Kyrgyzstan called on participants of the UN Climate Change Conference to join the Declaration on Climate Change, Mountains and Glaciers.
At the event «High-Level Dialogue: Advancing the Mountain Agenda and Mainstreaming the Theme of Mountains and Climate Change,» President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov began his speech with a Kyrgyz proverb: «Toolordo menin zhurogum, toolordo menin tunogum!», which is translated as: «My heart is in the mountains, my refuge is in the mountains!», which points to the sacred and ecological importance of mountains.
«At the same time, residents of mountainous regions face such challenges as extreme natural conditions, natural disasters, low agricultural productivity of land, communication isolation, limited access to social and economic services, which hinders their development, leading to an increase in poverty,» the head of state said.
He emphasized that climate change has a particularly negative impact on glaciers, water resources, agriculture and, in general, on human life.
The glaciers of the Kyrgyz Republic are melting at an unprecedented rate; over the past 50-70 years, the area of glaciers has decreased by 16 percent of the total area. And if this trend continues, a significant part of the glaciers may disappear by the end of the century.
«This is not just statistics, this is a direct threat to the lives and well-being of millions of people, who depend on glaciers as a source of fresh water. No country can cope with the challenges of climate change alone. We need solidarity, cooperation and exchange of experience,» Sadyr Japarov noted.
He stated that Kyrgyzstan calls on the international community to step up support for mountainous states that are most vulnerable to climate change, although they make the least contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
«In this regard, we call for joining the Declaration on Climate Change, Mountains and Glaciers, which is a political document to draw the attention of the world community to the problems of mountains and glaciers. It is necessary to change the current view on mountain problems and their environmental significance on a global scale, to conduct further in-depth research on the impact of climate change on mountain ecosystems, including on the basis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,» the head of the Kyrgyz Republic added.
The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held in Baku from November 11 to November 22.
