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The third Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of Kyrgyzstan builds on the substantial experience accumulated by the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and its member States in using the EPR tool to regularly assess progress achieved in reconciling national economic and environmental objectives. The third EPR of Kyrgyzstan takes stock of progress made in the governance and management of the environment since the second review in 2009, assesses the implementation of the 36 recommendations of that EPR and makes new recommendations for the country to implement. In addition, the third EPR looks into developments related to the country’s attainment of relevant targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The review covers legal and policy frameworks and compliance assurance mechanisms. It also focuses on greening the economy; monitoring and assessment; public participation in policymaking; and risk management of natural and technological disasters. It includes a substantive analysis of the country’s participation in and commitments to international agreements. Climate change issues are addressed in relevant chapters across the EPR, which also discusses the need for a long-term strategy for low carbon development. The EPR also examines the efforts of Kyrgyzstan to integrate environmental considerations into its policies in the water, energy, agriculture, industry, transport and health sectors. Furthermore, the EPR addresses issues of specific importance to Kyrgyzstan related to energy efficiency, air protection, water management, soil conservation, waste and chemicals management, biodiversity and protected areas. Lastly, the review includes an assessment of 46 SDG targets which are reviewed in several chapters from different perspectives. There are some cases, however, where a comprehensive analysis of the SDGs and targets is hindered by the lack of data and information.
The third EPR of Kyrgyzstan began in January 2022 with a preparatory mission to agree on the structure of the report and the schedule for its completion. A team of international experts took part in the review mission from 16 to 24 May 2022. The ECE Expert Group on Environmental Performance Reviews, during its meeting from 12 to 17 September 2022, discussed the draft report with a delegation from Kyrgyzstan, focusing on the conclusions and recommendations made by the international experts. The recommendations, with suggested amendments from the Expert Group, were then submitted for peer review to the ECE Committee on Environmental Policy at its twenty-eighth session on 1–3 November 2023, which was attended by a delegate from Kyrgyzstan. The Committee adopted the EPR recommendations.
The Committee and the ECE secretariat are grateful to the Government of Kyrgyzstan and its experts who worked with the international experts and contributed their knowledge and expertise. ECE would also like to express its deep appreciation to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and the German Federal Environment Agency for their financial support to this review through the provision of funds via the Advisory Assistance Programme. Furthermore, ECE takes this opportunity to thank the Federal Ministry on Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of Austria and the Federal Office for the Environment of Switzerland for their financial support to the EPR Programme.
Sincere thanks also go to France, Hungary and Italy and to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for making available the services of their experts for the preparation of this review.
In addition, ECE takes this opportunity to thank Austria, Germany and Switzerland for their financial support to the EPR Programme and expresses its deep appreciation to Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro and Switzerland for having provided their experts for the ECE Expert Group on Environmental Performance Reviews, which undertook the expert review of this report.