publications & resources 1s - university of central asia · 2020-04-14 · fnt asia ra eso man...

1

Mountain Societies Research Institute

Publications & Resources

MSRI publications include a Background Paper series and Policy Brief series, which provide structured assessments of knowledge (and knowledge gaps) in priority areas and help to inform MSRI’s emerging research agenda. Topics covered by these publications include pastoralism and farming systems, sustainable land management, mountain tourism and sustainability, agroforestry, and natural resource management in border communities. www.ucentralasia.org/msri

I. Research Papers

What is the Impact of Climate on Local Communities in the Isfara River Catchment?Maksim Kulikov, Gulbara Omorova, Evgenii ShibkovResearch Report #5 (English, Russia, February 2020, 49 p.)https://ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/2571/EN

This research report provides insight into the historical developments of runoff of the Isfara River, as well as the influence of climatic factors. The report further analyses modern data on vegetation, runoff, precipitation and temperature to quantify their interrelation.

Challenges of Social Cohesion and Tensions in Communities on the Kyrgyz-Tajik BorderAsel Murzakulova Research Paper #4 (English, Russian, Kyrgyz, Tajik, September 2018, 32 p.)http://bit.ly/ChallengesSoCo

The report is dedicated to the problems of social cohesion and conflicts on the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border after countries’ independence. Based on the methodology of Knowledge Attitude and Practice, the study analyzes actors and spaces that play a vital role in shaping the social cohesion of border communities. On the basis of in-depth interviews and living with families in border villages, the research analyzes two case studies in various communities of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Climate Vulnerability & Adaptive Capacity of Mountain Societies in Central AsiaSujata Manandhar, Stefanos Xenarios, Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt, Christian Hergarten, Marc FogginResearch Paper #3 (English, January 2018, 42 p.)http://bit.ly/Climate-MSRI

Mountain societies in Central Asia are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which may se-verely threaten their livelihoods and wellbeing. This study reviewed the state of research on climate change and vulnerability of rural communities in the Tien Shan and Pamir mountain ranges of Central Asia. Identified in the study are current existing knowledge gaps; and research and development measures for improving the adaptive capacity of mountain societies in Central Asia are proposed.

Contextual Factors of the Conflict in Batken Province KyrgyzstanAsel MurzakulovaResearch Paper #2 (English, October 2017, 34 p.)http://bit.ly/BatkenConflict

The research for this report was based on the premise that conflict in local communities can be attributed to con-textual factors such as agricultural crises, restricted movement of goods across borders, the militarization of bor-ders, migration, and problems surrounding natural resources management. The study analysed the factors which create certain vulnerabilities that lead to the emergence of tensions and conflict at the local community scale.

July 2019

MSRI Brief

Lessons learned from interventions in areas of medium

and high intensity conflicts: A case study of Vorukh (Tajikistan) and Ak-Sai (Kyrgyzstan)

Asel Murzakulova

Contextual faCtors of ConfliCt in border Communities in batken ProvinCe, kyrgyzstan

ReseaRch RepoRt

2017

Asel MurzakulovaIrène Mestre

(Kyrgyz Republic)

UNIVERSITYOF CENTRAL ASIA


natural resourCe management dynamiCs in border Communities of kyrgyzstan andtaJikistan

RESEARCH REPORT April 2016


(Kyrgyz Republic)





Asel Murzakulova


ReseaRch RepoRt

2017


(Kyrgyz Republic)






(Kyrgyz Republic)





Asel Murzakulova


ReseaRch RepoRt

2017


(Kyrgyz Republic)






(Kyrgyz Republic)





Policy issue:Territorial disputes between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were aggravated after the countries gained independence in 1991. However, hotbeds of tension, accompanied by violence, already existed during the Soviet period. The so-called Isfara events of 1989 were the first documented large-scale violent confrontation between the Vorukh and Ak-Sai communities, and led to the introduction of a curfew in the Isfara river valley which was divided between the Isfara district of the Tajik SSR and the Batken district of the Kyrgyz SSR1. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, territorial disputes were aggravated by new offenses and unfulfilled obligations from both sides. The conflict between the Vorukh and Ak-Sai communities is complex and multifaceted. At first glance, it is a struggle for land and water,

1 Information about earlier conflicts of 1975, 1979 remains

unpublished.

