COP17: Kyrgyzstan suggests $10M fund to protect Issyk-Kul
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov suggested establishing a special trust fund to protect Lake Issyk-Kul, pledging an initial 10 million US dollars from the state budget and calling on international donors and financial institutions to support the initiative, Qazinform News Agency cites Kabar.
Speaking at the Leaders' Summit during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Zhaparov stressed the need for stronger international cooperation to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
The Kyrgyz leader warned that glacier melt across Central Asia, driven by global warming, poses a growing threat to mountain ecosystems and regional biodiversity. He proposed four key initiatives to the international community: creating a dedicated mountain program under the Global Environment Facility, establishing a global mountain sustainability center in Bishkek, introducing debt-for-nature swap mechanisms, and strengthening regional efforts to protect endangered wildlife.
Highlighting concerns over the future of Issyk-Kul, Zhaparov said the lake's water level has fallen by nearly 14 meters over the past 170 years, with the decline accelerating to around seven centimeters annually during the last five years.
He outlined conservation measures already underway, noting that authorities have removed nearly 70 tons of waste and approximately 580,000 meters of illegal synthetic fishing nets from the lake over the past four years.
Zhaparov said Kyrgyzstan, with UN support, has launched efforts to create a dedicated trust fund to preserve the lake's ecosystem and appealed for international backing. The country is prepared to contribute 10 million US dollars as seed funding for the initiative.
The president also invited governments and international organizations to participate in the Second Global Mountain Summit "Bishkek+25," scheduled for October 21-23, 2027, in Bishkek.
Concluding his remarks, Zhaparov emphasized that biodiversity conservation must be integrated into economic policy, investment decisions, and regional development strategies, describing environmental protection as a shared responsibility for future generations.
Earlier, Kazakh President presented the Taza Qazaqstan initiative at COP17 Summit.