KYRGYZSTAN

Kyrgyzstan has 1,123,045.2 hectares of forests, covering 5.6% of the country. About 75% of the forests are in the territory of the State Forest Fund and protected areas. Approximately 28% of forest is primary forest. Although between half and two-thirds of the country was forested 50 years ago, Kyrgyzstan has recently bucked the trend of many countries in the region by increasing the net amount of forested land. Between 1990 and 2005, the country gained 4% of its forest and woodland cover.

However, illegal logging is a problem for the country and is now threatening the existence of some natural forest areas. The government has warned of the possibilities of increased water scarcity, soil erosion (Kyrgyzstan is heavily dependant on agriculture) and more frequent natural disasters resulting from deforestation.

Kyrgyzstan does not have a commercial logging industry, but weak legislation, poor enforcement and corruption at all levels have hindered efforts to prevent the destruction of natural forests. Before 2006, when a three-year ban was introduced on logging valuable species in virgin forests, it is estimated that 50,000-55,000 m3 of timber was harvested illegally. Since the ban, that figure has fallen to 15,000m3. However, it is believed that 60% of the trees illegally felled are used as fuelwood ' Kyrgyzstan is a poor country and many cannot afford alternative forms of energy.

Researchers and experts have called for tougher laws and better enforcement, an expansion of nature reserves, more resources for forest management, public awareness campaigns and programmes to engage local communities to help preserve their forests.

DOCUMENTS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
01/12/2010	Revisiting Collaborative Forest Management in Kyrgyzstan: What Happened to Bottom-Up Decision-Making? Over the past 15 years, the Swiss government, through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, ...	IIED
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17/06/2005	Ensuring Sustainability of Forests and Livelihoods Through Improved Governance and Control of Illegal Logging for Economies in Transition - Kyrgyz Republic This report has been prepared as part of a study being carried out by Savcor Indufor on ensuring sustainability ...	Savcor Indufor (for the World Bank)
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NEWS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
08/09/2011	Saving ancient walnut forests in the valleys of Central Asia The former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan is home to some of the world’s largest remaining forests ...	Yale Environment 360
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20/09/2010	State environmentalist: 644 facts of unauthorized deforestation revealed in Kyrgyzstan “644 facts of unauthorized deforestation are revealed in Kyrgyzstan for 9 months of 2010,” ...	24.kg, Kyrgyzstan
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08/09/2009	Kyrgyzstan intensifies control over forestry corruption Kyrgyzstan will intensify control over illegal activity and corruption in forest sector. Prime Minister ...	24.kg, Kyrgyzstan
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19/11/2008	Saving the forests of Kyrgyzstan Forestry experts in Kyrgyzstan say tougher penalties for illegal logging need to be backed by a broader ...	Institute for War and Peace Reporting, London
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29/07/2008	Low Living Standards Reportedly Cause of Illegal Logging in Kyrgyzstan Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - Sixty per cent of trees (or wood) illegally felled in Kyrgyzstan are used for preparing ...	RedOrbit (USA)
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07/03/2008	Kyrgyz Greens Warn of Deforestation Risks Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - Ecologists warn that if logging continues unabated in Kyrgyzstan, the whole of ...	Institute for War and Peace Reporting (UK)
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29/08/2006	Central/South Asia: Deforestation makes mark on region, its people The destruction of forests in Central Asia, Iran, and Afghanistan is having a massive impact on the environment ...	Radio Free Europe
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25/11/2005	Illegal logging costs $1.5 billion Russia's Forestry Industry is perceived as one of the most corrupt in the world according to an ...	St Petersburg Times (Russia)
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EVENTS

DATE	TITLE
Monday 13th October 2008	Bucharest: Expert Meeting on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance An expert meeting on forest law enforcement and government took place in Bucharest between the 13th and ...
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