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Kyrgyz nature reserve gets support from EBRD, IFC and Kumtor Gold
The EBRD, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Kumtor Operating
Company have launched a biodiversity project to help protect the endangered
snow leopard in the remote mountains of the Kyrgyz Republic. The two-year
conservation will improve management and monitoring at the Sary-Chat Ertash
Zapovednik nature reserve, which is located close to the Kumtor goldmine, an
EBRD and IFC investment project. The reserve is also home to the ibex and the
rare Marco Polo sheep with its distinctive curving horns.
The project is jointly funded by the EBRD with technical cooperation funds
from the United Kingdom and IFC. The Kumtor Operating Company is providing
additional financing. The programme will be managed by the Fauna & Flora
International consultancy and the Community and Business Forum in partnership
with the International Snow Leopard Trust. Paul Hotham, Regional Manager of
Fauna & Flora said the Forum is successfully supporting a wide range of NGOs,
businesses and protected areas within the Kyrgyz Republic.
The EBRD’s and IFC’s involvement in the Sary-Chat Ertash initiative is part of
the on-going work by both institutions to improve Kumtor mining operations’
long-term sustainable development. The proximity between the gold mining
operations and the nature reserve is an example of how the Kyrgyz Republic has
to balance business and environmental interests. The EBRD ranks sustainable
development among the highest priorities in its activities.
The project will help nature reserve staff engage with local communities and
develop initiatives to link conservation of the reserve’s biodiversity with
improvements in local livelihoods, such as handicrafts, sustainable forestry,
and agriculture. In addition, the project will provide training and mentoring
to the nature reserve staff in administration, oversight, and skills to combat
poaching. The aim is to improve the management of the Sary-Chat Ertash
Zapovednik reserve through the development of a protected area management plan
and a biodiversity monitoring strategy.
Engaging communities and local businesses in the long-term sustainable
management and use of natural resources is a key element in the fight to stop
the loss of biodiversity and to strengthen conservation. These are vital steps
in the Kyrgyz Republic’s transition process, which will set an example in the
region, said Jean-Marie Frentz, the EBRD’s environmental specialist in charge
of the project. John Middleton, IFC’s senior environmental specialist
overseeing the project, added this programme not only shows that mining
operations can exist side by side with nature, but also includes surrounding
local communities in the project consultations.
IFC Contact:
Hannfried von Hindenburg
Tel: +1 202 458
5613
Email:
hvonhindenburg@ifc.org
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