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End of the Trolleybus: Bishkek Authorities Abandon Eco-Friendly Transport Option

Bishkek authorities are phasing out trolleybuses in favor of buses, sparking criticism from residents and environmental advocates. Activists allege that municipal workers are dismantling trolleybus infrastructure, prompting lawsuits and complaints to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which funded trolleybus purchases for the city. The Shift to Electric Buses In defense of the decision, Mayor Aibek Junushaliyev argued that trolleybuses no longer meet the city’s needs, citing frequent breakdowns and their inability to operate effectively in Bishkek’s outskirts. Instead, the city plans to transition to large electric buses, with 120 units ordered from China’s Ankai Automobile Co., set to arrive in mid-2025. For now, public transport is provided by gasoline and gas-powered buses. The existing trolleybuses are being transferred to Osh, with approximately 100 slated for relocation. The Bishkek Trolleybus Department signed a contract with Ankai in 2022 to deliver the electric buses and charging infrastructure. The move is supported by funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has allocated $50 million to the project. [caption id="attachment_25888" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Photo: Bermet Borubayeva[/caption] Activists Push Back Public opposition to the trolleybus phaseout is growing. Activist Bermet Borubayeva insists that Bishkek officials have no legal authority to transfer the trolleybuses. She highlighted that many were purchased using a $23.5 million EBRD loan ratified by Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, which stipulated that the vehicles must remain in Bishkek. “Citizens repay these loans through taxes, and without the EBRD’s consent, the municipality cannot transfer the trolleybuses elsewhere,” Borubayeva explained. She accused city officials of deliberately damaging trolleybus infrastructure. “They cut the wires in various places, rendering the system unusable. This violates both domestic and international laws,” she said. Despite these challenges, Borubayeva noted that activists have mobilized a significant resistance movement to preserve the trolleybuses. Environmental and Social Concerns Trolleybuses carried 20 million passengers last year without producing carbon emissions, making them vital to Bishkek’s eco-friendly public transportation. In a city grappling with severe air pollution, critics argue that phasing out trolleybuses exacerbates environmental problems. Borubayeva also questioned the city’s claims about ADB funding. “The mayor’s office says the electric bus project will replace the entire trolleybus fleet, but ADB documents indicate that only 20 trolleybuses are affected. Either the mayor’s office is misleading us, or the ADB is,” she asserted. According to ADB’s memorandum, the project includes a $59 million budget, with $50 million provided as a credit line and $15 million as a grant. The funds are primarily for electric bus procurement, along with infrastructure construction and consulting services. However, ADB representatives clarified to activists that the funding is for additional infrastructure, not an outright replacement of trolleybuses. Public Transportation in Crisis The dismantling of the trolleybus system has left Bishkek residents struggling with inadequate transportation. Buses have yet to fill the gap, leading to mounting public frustration. “We must address the public transportation crisis urgently,” MP Dastan Bekeshev said during a parliamentary session. “People cannot get to work or school on time. The trolleybuses need to be brought back into...

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Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan Stand Out at COP29