FINDINGS:• Although project interventions of international

organizations are effectively addressing

challenges faced by border communities - such

as increased access to water, introduction of

new farming technologies and improved natural

resource management - they may also influence

and alter the local power structures, provoking

tensions and causing new confrontations. When

implementing infrastructure projects, it is

therefore critically important to verify official

understandings on both sides of the border

potentially affected by planned interventions.• The highly dynamic state of conflict in border areas

requires the use of adaptive management mechanisms

in the implementation of cross-border projects. Both

Аналитическая записка ИИГС

Июль 2019

Извлекая уроки из опыта вмешательств в зонах средней и высокой интенсивности

конфликтов: кейс Ворух (Таджикистан) и Ак-Сай (Кыргызстан)

Политический контекст: Территориальные споры между Республикой Таджикистан и Кыргызской Республикой

обострились после обретения ими независимости в 1991 г. Однако очаги напряженности,

сопровождаемые случаями насилия, существовали и в советский период. Так, события

1989 г., повлёкшие введение режима комендантского часа на приграничных территориях в

долине реки Исфара, разделённой между Исфаринским районом Таджикистана и

Баткенским районом Кыргызстана, привели к впервые задокументированному

масштабному противостоянию с применением насилия между сообществами джамоата

Ворух и Ак-Сайского айылного аймака. После обретения республиками независимости

территориальные споры обросли новыми обидами и невыполненными обязательствами с

обеих сторон. Конфликт между сообществами Воруха и Ак-Сая сложен и многогранен. На первый взгляд,

это борьба за землю и воду, но он вызван и рядом других проблем, таких как

http://www.ucentralasia.org/msri

http://bit.ly/ChallengesSoCo

https://ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/2571/EN

http://bit.ly/Climate-MSRI

http://bit.ly/BatkenConflict

http://bit.ly/ChallengesSoCo


http://msrc.ucentralasia.org/events.asp?Nid=248


2

II. Occasional Papers

1

A Call for Mountains

From the participants of the World Mountain Forum in Bishkek, October 23-26, 2018

ACKNOWLEDGING that mountain regions provide essential global goods and services for both highland and lowland (downstream) communities and play a key role in sustainable development.

RECALLING the three mountain-related targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely:

- target 15.1, which requires, by 2020, to ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements;

- target 15.4, which requires, by 2030, to ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development;

- target 6.6, which requires, by 2020, to protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.

RECALLING, the United National General Assembly Resolution A/RES/71/234 on “Sustainable Mountain Development” and relevant international conventions such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) - including the conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, UN Habitat New Urban Agenda, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

RECALLING the deliberations and resultant Declarations related to sustainable mountain development issued at the previous World Mountain Forums in Mbale, Uganda, in 2016[1], and in Cuzco, Peru, in 2014;

NOTING that mountains remain home for some of the world’s poorest, most vulnerable, or marginalized people, and that one in three mountain people in developing countries is vulnerable to food insecurity and the trend is rising;

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP 3-4 OCTOBER 2017 | DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN

Ancient Routes and Modern Challenges in Times of Global Change

Dushanbe Declaration 2017Preamble

The Silk Roads in the Mountains of Central Asia workshop aimed to broaden, deepen, and strengthen our understanding of recent and anticipated developments in the context of China’s One Belt, One Road policy and related initiatives. The impacts on the Pamir, Tien Shan and Altai mountain regions and societies of Central Asia were the main focus of discussions, attained through inclusive dialogue with participants from many countries, from multiple academic and professional backgrounds, and people working in academia, government, the financial sector, civil society, and in many instances with close ties to communities. Discussions aimed to assess the current state of knowledge about One Belt, One Road initiatives, and led to the preliminary, broadly agreed identification of priority areas for future transdisciplinary research in Central Asia’s mountainous regions. The workshop has thus helped advance the global Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD) agenda as well as encourage research and action on a broad range of mountain-relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are anticipated to be affected, positively or negatively, by China’s increasing engagement and investment in the region.

