LocationsBiodiversity as a Basis for Sustainable Development of the Country
October 29, 2025
Lake Sary-Chelek in the Jalal-Abad region
The nature of Kyrgyzstan is exceptionally rich and diverse. Its landscapes encompass the entire range of ecosystems: from glaciers and mountain meadows to walnut forests and desert steppes. According to scientists, about 2% of the world’s flora and more than 3% of its fauna are found in the country. This makes Kyrgyzstan one of the 34 global centers of biodiversity on Earth, where not only species but also genetic diversity is concentrated, adding great global value.
Ecosystems provide people with fresh water, regulate the climate, maintain soil fertility, retain carbon, and prevent erosion. They act as natural biotic regulators, mitigate the effects of climate change, and sustain environmental stability. However, these systems remain fragile. Increasing human activities, deforestation, overgrazing, and climate change are causing ecosystem degradation and habitat loss. Natural connectivity is being disrupted, populations of wild animals are declining, and pollinators and water resources are being lost.
Padysh Ata Reserve in the Jalal-Abad region
The snow leopard, the symbol of Kyrgyzstan, is considered an indicator of the health of mountain ecosystems. Where snow leopards live, nature is healthy. They have become not only a national symbol but also a call to the world – a reminder that nature conservation is possible only through cooperation and shared responsibility.
Building on this, the Kyrgyz Republic is actively promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable development agendas in the international arena. In 2021, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution “Nature knows no borders: cross-border cooperation as a key factor in the conservation, restoration and sustainability of biodiversity,” proposed by Kyrgyzstan. In 2022, the country’s initiative to declare 2023-2026 as the Fifth Anniversary of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions was approved. In 2024, the UN General Assembly supported Kyrgyzstan’s proposal to recognize October 23 as International Snow Leopard Day, symbolizing global recognition of the country’s contribution to the conservation of mountain ecosystems.
A snow leopard captured through a photo trap in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan
Partnership for Nature
The United Nations Development Programme has been working with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic for more than three decades in the field of sustainable development – including nature conservation, climate change adaptation, and sustainable natural resource management – from policy formulation to practical implementation.
Currently, UNDP is assisting the Government in developing the “State Program for the Conservation of Biodiversity until 2040”, which defines the strategic vision, long-term priorities, and measures for the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s natural resources. A central element of this new strategy is Kyrgyzstan’s ecological framework – a spatially connected system of natural areas that includes specially protected areas, buffer zones, ecological corridors, and key biodiversity areas such as river floodplains and habitats of rare animals and birds. The ecological framework is regarded as the foundation for preserving the integrity of ecosystems and maintaining their natural connectivity. This landscape approach ensures the sustainability of natural systems and creates the conditions for the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.
From Strategy to Results
UNDP helps the country not only to develop policies but also to achieve practical results on the ground. For example, previous UNDP-GEF projects supported establishing and strengthening several new state nature parks such as Khan-Tengri in the Central Tien Shan, Kan-Achuu and Alatai in the Western Tien Shan. The Chatkal Ecological Corridor and the Kabak Buffer Zone have also been created, connecting protected areas and enabling the migration of wild animals, including snow leopards. Thanks to these efforts and the support of international partners, the area of specially protected areas in Kyrgyzstan has increased from 3.8% in 2010 to 7.4% in 2025, marking an important step toward achieving national and global biodiversity conservation goals.
Today, these achievements are being scaled up in other regions of the country. In the Pamir-Alai region, UNDP and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic are creating four new specially protected areas – Chon-Alai, Arpa, Arka, and Aigul-Tash – with a total area of more than 280,000 hectares. In addition, work has begun to strengthen the management capacity and efficiency of five existing nature parks and reserves in the region, as well as to establish ecological corridors between the Kara-Shoro Nature Park and the Kulun-Ata State Reserve.
Funding and Community Engagement
Nature conservation is impossible without sustainable sources of funding and the involvement of local communities. UNDP supports the country in developing sustainable financial mechanisms that help meet the financial needs of biodiversity conservation. One of UNDP’s key steps in strengthening sustainable financing for nature conservation in Kyrgyzstan has been the establishment of the National Conservation Trust Fund, in collaboration with UN partners. The Fund serves as a long-term mechanism for pooling domestic and international resources to support local conservation initiatives and projects. Based on the proven model of the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund, this mechanism is built on the principles of transparency, inclusive management, and accountability, ensuring the effective use of funds and the achievement of tangible results. The National Conservation Trust Fund provides a framework for sustainable investment in biodiversity and climate conservation by supporting projects aimed at ecosystem restoration and the development of green solutions.
Particular attention is given to the role of the private sector, which is becoming an increasingly important partner in biodiversity financing. Through innovative blended-finance mechanisms, the Fund will help mobilize private investment and encourage business participation in environmental initiatives.
At the same time, UNDP supports communities in restoring degraded forest and grassland ecosystems, developing ecotourism, and creating alternative sources of income. Special focus is placed on the processing of grassland products and the use of non-timber forest resources, which provide economic incentives for nature conservation.
Monitoring and International Reporting
With UNDP’s support, work has begun to improve the national biodiversity monitoring system. Modern tools for managing protected areas – including the SMART system – along with new methods for data collection and analysis, are being introduced. These advancements help track the state of ecosystems, assess the effectiveness of conservation measures, and inform evidence-based management decisions.
Preparation is also underway for the Seventh National Report under the Convention of Biological Diversity, which will present Kyrgyzstan’s progress in achieving global biodiversity goals to the international community and further strengthen the country’s reputation in the sustainable use of natural resources.
Nature and Humans: A Unified System
UNDP’s work on biodiversity conservation in Kyrgyzstan integrates strategy, policy, financing, and practice. The creation and strengthening of the ecological framework, the establishment of the National Trust Fund, the introduction of modern monitoring systems, and the implementation of projects in key natural areas are shaping a new model for managing the country’s natural capital.
The snow leopard reminds us that the health of mountain ecosystems is inseparable from the health of human life itself. By preserving the natural connectivity and balance of ecosystems, Kyrgyzstan is building a future where people and nature thrive in harmony and mutual support.
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