September 13, experts and specialists of the Country Office of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) for Kyrgyzstan conducted a training on the topic “Additional financial opportunities for specially protected natural areas” for representatives of the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas and the administrations of state natural parks and reserves of Kyrgyzstan. This training was conducted within the framework of the UNDP project “Feasibility study of an effective system of financial self-sufficiency of protected areas (PA)”, implemented by the CAREC Office for Kyrgyzstan. The training was online.
During the training participants discussed the possibilities of cooperation with regional development funds and for participants were presented the procedure for forming and the specifics of filling out project applications. In the training was attended by representatives of the Kemin District Development Fund (Azis Bakirov) and the Talas Regional Development Fund (Nasyr Turgunbaev), who shared their experience in financing state institutions.
For information: In Kyrgyzstan in 2015, regional and district development funds operate, which accumulate financial resources from the state budget, private and state companies. The annual budget of the funds is more than 2 billion soms. These funds finance only state organizations in the following areas: socio-economic development, drinking water, financing of infrastructure projects, financing of projects in the field of health care, repair and restoration of irrigation networks, implementation of improvement and landscaping activities, ensuring environmental safety and environmental protection.
CAREC trainers noted that some protected areas are already cooperating with regional development funds and have received the first grant funds for the development of nurseries, improving the living conditions of rangers, and for the conservation of wild animals and birds.
During the training, these protected areas were able to share their examples with their colleagues and called for high-quality preparation of project applications and cooperation with regional development funds.
This training was the first event to implement new financing mechanisms for protected areas in Kyrgyzstan and this process will be continued by the above-mentioned UNDP-BIOFIN project within the framework of support from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Additional information:
Kuban Matraimov, Director of CAREC Country Office for Kyrgyzstan, kmatraimov@carececo.org