Recommendations emerging from the workshop Based on two days of dialogue and discussion, drawing on recent experience and observations from across Central Asia, the following ten core recommendations are highlighted:

• Local, national and regional stakeholders including mountain communities directly and indirectly impacted by China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) Initiative should be engaged in the planning and implementation of proposed projects.

• Regional cooperation should be encouraged through mechanisms such as transboundary collaborations, interstate agreements, knowledge platforms, and exchange networks.

• In times of regional and global changes, building local resilience through key development interventions

Proceedings of the Silk Roads Conference: Anticipating Social and Environmental Impacts of China’s Belt & Road Initiative in the Mountains of Central Asia, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, on 26 October 2018Foggin M., Emslie-Smith M. (Eds.) Occasional paper (English, 2018)https://ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/2078/EN

The Silk Roads Conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic brought together around 40 academics and develop-ment practitioners on October 26, 2018, with the aim to discuss emerging social and environmental impacts associated with China’s Belt & Road Initiative in partner countries. Following on from the inaugural work-shop Silk Roads in the Mountains of Central Asia held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in 2017, this one-day confer-ence further sharpened the focus of development-related discussions while equally expanding the geographic scope, drawing on valuable insights of participants’ research in Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, as well as Central Asia. Interdisciplinary presentations were supplemented by a spatial mapping workshop to help iden-tify significant opportunities and potential risks to sustainable mountain development that could be brought about by China’s Belt & Road Initiative.

A Call for Mountains From the Participants of the World Mountain Forum in Bishkek, October 23-26, 2018Hergarten, C., Foggin, M., Adler, C., Arguello, M., Huggel, C., Kanyamibwa, S., Nanchen, E., Salzmann, N., Wester, P., Wymann, S., Kaufmann, M. (Eds.)Occasional paper (English, 2018)https://ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/2030/EN

UCA and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic co-organised the fourth World Mountain Forum (WMF 2018) to share experiences and best practices, and develop integrated solutions to existing challenges of sustainable development in mountain regions. The final ‘Call for Mountains’ conference output document is now available online.

WMF 2018 was organised with support from the Government of Switzerland and the Aga Khan Foundation United Kingdom, in October 2018 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Dushanbe Declaration 2017 | Silk Roads in the Mountains of Central Asia WorkshopMarc Foggin, Yuri Badenkov, Hermann Kreutzmann, Troy Sternberg, Wu Ning, Long Ruijun, Alexander Dunets, Occasional paper (English, March 2018)https://www.ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/1626/EN

Following two days of dialogue and discussions at the Silk Roads in the Mountains of Central Asia workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 3-4 October 2017, and drawing on recent experience and observations from across Central Asia, major recommendations were brought together and highlighted in the Dushanbe Declaration co-signed by the main institutional collaborators of the workshop.

Natural resource management dynamics in border communities of Kyrgyzstan and TajikistanAsel Murzakulova, Irène MestreResearch Report #1 (English, Russian, March 2016, 40 p.)http://bit.ly/NRM-MSRI

The Research Report and Policy Brief aims to provide insight into the institutions and local dynamics involved in natural resource management in border communities between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It provides solution-oriented recommendations to address natural resource management challenges in light of these dynamics.



https://www.ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/1626/EN

http://bit.ly/NRM-MSRI

3

Proceedings of the Silk Roads in the Mountains of Central Asia Workshop, 3-4 October 2017Marc Foggin (editor)Occasional paper (English, March 2018)https://ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/1625/EN

The Silk Roads in the Mountains of Central Asia workshop held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 3-4 October 2017 aimed to broaden, deepen, and strengthen our understanding of recent and anticipated developments in the con-text of China’s One Belt, One Road policy and related development initiatives. The impacts on the Pamir, Tien Shan and Altai mountain regions and societies of Central Asia were the primary focus of discussions, attained through inclusive dialogue with participants from many countries, from wide range of academic and professional backgrounds, and from civil society, academia, and government.

