Project area. The World Bank-initiated project covers the whole Tien Shan Region of Kyrgyzstn and Kazakhstan. The region spans most of Kyrgyzstan and the southern part of Kazakhstan that borders Kyrgyzstan. The IFAD-funded component will be implemented in Kyrgyzstan. Target group. The project is expected to benefit the rural communities of the target area. Targeting will be fine-tuned during project design. Project background and objectives. Tien Shan is a mountain range in Central Asia that plays an exceptional role in biodiversity conservation and the maintenance of environmental sustainability in Central Asia. Forest ecosystems make a significant contribution to biodiversity protection, reduction of water and wind erosion, and carbon sequestration. Due to a combination of factors, the Central Asian countries are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate change. Against this backdrop, the World Bank, with the support of development partners including IFAD, has initiated the Tien Shan Ecosystem Development Project. The project has global, regional and local objectives. The main global objectives are: (i) biodiversity conservation; (ii) reduced pressure on natural resources through the environmental benefits generated by better forest management and promotion of ecotourism; and (iii) mitigation of climate change through reforestation to sequester greenhouse gases (CO2) in Kyrgyzstan. The main regional and local objectives include: (i) enhanced sustainability of the Tien Shan mountain ecosystem; (ii) increased income and reduced pressure on natural resources; (iii) demonstration of viable and credible approaches to carbon finance from forestry in Kyrgyzstan that can serve as a model for the region; (iv) stronger rural economy thanks to better access to forest products and carbon revenue; (v) promotion of ecosystem-based forest restoration for erosion control in local livelihoods and on adjacent agricultural lands; and (vi) increased financial sustainability of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry and village administrations (Aiyl Okmotu) through revenue generated by carbon trading. Project description. The project will have three components: (i) strengthening biodiversity conservation in protected areas and productive landscapes; (ii) reforestation and carbon trading in Kyrgyzstan; and (iii) project management. IFAD will finance only the second component, which is described below: Reforestation and carbon trading in Kyrgyzstan. This IFAD-financed component will support the reforestation of 18,000 hectares and will be implemented through local communities and state-owned forest enterprises (Lezkhozes). The component will help mitigate climate change by sequestering greenhouse gases in forests. A carbon-trading mechanism will be created so that the country will be paid for the carbon sequestered. The component will also generate local benefits such as wind breaks and snow barriers, which will protect neighbouring agricultural lands, reducing water and wind erosion, and preventing water logging caused by deteriorating drainage systems. Important features. The project is consistent with IFAD's subregional strategy for the Central Asian countries, of which natural resource management is one of the main strategic thrusts. A regional approach will be adopted to project implementation, providing the potential for replication and scaling up in other Central Asian countries. The IFAD-funded component in Kyrgyzstan will be implemented using two different models: through communities, village administrations and individuals; and through existing state-owned forest enterprises. Its main focus will be on adaptation to climate change. The carbon financing scheme has already been formally approved and included in the BioCarbon Fund's portfolio with the objective of purchasing up to one million tons of CO2 emission reductions. Potential cofinanciers. IFAD and the Global Environment Facility are expected to cofinance this project. |
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