On 22 October, 2011, a national seminar on the results of the research project on “Forest and rural income sources in the Kyrgyz Republic: Development potential” was held in Bishkek. This research-based project was carried out by the World Bank consultants in collaboration with the RDF specialists from June 2010 to September 2011 and was funded by the World Bank’s the Program on Forests (PROFOR). The study focused to identify the institutional and market constraints that prevented the local communities living within and around forests from increasing their income from the use of forest resources. The focus of the study was on finding effective mechanisms of partnership between forestry and the local population, as well as on the analysis of the value chain of walnut in the forests of Jalal-Abad region.
This national workshop marked the final stage of the project, where the results of the study were presented, and the researchers proposed recommendations and prospects for the development of the forest sector. The participants included a wide range of forest sector stakeholders, such as the representatives of government agencies, namely the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry, the Department of Pastures of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Economic Regulation, academia, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, business companies, forest users, and local media.