Climate change continues to have an increasing impact on the Kyrgyz Republic. More frequent extreme weather events, shrinking water resources, ecosystem degradation, and threats to food security require coordinated and ambitious action. It was stated today at the National Climate Dialogue in Bishkek.
Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov noted: «In the past, these issues sounded abstract — tsunamis, hurricanes somewhere far away. Today, that hurricane has come to our beautiful land. The hydrological cycle in Kyrgyzstan has changed. This year we were supposed to overcome water shortages, but instead, they have intensified. Some of our neighbors are upset with us, but it’s visible — there is less water, and this causes huge direct losses.»
He emphasized that hundreds of billions of soms must be invested to save every drop of water, including large-scale irrigation infrastructure and the transition to drip irrigation.
«We need to bring drip irrigation to every tree, bush, and root crop. This is a huge expense for us. But the state leadership has said that we must do everything so that there is enough water not only for ourselves but also for our neighbors. I want to address some of our neighbors who allocate a paltry amount annually to maintain our hydrological facilities. What is $600,000? It’s practically nothing. I think it would be better for us to refuse this money just so they don’t make demands. This is not the 1990s or 2000s. We are spending billions of soms to preserve water not only for ourselves but also for downstream countries. We must unite our efforts within the country, the region, and globally,» Edil Baisalov stressed.
