24 November 2015: The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a total financing of US$16.11 million for the Kyrgyz Republic’s Integrated Forest Ecosystem Management Project, which aims to strengthen the capacity of government and communities to improve sustainable forest ecosystem management. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) will support implementation of the project with a grant of US$4.11 million.

US$6.6 million of the World Bank financing is a concessional credit, while US$5.4 million is a grant. The main objective of the five-year project is to strengthen the capacity of government and communities to improve sustainable forest ecosystem management in the country through investments in management planning, ecosystem restoration and infrastructure. The project will support an ecosystem-based approach to the improved management of the areas controlled by leskhozes – local level forest management entities – including forested lands, pastures and unproductive or marginal lands set aside for afforestation. This will be done through support for institutional reform and capacity building at the national, local and community levels, introduction of integrated natural resource management planning at the leskhoz level, as well as financial and technical support for the implementation of these plans in twelve pilot areas. [World Bank Press Release] [Project Webpage]