The Kyrgyz Republic’s forests are increasingly under threat due to unsustainable use of forest resources and weak forest management. High population density has led to an increased use of firewood, while illegal logging and fires have reduced forest areas. There is also illegal trading of endangered species and poaching.

The objective of the Forestry and Carbon Trading project is to improve the management of Kyrgyzstan’s ecosystems. By putting in place better forest management the communities will be able to increase their incomes from forest resources. Furthermore, an improved forest management will led to alleviating the pressure on forest products thus ensuring a sustainable use of natural resources.

To ensure that the communities are involved in the decision making process, the project is putting in place a collaborative approach to natural resources management and will provide technical help to build the capacity of community members, forest authorities and other stakeholders.

The project will be carrying out a series of nationwide activities which will include replanting trees in degraded and marginal forest areas and put in place a maintenance mechanism for 13,950 hectares of new forests.

This is the first time IFAD is engaged in carbon trading through a link to the World Bank’s BioCarbon Fund. This Fund provides financing for projects that conserve greenhouse gases in forests and other ecosystems. Local rural communities can expect to receive revenue from the Fund for conserving their forests and reducing greenhouse gas emissions which are considered to be one of the cause of climate change.

Other expected project benefits for poor rural people include more widely available forage, fruits, nuts and firewood; increased employment in eco-tourism ventures financed by small grants; increased use of non-timber forest products and improved biodiversity.
 

Source: IFAD