ОФ «САМР Алатоо» представил предварительные результаты проекта по восстановлению и разведению лесов

СAMР Alatoo РF Presents Preliminary Results of Reforestation and Afforestation Project

The СAMР Alatoo РF has presented the preliminary results of its reforestation and afforestation project. Launched in February 2023 with support from the German government*, the initiative aims to identify areas suitable for reforestation and afforestation across the country. This assistance is part of the national "Jashyl Muras/Green Heritage" campaign, which calls for the annual planting of 5 to 6 million seedlings.

The project tasked the СAMР Alatoo РF with analyzing the current situation and identifying areas for the restoration of degraded forests and the creation of new forested areas across 15 forest enterprises. The initial results were presented at a meeting attended by representatives of the Forestry Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) of the Kyrgyz Republic and the P.A. Gan Scientific-Production Forest Research Center of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Zhyrgalbek Kozhomberdiev, Project Coordinator at СAMР Alatoo РF, provided an in-depth report on the results, using the Tyup Forest Enterprise in the Issyk-Kul region as an example. He noted that the proposed methodology was applied to all 15 selected forest enterprises.

Based on forest management cartographic materials, the forest enterprise staff identified areas covering approximately 1,700 hectares that can be used for new plantings. Meanwhile, СAMР Alatoo РF specialists conducted their own GIS analysis using satellite imagery, taking into account terrain parameters. They concluded that about 20,000 hectares of the 65,000-hectare forest area are suitable for afforestation. "We also categorized the lands suitable for planting: sparse forested areas, clearings, pastures, hayfields, open areas, and burned land," stated GIS specialist Erkinbek Koichumanov.

The project team also conducted a detailed study of conditions for effective tree growth by interviewing staff and leaseholders of the 15 forest enterprises. In the Tyup Forest Enterprise, interviews identified about 40 tree species prioritized for planting. Among the most promising are spruce, pine, juniper, poplar, and birch. Optimal growing conditions were calculated for each species, considering altitude, slope exposure, and steepness.

Simultaneously, specialists from the P.A. Gan Scientific-Production Forest Research Center conducted soil analysis in the forest enterprises to assess its suitability for forestry activities. Aziz Tyrgotov, a member of the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Laboratory, noted that soil samples from all surveyed enterprises showed positive results: key indicators such as acidity, humus content, and salinity levels were within the "green zone," confirming the feasibility of successful afforestation.

Representatives of the Forestry Service of the MES, the main clients of the research, emphasized the importance of considering the economic aspects of reforestation work, as well as clarifying technical details. They noted that the project results will be used by forest enterprises in their future reforestation and afforestation efforts.

"Important work has been done, and the results need to be integrated into the forest management system. Using this data at the beginning of fieldwork will help in more accurate planning of reforestation activities," said Nurgazy Chodоev, Head of the Forest Management Department of the MES Forestry Service.

The preliminary results of the project will be presented across all 15 forest enterprises. After considering feedback from all stakeholders, the research will be refined and presented to a wider circle of experts.

*The project "Identification of Suitable Areas for Afforestation and Restoration of Degraded Forests in the State Forest Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic" is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with support from the German government. SAMR Alatoo Foundation is the project implementer.