Manual: Studying Water Through ExperimentsAline Rosset, Aliya Ibraimova, Bilimbek Azhibekov, Aikena Orolbaeva, Albina Muzafarova,Manual (English, Kyrgyz, Russian, June 2017)https://ucentralasia.org/Publications/Item/1461/EN

The manual was developed within the framework of the „Kyrgyz Mountains Environmental Education and Citizen Science“ project. The aim of the project was to improve the access of rural schools in Kyrgyzstan to low-tech methods and experiments for engaging kids in learning and exploring their surrounding natural environment. The project closely worked with 10 schools in rural areas of Naryn province for developing the manual and jointly engaging in citizen science - science that can be conducted by anyone. The manual includes chapters on the general properties of water, watershed mapping and the water cycle, biological as-sessment of water quality through macro-invertebrates, how to build DIY microscopes, simple chemical ex-periments as well as measurement of water discharge of small rivers. As such, it can be used by biology, geog-raphy, chemistry and physics teachers, but also by children and parents interested in the practical exploration of scientific concepts.

Tree and Land Tenure: Rapid Appraisal ToolsKaren Schoonmaker FreudenbergerOccasional paper (Russian, 2012) https://ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/354/EN

The Rapid Rural Appraisal is a family of methodologies designed to encourage the participation of local com-munities in collection and use of information to improve their livelihoods. This qualitative research methodol-ogy can be used in three ways: 1) to gather general information about a topic; 2) to gather in-depth information about a particular subject; and 3) as a monitoring and evaluation tool. This manual offers background on the methodology and a toolkit of activities for use by researchers and practitioners. Originally published by Unit-ed Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1994, UCA’s, Mountain Societies Research Centre (MSRC) and the Mountain Partnership Consortium’s Central Asia Hub translated and printed the manual into Russian for use in the region.

Mountain Tourism and Sustainability in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: A Research ReviewQobiljon Shokirov, Aisulu Abdykadyrova, Chad Dear, Sia NowrojeeOccasional paper (English, Russian, July 2014, 48 p.)http://bit.ly/MountainTourism

This paper reviews research on mountain tourism in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, identifies knowledge gaps and analyses the contribution of the literature to more sustainable tourism. Eighty-seven regional and inter-national publications were analysed using the United Nation’s 12 Aims of Sustainable Tourism Framework. Recommendations are made to broaden the scope and strengthen the quality of applied research to support the development of tourism as a driver of economic and social development in mountain communities and more broadly in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.




http://bit.ly/MountainTourism

4

Strengthening Research for Sustainable Land Management in Kyrgyzstan and TajikistanJyldyz Shigaeva, Chad Dear, Bettina WolfgrammOccasional paper (English, Russian, March 2014, 8 p.)http://bit.ly/SustainableLand

Decision makers in the transition from a centrally planned Soviet to a decentralised market-oriented system can benefit from applied empirical research particular to Central Asian mountain societies that: 1) engages stakeholders; 2) addresses land use and management systems; and 3) incorporates local and international con-cepts and approaches. This Brief recommends actions to strengthen sustainable land management research in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Sustainable Land Management in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: A Research ReviewJyldyz Shigaeva, Chad Dear, Bettina WolfgrammOccasional paper (English, Russian, September 2013, 90 p.)http://bit.ly/LandMgmt

This paper reviews the state of research on sustainable land management in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and analyzes the interface between research and action. Using the Global Land Project (GLP 2005) analytical frame-work, we analyzed the distribution of 131 selected publications (including a clearly defined set of local and international academic and gray literature) across the framework’s components and links in a social-ecological system. Recommendations are made for targeted, application-focused, multistakeholder research and knowledge sharing, including local and international researchers as well as practitioners, policy-makers, and land users.

Sustainable Mountain Development in Central Asia. From Rio 1992 to Rio 2012 and BeyondUniversity of Central Asia (UCA), Mountain Partnership, Zoi Environment Network, GRID-ArendalOccasional Paper (English, Russian, November 2012, 156 p.)http://bit.ly/SMD-MSRI

Conducted by UCA’s Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) in association with the Mountain Part-nership Consortium’s Central Asia Hub, Zoï Environment Network and GRID-Arendal, this report is based on a regional assessment of progress in Central Asia related to the sustainable development of mountain areas- Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 of the 1992 Earth Summit goals. The assessment contributed to a global synthesis report calling attention to the unique natural resources and vulnerabilities of mountain areas at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Summit) in June 2012. The report includes background information on mountain ecosystems and societies in Central Asia; case studies of innovative responses to the challenges and opportunities facing mountain communities in the region; and recommenda-tions for action. Findings are presented in four categories: people, infrastructure, ecosystems and institutions and governance and knowledge.

