PROJECT FACTS:

Phase I:  1995-1997
Phase II:  1998-2000
Phase III:  2001-2003
Phase IV:  2004-2007
Phase V:  2008-2009
Cumulative Budget: CHF 18.9 million (USD 16.4 million)
Current Budget: CHF 2.1 million (USD 1.8 million)
Project Location: Bishkek, Issyk-Kul, Jalalabat, Osh oblasts
Implementing Agency: Intercooperation
Donor: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Domain: None-Core project

BACKGROUND:

Forests cover less than five per cent of Kyrgyzstan. Nevertheless, it is a valuable natural resource, which can make a significant contribution to poverty alleviation and to improving the standards of living in many remote areas in Kyrgyzstan.

The largest walnut forests in the world are located in the south of Kyrgyzstan. This ecosystem is famous for its biodiversity and more than 200'000 people, who live in this zone of the Ferghana Valley, depend on the resources of these forests for their survival.

In Soviet times the state's activity in the forestry sector was mainly oriented to con-servation and forest plantation. After independence (1991) state finance for the forests fell considerably, and the reproductive activity could not be maintained at the same scale. Lack of employment opportunities and low salaries (a forest ranger is paid US$ 25 per month) forced the local population to increase consumption of forest products. The illegal felling and smuggling of firewood became an important source of energy for the poverty-stricken population. In addition to that, the improper use of pastures for domestic animals and unrestricted hunting degraded the forests’ biodiversity.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Swiss experience proves sustainable use is one the best approach also for forest preservation. The local population can benefit from using the forests' flora and fauna, without degrading the biodiversity and its natural balance. Market economy principles applied to the forestry sector will help improve the socio-economic situation of the local population. Private commercial enterprises and new employment opportunities will be created in rural areas close to the forests as a result of the reforms. Forestry products can be successfully marketed regionally, nationally and internationally. Overall, the productive and sustainable use of forests leads to improvements in the country's economy.

The project's main goal is to establish the necessary conditions for institutions and private persons in the forestry sector, to ensure the conservation of forests and their biodiversity, increase the forest cover and the use of forest resources in a sustainable way. The main partner in the project implementation is the State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry. The project's activity covers all the forested areas in the country and has three main components:

Support to the Forestry Sector Reform in the Central Administrative Level

Field Implementation of the Sector Reform in the South (Walnut-Fruit Forest Area)

In the walnut fruit forests in the south of Kyrgyzstan a new model of community forestry management has been introduced. The local population, forest rangers, local administration, and businessmen work together and make joint decisions on how the forest is managed and used. Ownership rights of more than 3'000 hectares of forest have been temporarily transferred to the local families who live in the area. As a result, people have started treating the forests as responsible owners interested in efficient growth and not merely as neglectful users. This model of community forestry management will be further adopted in other forested areas in the country helping people to alleviate poverty, preserve forests and strengthen civil society in rural areas. New Phase activities will focus on enforcement of new actors’ roles in sustainable participatory forest management, widening the actual individual/family approach system.

Field Implementation of the Sector Reform in the North (Issyk-Kul Spruce For-est Zone)

The project supports privatisation of production and management activities from the state to the private sector. For this purpose, a strategy of forest activities privatisation, development of the legal base and training of the first private forest workers has been developed. Private initiative has institutionalized in Association of Forest Products Processing Enterprises actively participating in KIRFOR activities implementation. Involvement of private entrepreneurs will be supported via fair transparent tender process on the access to forest resources with participation of all the stakeholders. 

OUTLOOK:

The KIRFOR is considered as a non - core project in the Regional Cooperation Strategy Central Asia 2007-2011, therefore the KIRFOR Phase V (2008-2009) will be the final phasing-out phase of the Swiss support to the Kyrgyz forestry sector. In the last 5-th phase (2008-2009) emphasis will be given to the finalisation of not achieved processes and the implementation of the forestry sector reform in selected pilot areas. Having only 2 years left, the support is to be brought to an end by end of 2009. This results in a stronger support in 2008 and a complete phasing out of the Swiss support in 2009. The project will continue actively involve local partners to ensure the sustainability of the results; such factors as gender equality, environmental protection, conservation of forest cover and biodiversity are considered during the implementation of the project. Forestry management is closely tied to research and education progress.

 Collaborative forest management in Kyrgyzstan: Moving from top-down to bottom-up decision making

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Read article about this project:

• SDC forestry programme in Kyrgyzstan: Protecting walnut trees generates new income (DEZA-Ostzusammenarbeit)