OSCE Centre in Bishkek

The Centre in Bishkek and its Field Office in Osh assist the Kyrgyz Government and non-government institutions with a broad range of environmental activities.

Waste management

The waste management systems in the cities of Osh, Talas and Naryn suffer from budgetary problems, lack of technical equipment and no system for recycling waste. Citizens, frustrated by poor services, often do not pay their monthly garbage collection fees, which adds to the problem. At the request of the Mayor's office of Talas and Naryn, the OSCE Centre - in partnership with the Urban Institute - is assisting the mayor's office in developing long-term service improvement action plans to raise citizens' awareness of their responsibilities and improve services.

Tackling the uranium waste threat

The Centre supports a technical working group under the auspices of the Ministry of Emergency Situations that is seeking a solution to the landslides that pose an environmental threat to residents of the former uranium mining village Min Kush. Should a landslide occur, it is possible that a reservoir will be formed, unearthing the uranium tailings site. The Centre is also working to alleviate the socio-economic suffering of the remaining villagers of Min Kush by working with the community on income generation projects.

The Centre also monitors the dangers of the Mailuu Suu uranium mining sites, which pose a radiation threat to the wider Ferghana Valley. In past years, the Centre has facilitated a radiation survey of residential dwellings in Mailuu Suu and organized donor co-ordination events. In 2008, medical practitioners will place special emphasis on training and consulting of public officials and residents. The topics include behaviour, medicines and treatment in case of exposure to radiation.

Dealing with water-related tensions

The Centre implements water-sharing projects between communities in the border areas of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan/Uzbekistan where tensions existed over the equitable allocation of water for irrigation. Activities focused on bringing officials and community groups together, and promoting discussions on equitable use of water resources.