Mountain Research and Development (MRD) Special issue: Central Asian Mountain Societies in TransitionUniversity of Central Asia (UCA), International Mountain Society (IMS)Occasional paper (English, Russian, August 2012, 124 p.)http://bit.ly/MRD-MSRI

UCA’s, Mountain Societies Research Centre (MSRC) researchers served as guest editors of this special issue of MRD, an international peer-reviewed journal published by the International Mountain Society, of which UCA and MSRC are institutional members. The issue features information on MSRC and its first background paper on mountain pastoralism; analysis of development initiatives on pasture governance reforms, climate change adaptation, large carnivore conservation, and thermal insulation, and on the quality of life in remote mountain communities in Afghan Badakhshan; and innovative scientific research on differing meanings of pasture, changing pasture use, pasture tenure, farming system modeling, and livelihoods in conflict areas. This inaugural MSRC guest issue was translated and printed in Russian by UCA’s, Mountain Societies Research Centre (MSRC) for use in the region.

http://bit.ly/MRD-MSRI

http://bit.ly/LandMgmt

http://bit.ly/SMD-MSRI

http://bit.ly/SustainableLand

5

Herders’ Manual for Western PamirInam-ur-Rahim, Daniel MaselliOccasional paper (English, Russian, Tajik, December 2011, 128 p.)http://bit.ly/WestPamir

Drawing on local expertise of Central Asian herders, this manual combines traditional knowledge about key pasture plants and ecology with current scientific knowledge about sustainable pasture management, livestock production, and health management in the rangelands of the Western Pamir. A joint project of UCA’s Moun-tain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) and NCCR North-South, the manual is designed to inform training of livestock herders, village Pasture Committees and other village-level pasture management and monitoring organisations.

Herders’ Manual for KyrgyzstanInam-ur-Rahim, Daniel MaselliOccasional paper (English, Russian, Kyrgyz, October 2011, 128 p.)http://bit.ly/HerderKR

Drawing on local expertise of Central Asian herders, this manual combines traditional knowledge about key pasture plants and ecology with current scientific knowledge about sustainable pasture management, livestock production, and health management in the rangelands of Kyrgyzstan. A joint project of UCA’s Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) and NCCR North-South, the manual is designed to inform training of livestock herders, village Pasture Committees and other village-level pasture management and monitoring organisations.

Pastoralism and Farming in Central Asia’s Mountains: A Research ReviewCarol Kerven, Bernd Steimann, Laurie Ashley, Chad Dear, Inam ur RahimOccasional paper (English, Russian, September 2011, 60 p.)http://bit.ly/Pastoralism-BP1

Commissioned for international symposium Pastoralism in Central Asia: Status, Challenges and Opportunities in Mountain Areas, hosted by UCA’s Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) and the Nation Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South, this paper reviews the distinctive characteristics of mountain agro-pastoralism in Central Asia. The paper includes a discussion of past and present research directions and background to farming and raising livestock in the mountains. Key findings focus on biophysical, climatic, and socio-economic aspects of pasture management and governance and the social and political environments within which agro-pastoralism is practiced in the region. Recommendations for future research are included.

III. Research and Practice Briefs

July 2019MSRI Brief

Lessons learned from interventions in areas of medium and high intensity conflicts: A case study of Vorukh

(Tajikistan) and Ak-Sai (Kyrgyzstan)

Asel Murzakulova


ReseaRch RepoRt 2017


(Kyrgyz Republic)



natural resourCe

management dynamiCs

in border Communities of

kyrgyzstan and

taJikistan



(Kyrgyz Republic)



natural resourCe

management dynamiCs


kyrgyzstan and

taJikistan


Asel Murzakulova




(Kyrgyz Republic)



natural resourCe

management dynamiCs


kyrgyzstan and

taJikistan



(Kyrgyz Republic)



natural resourCe

management dynamiCs


kyrgyzstan and

taJikistan


Asel Murzakulova




(Kyrgyz Republic)



natural resourCe

management dynamiCs


kyrgyzstan and

taJikistan



(Kyrgyz Republic)



