Interview series on the implementation of the RESILAND Kyrgyzstan Project. We are launching a series of interviews on the implementation of the RESILAND Kyrgyzstan Project.
In this first interview, Chynara Berbaeva, Deputy Director of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic (MES KR), discusses the progress achieved to date, the activities planned for the coming years, and the results the Project is expected to deliver.
- The Project has been under implementation for more than a year. What has been accomplished so far?
During the first year of implementation, we established a strong foundation for systemic improvements in disaster risk management in the Kyrgyz Republic. Today, RESILAND Kyrgyzstan is moving from planning to delivering tangible results. Supported by the World Bank, the Project aims to establish a modern disaster risk management system based on advanced technologies, engineering solutions, and ecosystem restoration.
To date, the Project has initiated the preparation of detailed engineering designs and cost estimates for priority debris-flow protection infrastructure, delivered modern specialized machinery and equipment to government agencies, begun introducing digital technologies for monitoring hazardous natural processes, and strengthened the capacity of relevant institutions through professional training and international knowledge exchange.
Particular attention is being given to the development of an effective early warning system. The Project integrates advanced technologies, scientific research, engineering solutions, and landscape restoration. This integrated approach enables the country not only to respond to disasters but, more importantly, to prevent and mitigate their impacts before they occur.
It is important for us that every stage of Project implementation delivers practical benefits. Therefore, all activities are directed toward one common objective: building a more modern, efficient, and resilient system for managing natural hazards and protecting people, infrastructure, and communities across the Kyrgyz Republic.
- What are the main activities planned before the Project is completed?
The Project is now entering its most intensive implementation phase. A comprehensive package of activities will be carried out, ranging from the construction of protective infrastructure to the deployment of advanced digital technologies.
One of the key priorities will be implementing engineering measures in the areas most vulnerable to debris flows. At the same time, the restoration of degraded landscapes will continue through the application of nature-based solutions that help reduce the likelihood of hazardous natural processes.
Significant emphasis will also be placed on strengthening modern monitoring and forecasting systems. The Project will continue introducing digital tools, geographic information system (GIS) technologies, improved data management systems, and enhanced technical capacity within government institutions. In addition, it promotes regional cooperation among Central Asian countries, recognizing that many natural hazards extend beyond national borders.
Our objective is not simply to implement individual activities but to establish a sustainable system that enables the Kyrgyz Republic to prevent disasters more effectively and respond to emerging threats in a timely manner.
- What infrastructure will be constructed?
The Project supports a comprehensive package of engineering and nature-based interventions designed to reduce disaster risks in the country's most vulnerable regions.
Importantly, the Project goes beyond the construction of engineering infrastructure. RESILAND Kyrgyzstan follows an integrated approach that combines gray and green solutions. Gray solutions include debris-flow protection structures, dams, riverbank stabilization works, and other engineered infrastructure. Green solutions focus on restoring degraded landscapes, establishing protective forest plantations, stabilizing slopes, and implementing other nature-based measures that reduce the likelihood of hazardous natural processes. Combining these approaches is widely recognized internationally as one of the most effective practices for disaster risk reduction.
Detailed engineering designs and cost estimates are currently being prepared for five priority debris-flow protection structures in Osh and Jalal-Abad regions. These investments include the construction and rehabilitation of debris retention structures, debris-flow conveyance facilities, and channels designed to safely divert debris flows. Once completed, these investments will substantially reduce risks to settlements, social infrastructure, roads, and agricultural land.
Overall, the Project covers 21 priority sites where engineering, nature-based, and hybrid solutions will be implemented in phases. Experience has shown that a single dam or protective structure alone is no longer sufficient. The greatest impact is achieved when engineering interventions are combined with landscape restoration, modern monitoring systems, and timely forecasting of hazardous natural processes.
This integrated approach not only minimizes the impacts of disasters but also significantly reduces the likelihood of future events.
- What technologies will be introduced?
