduced Approach and Concept of local development with sparing use of natural resources lays the foundation for further sustainable development of the region as a whole.
The sustainability of the project is ensured by the introduction and adoption of the Bottom Management plan which is based on the inclusion of the local communities at all stages of the decision-making process. The project contributes to strengthening the local capacity to appreciate, understand, reflect and address the challenges throughout the whole course of the conservation of local ecosystems.
