A Transformative Journey of Shared Prosperity, Climate Resilience, and Community Empowerment in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan
Artificial Glacier: Community?in front of the artificial glacier in Kashka-Su, Jalal-Abad/March 2023/Evgeniy Pechurin
19 December 2023
In the borderlands between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, people grapple with social isolation and limited economic opportunities. These challenges are exacerbated by institutional arrangements that hinder economic interactions and the equitable distribution of natural resources. The border acts as a dividing line for crucial resources like water, pasture, and forests, disrupting socio-economic relationships. Dispute resolution mechanisms are often ad hoc, overlooking the important roles of women and youth as local peacebuilders. ?The border agreement signed and ratified between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in late 2022 has led to a gradual re-opening of many border crossing points, helping people-to-people contact, and local trade and business ties to emerge, opportunities which a UN peacebuilding project has built upon and further enabled.
A peacebuilding initiative, ¡®Shared Prosperity through Cooperation in the Border Regions of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan¡¯ is helping strengthen mutual trust and cooperation between the border communities of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. In collaboration with the governments of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, FAO and UNFPA and civil society organizations in both countries are building local capacities for effective resource management, conflict prevention, and enhancing livelihoods and small businesses for women and youth.
Funded by the Secretary-General¡¯s Peacebuilding Fund, this project operates at the intersection of peacebuilding, climate change, poverty alleviation, and women's empowerment, adopting an integrated approach to address the multifaceted challenges of the region.
?Young entrepreneurs from Kyrgyzstan and local businesses are sharing information about their products during B2B meetings.?Exchange visit to Uzbekistan. Andijan/April 2023/Photo by Nurbek Sultanov?
The project has supported Self-help groups (SHGs) that play a pivotal role in fostering trust among borderland communities. A total of 78 SHGs have been established with 45 situated in Kyrgyzstan and 33 in Uzbekistan, encompassing a membership of 525 individuals, 93% of whom are women and 19% youth. Armed with entrepreneurial skills, these groups have created new economic opportunities. This proactive approach has mitigated grievances tied to geographic isolation and lowered the dependence on state support. New employment opportunities are clustered around various agricultural interests, including agri-food production and processing (livestock, dairy, honey and bio humus), sewing, embroidery, and bakery. These groups have executed business projects, such as ¡®Edelweiss¡¯ in the village of Olon Bulak, which earned over $100 per month for processing kurut, a traditional Kyrgyz snack made from sour milk or yogurt.
¡°Within the framework of the project, two Self-Help Groups were established in our village. SHGs went through a lot of training, learned how to write project proposals, and started a small business that they could afford. Members of the SHGs established within the project have been closely assisting and supporting with organizing social events and activities in the village,¡± said Mr Kamchybek uulu Shekerbek, 41 years old, head of the Local Self-Governance/LSG authorities of Kashka-Suu, Aksy district, Jalal-Abad province, Kyrgyzstan.
AgroPeace Festival: SHGs from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan united at the AgroPeace Festival/September 2023/Kyeongeun Lee
The project mobilized women into Self-Help Groups, providing them with training in digital literacy and entrepreneurship skills through acceleration programmes along with the necessary equipment for their business initiatives. The SHGs also enabled women to utilize savings and income from group activities to enhance nutrition, organize medical consultations with specialized doctors in the village, and install water supplies. Various activities aimed at improving their quality of life, including raising awareness of women¡¯s rights and opportunities, and creating discussion platforms for issues like reproductive health and domestic violence.
Through the SHGs, 18 business plans were supported in Kyrgyzstan, equipping entrepreneurs to embark on their ventures. Meanwhile, across the border in the Namangan and Andijan provinces of Uzbekistan, 21 business initiatives received essential equipment that helped foster economic vitality. SHGs successfully secured financial backing for agro-business start-ups, amassing a total of $7,000 from investors.
