OSCE Centre helps document environmental challenges of Kyrgyzstan's Karasuu district

OSH, 28 May 2008 - Karasuu district in southern Kyrgyzstan published its 'Environmental Passport' today with the financial support of the OSCE Centre's Field Office in Osh.

The Environmental Passport of a district analyzes the environment situation and identifies problems as well as prospects for their solution. The passport aims to draw the attention of decision makers to environmental problems and help the authorities to address those issues.

"Supporting activities aimed at improving the environmental situation in the Southern provinces of Kyrgyzstan is one of the OSCE's priorities. I am glad that the Kyrgyz environmental authorities have shown initiative to record the environmental problems and resources in all three southern provinces of the country," said Bojidar Dimitrov, the Head of the OSCE Field Office in Osh.

The presentation of the passport was attended by representatives of the Interregional Environmental Protection Board (IEPB), local district and village administrations, and the OSCE field office.

"It is the first Environmental Passport in Osh province and it will help us to better understand the environmental situation in the district, although pollution and other environmental problems do not have boundaries," said Janybek Batyrov, the Head of the IEPB. "It is important as a model for developing similar passports of other districts."

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek funded the research and publishing of the Karasuu Passport. Similar passports for other territories will be developed with the financial support of the state and other donors.