natural resourCe

management dynamiCs


kyrgyzstan and

taJikistan


Policy issue:Territorial disputes between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were aggravated after the countries gained independence in 1991. However, hotbeds of tension, accompanied by violence, already existed during the Soviet period. The so-called Isfara events of 1989 were the first documented large-scale violent confrontation between the Vorukh and Ak-Sai communities, and led to the introduction of a curfew in the Isfara river valley which was divided between the Isfara district of the Tajik SSR and the Batken district of the Kyrgyz SSR1. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, territorial disputes were aggravated by new offenses and unfulfilled obligations from both sides. The conflict between the Vorukh and Ak-Sai communities is complex and multifaceted. At first glance, it is a struggle for land and water, 1 Information about earlier conflicts of 1975, 1979 remains unpublished.

FINDINGS:

• Although project interventions of international organizations are effectively addressing challenges faced by border communities - such as increased access to water, introduction of new farming technologies and improved natural resource management - they may also influence and alter the local power structures, provoking tensions and causing new confrontations. When implementing infrastructure projects, it is therefore critically important to verify official understandings on both sides of the border potentially affected by planned interventions.

• The highly dynamic state of conflict in border areas requires the use of adaptive management mechanisms in the implementation of cross-border projects. Both

Аналитическая записка ИИГС

Июль 2019

Извлекая уроки из опыта вмешательств в зонах средней и высокой интенсивности

конфликтов: кейс Ворух (Таджикистан) и Ак-Сай (Кыргызстан)

Политический контекст:

Территориальные споры между Республикой Таджикистан и Кыргызской Республикой

обострились после обретения ими независимости в 1991 г. Однако очаги напряженности,

сопровождаемые случаями насилия, существовали и в советский период. Так, события

1989 г., повлёкшие введение режима комендантского часа на приграничных территориях в

долине реки Исфара, разделённой между Исфаринским районом Таджикистана и

Баткенским районом Кыргызстана, привели к впервые задокументированному

масштабному противостоянию с применением насилия между сообществами джамоата

Ворух и Ак-Сайского айылного аймака. После обретения республиками независимости

территориальные споры обросли новыми обидами и невыполненными обязательствами с

обеих сторон.

Конфликт между сообществами Воруха и Ак-Сая сложен и многогранен. На первый взгляд,

это борьба за землю и воду, но он вызван и рядом других проблем, таких как

Lessons learned from interventions in areas of medium and high intensity conflicts: A case study of Vorukh (Tajikistan) and Ak-Sai (Kyrgyzstan)Asel Murzakulova Practice Brief (English, Russian, July 2019) https://www.ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/2332/EN

This policy brief summarises the findings and presents an analysis of experiences of cross border project interventions and offers recommendations for initiatives for the future. This policy brief is based on data col-lected between 2016-2019 through participant observation at events organised by international organizations, in-depth interviews with employees of international organisations, and participation in round tables in the framework of projects by various international organizations in the study area.

http://bit.ly/WestPamir

http://bit.ly/HerderKR

http://bit.ly/Pastoralism-BP1

https://www.ucentralasia.org/Research/Item/2332/EN

6

138 Toktogul Street, Bishkek 720001, Kyrgyz Republic. Tel.: +996 (312) 910 822, E-mail: [email protected]

© UCA April 2020

Reconsidering the Meaning of Neighbourship: The Transformation of Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan Border Areas after 2016Asel Murzakulova, Gulbara Omorova, Evgenii ShibkovPractice Brief (English, May 2019, 4 p.)http://bit.ly/MSRI-PB4

The year of 2016 was marked by a breakthrough in interstate relations between Uzbekistan and its neighbors; relations that were previously frozen and marked by sporadic hostile confrontations, thawed and shifted to multilateral cooperation. Territorial disputes in the Ferghana Valley have created tensions between Tashkent and Bishkek. Border areas were largely militarized during the 2005-2016 period of political confrontation leading to the rupturing of economic and social relations that had been fundamental to the cohesion of border communities. The intergovernmental commission had not formally negotiated since 2009, but negotiations resumed after 2016.

