Validation Workshop “Health and Pollution Action Plan (HPAP) for the Kyrgyz Republic”
16 January 2019
- On 16 January 2019, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) convened a high-level workshop in Bishkek for presenting a draft “Health and Pollution Action Plan” for validation with Kyrgyz and international stakeholders. This action plan was developed in the context of a global project funded by the European Union (EU), called “Mitigating Toxic Exposures in Low- and Middle-Income countries”. The project was supported by the EU with EUR 5 million over the past three years and is implemented by UNIDO. It aims to help governments in low- and middle-income countries to take action against environmental pollution and its impacts on human health. One of the five focus countries of the project is the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Health and Pollution Action Plan presented at this workshop outlines pollution-related health challenges in the Kyrgyz Republic and also contains two concept notes providing concrete project proposals for reducing air and water pollution in different parts of the country. Air and water pollution were also the main focus of today’s workshop.
The workshop was opened by three high-level speakers. Mr Eduard Auer, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic, highlighted the EU’s role in assessing the global scope and extent of toxic pollution and its impacts on public health. In view of the issues highlighted in the Health and Pollution Action Plan, he also stressed that sustainable development is a key component of the cooperation between the EU and the Kyrgyz Republic. Mr Ozonnia Ojielo, United Nations Resident Coordinator to the Kyrgyz Republic, emphasised that pollution disproportionally affects the poor and vulnerable and noted that projects like this can make a significant contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr Arsen Ryspekov, Deputy Director of the Kyrgyz State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry (SAEPF), welcomed participants on behalf of the Kyrgyz Government and emphasised the need for action aimed at reducing pollution and improving public health in the Kyrgyz Republic.
In the two sessions following the introductions, speakers and participants discussed air and water pollution challenges and how they can be addressed. The national perspective was enriched with presentations of experts from Austria, India, Russia and Turkey. In addition, two international financial institutions – EBRD and ADB – provided insights into their work in the Kyrgyz Republic and how it relates to air and water pollution in particular.
In their closing remarks, representatives of UNIDO expressed their gratitude to all Kyrgyz stakeholders who contributed to the Health and Pollution Action Plan and urged all participants to promote the implementation of the two project proposals in the future.
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