Женщины, пастбища и климат: голос Кыргызстана в Непале

Women, Rangelands, and Climate: Kyrgyzstan’s Voice in Nepal

From May 26 to 29, 2026, Kathmandu, Nepal, is hosting a landmark international event: The Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women. The forum brings together over 100 delegates, farmers, and experts from more than 40 countries whose lives and livelihoods are inextricably linked to rangeland resources. Among the attendees are farm and ranch owners, as well as leading specialists in natural resource management. The participation of representatives from influential international bodies, such as the UN, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), elevates the critical challenges faced by rural women to the highest global platform.

Kyrgyzstan and the CAMP Alatoo PF are represented at this large-scale forum by Salamat Dzhumabaeva, Deputy Director and Sustainable Water Resources Management Program Manager, and Eliza Usupova, a resident of Chon-Zhargylchak village (Jeti-Oguz district, Issyk-Kul region) and an activist of the "Ala-Too Bugu" public association.

The gathering, held under the code name "Mera +16," is dedicated to the UN-declared International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026). The main goal of the forum is to highlight the pivotal role of women in ecosystem conservation, climate change adaptation, and food security, as well as to advocate for the protection of their resource rights and full participation in strategic decision-making.

Throughout the sessions, participants are addressing shared global challenges across all continents, including land degradation, the climate crisis, and women's limited access to land governance. According to the organizers, the forum has become a unique platform for delegates from around the globe to showcase their expertise and share best practices in sustainable livestock grazing and rational use of natural resources.

The outcome of the intensive four-day gathering will be the adoption of an updated Global Declaration of Pastoralist Women. This strategic document will lay the foundation for protecting the rights of women pastoralists on the international stage and will be officially presented at the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 17) later this year.