Speaking at the UN General Assembly session, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov called on the United Nations, international financial institutions, and donor countries to support the initiative to establish a special joint trust fund for the preservation of Lake Issyk-Kul.
Sea-news.az reports citing the Kabar agency, that according to the head of state, the unique high-mountain lake, which holds the status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve and a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, is currently facing severe climate pressure.
“Over the past 170 years, the water level has dropped by approximately 14 meters, and since 2021, the rate of decline has reached 7 centimeters per year,” Sadyr Japarov stated.
According to him, out of the 101 rivers that historically flowed into Lake Issyk-Kul, only 30 currently flow year-round. One of the main water sources of the lake is the glaciers of the Tian Shan mountains. Over the last 70 years, more than 30 percent of mountain glaciers have melted, with approximately 20 percent of this loss occurring in the last 7–10 years.
The President of Kyrgyzstan noted that these changes pose a serious threat to the region’s biodiversity and the economic resilience of hundreds of thousands of people.
“The scale and speed of climate change exceed the capabilities of any mountainous state and require joint actions at the international level,” he emphasized.
Sadyr Japarov stated that Kyrgyzstan is already implementing a state concept for the sustainable development of the ecological and economic system of Issyk-Kul until 2030. Ecological restrictions are being introduced in the country, the lake’s depth is monitored using underwater robots, and the lakebed and waters are regularly cleaned.
The head of state proposed creating a special joint trust fund under the auspices of the UN to protect Issyk-Kul. He expressed Kyrgyzstan’s readiness to assume concrete financial commitments under this initiative.
“We are ready to allocate $10 million from the state budget to this fund,” Sadyr Japarov noted.
The President emphasized that the fates of the Aral Sea and Lake Chad serve as a warning regarding the consequences climate change can have on large bodies of water.