One of the Project's key components is the introduction of modern digital technologies that enable specialists not only to monitor natural processes but also to assess risks more accurately and make better-informed decisions.
Only a few years ago, many of these technologies were used primarily in international practice. Through RESILAND Kyrgyzstan, they are now being progressively introduced in the Kyrgyz Republic, creating new opportunities for more accurate monitoring, improved analysis of natural processes, and more timely decision-making.
The Project is strengthening monitoring systems through the use of geographic information systems (GIS), digital elevation models, satellite imagery, and remote sensing technologies. These tools provide specialists with a more comprehensive understanding of landscape conditions, enable the analysis of environmental changes, and improve forecasting of hazardous natural processes.
The Project also supports the modernization of the Unified System for Comprehensive Monitoring and Forecasting of Emergency Situations, enabling data from multiple government institutions to be integrated into a single digital platform. This will improve information sharing and enhance the quality and timeliness of decision-making.
It is important to recognize that technology alone cannot prevent disasters. Its primary role is to provide specialists with accurate and timely information so that preventive measures can be taken before disasters occur rather than after their consequences have already materialized.
- What results will people see over the next few years?
Above all, people will see the Government's transition from responding to disasters toward preventing them. This is the central objective of RESILAND Kyrgyzstan.
The Project is unique because it brings together engineering protection, landscape restoration, modern digital technologies, scientific research, and institutional capacity development within a single integrated framework. This comprehensive approach not only reduces disaster impacts but also strengthens disaster prevention.
Visible results will include the construction and modernization of debris-flow protection infrastructure in high-risk areas, deployment of modern monitoring and forecasting systems, strengthening of the technical capacity of government agencies, and restoration of degraded landscapes that play a critical role in reducing natural hazard risks.
For communities, this means greater protection for settlements, infrastructure, agricultural land, and water resources. Equally important, modern technologies will enable government services to receive information on changing natural conditions more quickly and make more effective decisions.
While natural hazards cannot be eliminated entirely, our objective is to minimize their impacts and ensure that people feel better protected through a comprehensive disaster risk management and early warning system.
- Which government institutions will benefit from enhanced capacity?
RESILAND Kyrgyzstan is being implemented in close partnership with government institutions responsible for disaster risk management, environmental monitoring, land administration, and landscape restoration. Strengthening their technical and institutional capacity is one of the Project's principal objectives.
Under the Project, modern equipment, specialized machinery, software, and digital solutions are being provided to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic (MES KR) and its specialized departments, including the Department of Monitoring and Forecasting of Emergency Situations, the Department for Protection against Mudflows, the Service for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Consequences, Kyrgyzhydromet, the State Agency for Land Resources, Cadastre, Geodesy and Cartography, and research institutions, including the Institute of Water Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Tian Shan International Scientific Center under the Institute of Water Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Institute of Forest, and other partner organizations.
However, the Project is not limited to supplying equipment. Equally important is ensuring that specialists are able to use these new technologies effectively in their daily work. Therefore, the Project includes professional training, knowledge exchange with international experts, and the introduction of modern methods for monitoring, analysis, and forecasting of natural hazards.
Ultimately, these investments will enable government institutions to work in a more coordinated manner, exchange information more efficiently, and make timely decisions that contribute to reducing disaster risks.
Interview by Nazik Atambekova, Communications and Media Specialist, the RESILAND Kyrgyzstan Project
The Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project is part of the World Bank’s RESILAND CA+ program, aimed at strengthening landscape resilience across Central Asian countries. Similar national and regional activities are also being implemented in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) implements the regional component of the Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project.
Additional information:
Chinara Berbayeva - Deputy Director, Project Implementation Department under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic / Project Manager, RESILAND Kyrgyzstan, berbaeva.chinara@gmail.com
Lyudmila Kiktenko - Deputy Team Leader, “The Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project: Regional Component” Project, CAREC, lkiktenko@carececo.org