Roza Jusupova, 54-year-old woman, member of the Yntymak SHG in the Mangyt village , Aravan district, Osh province, Kyrgyzstan, said ¡°the project of joint development through cooperation in the bordering regions of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan provided excellent training on family planning, peacebuilding, and writing business plans. We wrote a business project and were able to win a grant and buy a separator for sifting vermicompost."
AgroHackathon: Young entrepreneurs of border regions on the final day of the AgroHackathon/June 2023/Kalybek Sultanbaev
The project¡¯s promotion of cross-border entrepreneurship and collaboration with local Self-Help Groups and authorities has strengthened in-country and bilateral relations. This strategic approach has harnessed opportunities for mutual trade, agricultural exchange, and cultural interactions, fostering a sense of trust among communities including youth, SHG members, farmers and local authorities.
Exchange visits involving a delegation of 40 young entrepreneurs from Kyrgyzstan and 150 delegates (65% women) from Uzbekistan also took place. This dynamic group met to explore opportunities for creating new business arrangements spanning agricultural goods production, the dairy industry, textiles, and cattle breeding.?
Davronbek Mamatboyev, a 24-year-old man with a disability representing the Kyrgyz minority from the Yangikurgan district of the Namangan province in Uzbekistan, attested that "the project has left many positive impressions. It has helped me make new friends and gain new experiences. The project has been very valuable and strengthened friendship between the youth of two countries."
These exchange visits, beyond altering attitudes, have refocused Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities on exploring opportunities for collaborative initiatives. The establishment of institutional connections between economic and youth organizations in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan facilitated potential business partnerships between the Uzbek foundation ¡°Yoshlar-kelajagimiz¡± (translates as ¡°Young people are our future¡±) and the Union of Entrepreneurs of Kyrgyzstan and Enactus KG teams, a civil society organization. Five young entrepreneurs secured financial support for the launch of their agro-business start-ups.
Young entrepreneurs and SHG members (self-help groups) from border?regions of Kyrgyzstan?visit?best agro-practises in Uzbekistan.?Exchange visit to Uzbekistan. Namangan/April 2023/Photo by Kalybek Sultanbaev
The project has empowered local communities to democratically identify and address their most pressing challenges. During consultations, water scarcity emerged as a critical risk factor for food security and livelihoods, amplifying disputes between local populations of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan over water resources. The peacebuilding initiative introduced modern approaches, including the construction of artificial glaciers, to sustainably manage pasture resources and adapt to climate change.
Kamchybek uulu Shekerbek, 41-year-old man, head of the Local Self-Governance/LSG authorities of Kashka-Suu, Aksy district, Jalal-Abad province, Kyrgyzstan, said that ¡°every year, due to the large number of livestock animals, the pastures are being degraded and the water is drying up; thus, water depletion leads to disputes between the two states because the water from us flows to Uzbekistan. We have built three artificial fields and two three-hectare e-fencing equipment were provided with support from the project. If we do not use natural resources wisely, we may soon lose the green forest and water.¡±
The construction of an artificial glacier in Kashka-Suu, a communal effort involving 55 individuals manually digging a trench and laying pipes, exemplifies local ingenuity. The resulting ice towers, born in winter and melting in summer, yield a sustainable water source for irrigation and domestic use, benefiting a multitude of households and enabling extensive livestock grazing.
This technology promotes climate-smart agriculture, cross-border cooperation, and water access equality. It fosters harmony between pastoral activities and ecological restoration, while reducing conflict over resources. Additionally, it offers long-term benefits by minimizing the impact of climate hazards and generating year-round income through responsible water and pasture management.
Local authorities, recognizing its efficacy, plan to install additional artificial glaciers through local funding sources.
The project is also supporting the ongoing development of bilateral relations between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Joint training sessions for local authorities forge robust ties across community, district, and regional levels, expediting the resolution of cross-border matters and paving the way for enduring institutional cooperation.
The project has been transforming the mindset of borderland communities. Its interventions, spanning economic opportunities and improved livelihoods, signify positive structural, institutional, and societal changes. Overall, the project's contributions have brought about positive changes ranging from social empowerment to climate resilience and cross-border collaboration.
