BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 22. Kyrgyzstan accounts for only 0.03% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet the country bears a disproportionate burden of climate change impacts, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov said, Trend reports via the press service of the Kyrgyz President.
He made the remark at the plenary session of the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana (RES 2026) in Kazakhstan on April 22.
According to him, since 2020, the number of emergencies in the country, including mudflows and floods, has tripled.
"The amount of direct material damage amounts to about $16 million per year, while the area of glaciation in Kyrgyzstan has decreased by 16%," he noted.
Sadyr Japarov emphasized that, according to forecasts, Kyrgyzstan could lose up to 80% of its glaciers by 2100.
"The level of Lake Issyk-Kul has dropped by almost 14 meters over recent decades, the number of rivers flowing into it has decreased from more than 100 to 30, and the number of high-altitude glacial lakes has increased by 30% since 1968," the President of Kyrgyzstan said.
Regional Environmental Summit RES 2026 is taking place in Astana. The dialogue platform, established in cooperation with the United Nations and other international organizations, aims to develop comprehensive policies and tools for the protection, restoration, and joint use of ecosystems, water and land resources, as well as the conservation of biodiversity in Central Asia.