OSCE helps with promoting environmental democracy in Jalal-Abad province
Throughout 2018, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek helped conduct a study of political and institutional frameworks for financing environmental protection causes in the province of Jalal-Abad. The results of the study, entitled “Financing Environment Protection with focus on Biodiversity and Climate Change Adaptation in Jalal-Abad Province: Public and Private Expenditure Review”, will be published with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek by the end of this year and then transferred to the Ministry of Finances of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The examination of water and soil samples during the study revealed serious environmental problems in the province of Jalal-Abad. Firstly, hazardous wastewater containing nitrates, chlorides, chromium, sulphates, oil and oil products and salts of heavy metals are discharged untreated into open reservoirs and watercourses. Water samples from the local Mailuu-Suu River showed that the maximum allowable concentrations (MAC) for iron (2-12 MAC) and manganese (1.6-2.5 MAC) are exceeded.
Secondly, deforestation, forest fires, overgrazing, extensive land use in forest areas, mass tourism, reduction of natural forest ecosystems, and environmental pollution are also among the problems that the Jalal-Abad community is facing.
Lastly, the intensification of animal farming has also decreased the number of species, threatening biodiversity and depleting ecosystems.
The review is aimed at providing governments, municipal authorities, enterprises, organizations and the public with information on the most pressing environmental issues, also with a view to effective budget planning for environmental protection activities.