Conservation Geopolitics: Envisioning the future of the ‘Belt & Road Initiative’ in the Mountains of Central AsiaMarc Foggin, Matthew Emslie-Smith, Alice Hughes, Alex M Lechner, Troy Sternberg, Rafiq DossaniPractice Brief (English, Russian, October 2018, 4 p.)http://bit.ly/MSRI-PB3

China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) will bring huge investment into Central Asia in the form of roads, railways and other infrastructure projects over the next decade, and beyond. This MSRI Brief highlights potential environmental and social impacts of the BRI in the globally recognized Mountains of Central Asia biodiversity hotspot. The brief also outlines some of the key challenges as well as emerging opportunities resulting from BRI, seeking to encourage that this far-reaching initiative can serve in advancing sustainable development goals, including the safeguarding of biodiversity and promoting more inclusive development in mountain regions.

Supporting Energy Efficiency and Renewables Uptake in Rural Communities in Mountainous KyrgyzstanKatherine Hall, Christian HergartenPractice Brief (English, Russian, April 2018, 4 p.)http://bit.ly/MSRI-PB2

Central Asian mountain areas are characterized by low access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy, where many rural households strongly rely on traditional biomass such as wood and dung, or sometimes coal, for cooking and heating. Women and children traditionally do the collection of wood, crop, and animal waste, and are also strongly affected by air pollution resulting from burning biomass indoors. However, there are many experiences and learnings to be shared, and this policy brief is featuring best practices and recommenda-tions for improving access to renewable and clean energy in Central Asian mountain areas.

Subjective Approaches to Measuring Resilience

Dr Abbie Clare, Dr Lira Sagynbekova, Mr Akyl RahmanberdiPractice Brief (English, Russian, April 2018, 4 p.)http://bit.ly/MSRI-PB1

The Brief provides a detailed description of a new innovative tool for measuring the resilience of rural house-holds to extreme events and natural disasters. The research shows that subjective resilience questions act as strong predictors of future food security of households. This approach may help to accurately identify who is most at risk whilst significantly decreasing the length of the surveys. The use of this research tool can be use-ful for organizations involved in practical aspects of planning, implementing and / or analyzing field research on food security, adaptation to climate change and development.

MSRI Brief October 2018

Conservation Geopolitics: Envisioning the future of the ‘Belt & Road Initiative’ in the Mountains of Central Asia

Advancing development in environmentally sound ways in mountain areas of Central Asia in the context of emerging investments and opportunities

Conserving biodiversity is increasingly seen as a fundamental prerequisite to build, sustain and strengthen communities, societies and nations. Biodiversity refers to the diversity of all species and ecosystems. It includes agrobiodiversity, that is, the diversity of all parts of the ecosystem that provide food for local populations and for more distant downstream urban centres. Further, in remote mountain areas, diverse cultural heritages also are often present. With their traditional knowledge, livelihood practices, and distinct sense of identity, cultural heritage is often integrally connected to local ecosystems and biological diversity.

The Mountains of Central Asia are widely recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. Due to the particular suite of geophysical and biotic factors characteristic of mountains, encompassing diverse habitats and climatic conditions over short distances, a huge variety of wildlife species and microhabitats are found here, many of which occur nowhere else. These include migratory and transboundary species such as snow leopard and argali as well as native fruit trees and unique crop varieties and livestock breeds.

Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation across key sectors in national and regional development programming is one of the most important measures taken to ensure sustainable mountain development.

KEY MESSAGES

• China’s BRI is potentially the most significant infrastructure development programme this century, spanning over 70 countries with investments estimated at over US$3 trillion. Since its commencement in 2013, US$200 billion has already been invested in over 200 BRI projects

• Development in BRI partner countries (including Central Asia) is contingent on local geographic constraints (e.g., resources, historic pathways, etc.) as well as subject to suitable policies

• To date, the BRI focuses mainly on economic development and building transport infrastructure. However, there is increasing recognition that social and environmental elements of development need to be addressed

• Sustainable development goals could be promoted through BRI – most beneficially if the explicit mission of BRI were expanded and made to align with partner countries’ SDG commitments

• Embracing opportunities to strengthen conservation and resilience in waterrich mountain regions would benefit all of the BRI geopolitical partners

http://bit.ly/MSRI-PB1




publications & resources 1s - university of central asia · 2020-04-14 · fnt asia ra eso man...

Documents