About Conference

We would like to invite you to take part in the scientific and practical conference ‘CONSERVATION OF CENTRAL ASIAN ECOSYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: PRINCIPLES, CHALLENGES, PERSPECTIVES’, aimed at scientific substantiation of the issues of conservation and restoration of ecosystem biodiversity, achieving sustainable development, translation of micro-preservation practices by communities in Central Asia.

The conference is timed to the 70^th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic and the memory of the Honoured Scientist of the Kyrgyz Republic, Professor Shukurov Emil Zhaparovich, which takes place on 19-20 September 2024 in Bishkek (58 Erkindik Boulevard), State Institution ‘Innovation Centre’ under the State Agency for Intellectual Property and Innovation under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.)

The conference is held within the framework of the Project ‘Expansion of the concept of Micro-Reserves in Kyrgyzstan and their Further Institutionalisation in the Region’, which aims to promote the organisation of micro-reserves in Kyrgyzstan and their further institutionalisation in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan through the creation of an information portal for local self-government bodies, the regional network of micro-reserves and all interested parties.

A Micro-reserve is a small island of natural biodiversity, preserving the ‘matrix of life’ in a specific area among agricultural and anthropogenic landscapes impoverished as a result of human activity. The concept of micro-reserves in Kyrgyzstan was proposed and developed by Professor Shukurov Emil Zhaparovich. The project is implemented within the scope of the Central Asian Programme for the Conservation of Rare Animals and Unique Natural Areas ‘Biodiversity Hotspot in the Central Asian Mountain Region’ and is funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), which is a joint initiative of the French Development Agency, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the John D. Foundation and the World Bank.

One of the main objectives is to ensure the participation of civil society in biodiversity conservation. The project aims to disseminate information and best practices on the potential of the new regulatory framework. The established micro-reserves were the first officially registered in the transboundary UNESCO World Heritage Site "Western Tien-Shan" (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan).

Conference format: Hybrid format: offline and online. The online conference will be broadcast on YouTube channels of the organisers and partners

Conference languages: Kyrgyz, Russian, English. Simultaneous interpretation will be available.