The 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), held in Baku from November 11–22, 2024, has underscored the critical role of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in advancing Caspian Sea regional energy transitions. Both countries leveraged their positions along the Middle Corridor to present ambitious renewable and nuclear energy strategies. Azerbaijan: Renewables and the Middle Corridor Azerbaijan, the host and chair of COP29, has positioned itself as a renewable energy connector between Central Asia and Europe. Its energy strategy reflects a pragmatic approach to transitioning from hydrocarbons, which accounted for 88% of government revenues in 2023, to a diversified portfolio incorporating solar, wind, and hydropower. Azerbaijan has prioritized key renewable energy projects to align with its goal of achieving a 30% renewable share in its electricity mix by 2030. Among these is the operational Garadagh Solar Power Plant, a 230-megawatt (MW) facility developed by the UAE's Masdar, which generates 500 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually. Complementing this is the planned Alat Solar Project, a 400-MW solar installation expected to be operational by 2027. These projects aim to bolster domestic electricity supply and expand Azerbaijan’s capacity to export renewable energy. The Caspian Offshore Wind Initiative, backed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), seeks to harness the Caspian Sea’s favorable wind conditions. A 1-gigawatt (GW) wind farm is under preliminary study, with construction anticipated to begin by 2026. This project could transform Azerbaijan into a renewable energy hub for the Middle Corridor, particularly as Europe reduces its dependency on Russian energy. Kazakhstan: Nuclear Ambitions and Renewable Diversification Kazakhstan’s energy strategy focuses on nuclear power and renewables, driven by the need to reduce coal dependency, which still accounts for two thirds of its electricity generation. The government’s approval of its first nuclear power plant, following a nationwide referendum in October 2024, is central to this strategy. The planned nuclear reactor, located near Lake Balkhash, will generate 1.2-GW of electricity, replacing approximately 20% of coal-fired generation. This initiative complements Kazakhstan’s status as the world’s largest uranium producer, supplying over 40% of global demand and generating $3.6 billion in export revenues in 2023. Potential consortium members for the project include South Korea’s KEPCO, France’s Orano and EDF, China’s CNNC, and Russia's Rosatom, although economic-sanctions issues complicate Russia’s involvement in the nuclear sector. Kazakhstan is simultaneously scaling up renewable energy projects, with several key initiatives underway. The Zhanatas Wind Farm, operational since 2022, produces 100-MW of power, and the Shelek Solar Park, a 200-MW solar facility near Almaty, is expected to come online in late 2025. Together, these projects aim to increase renewables to 15% of Kazakhstan’s electricity mix by 2030, quintupling the level from 2023. The Trans-Caspian Electricity Cable Project At the COP29 conference, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, along with Uzbekistan, announced an ambitious trans-Caspian electricity cable project through an underwater transmission system. This infrastructure initiative, estimated to cost $2.5 billion, seeks to establish an electricity corridor linking Central Asia with European markets, representing a significant step in regional energy integration. The project...

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EBRD Supports Water Infrastructure Upgrades in Northern Kyrgyzstan

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a financial package of up to €17 million to upgrade water infrastructure in three cities in northern Kyrgyzstan. The funding includes a loan of up to €7.6 million and a matching grant. The funds will be used to modernize water supply networks, upgrade pumping stations, install water meters in Kemin and Shopokov, and restore wastewater treatment and sewerage systems in Talas. In addition to the financial package, the projects will receive a technical cooperation grant of up to €1.8 million. This grant will support the implementation process and the corporate development of municipal utilities in the three cities. Hüseyin Özhan, EBRD Managing Director for Central Asia, highlighted the Bank's role as a key lender to Kyrgyzstan’s water sector. “We have supported 31 water projects for the amount of more than €190 million in 26 cities across the Kyrgyz Republic to date. They are helping households and businesses to have regular access to high-quality water and wastewater services,” Özhan stated. Since beginning its operations in Kyrgyzstan in 1992, the EBRD has invested approximately €998 million across 250 projects. These initiatives primarily focus on sustainable infrastructure and private sector development, significantly improving living conditions and economic opportunities in the region.

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Caspian Sea Water Decline Requires Urgent Action, Says UNEP Chief

By the end of this century, the water levels of the Caspian Sea could drop by up to 18 meters, a decline that would devastate ecosystems and species, threaten livelihoods, and jeopardize food security and regional stability. Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), highlighted this concern during the event, “Caspian Sea Water Decline in Light of Climate Change” at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 18. According to Andersen, the Caspian Sea, the largest enclosed body of water on Earth, “is under siege from the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature, land and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste.” Andersen warned that without urgent action, this environmental and human crisis may result in as many as five million people being displaced from the Caspian basin by the middle of the century. [caption id="attachment_25708" align="aligncenter" width="722"] Inger Andersun; image: UNEP[/caption] The UNEP chief mentioned the impacts of the Caspian crisis: declining fisheries, salinization threatening agriculture, and the critically endangered Caspian seal — a species found nowhere else on Earth — facing extinction. Andersen emphasized the critical importance of the Tehran Convention — “the cornerstone for regional cooperation on the Caspian Sea.” The Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention) was signed by the five Caspian littoral states — Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan — in 2003 and entered into force in August 2006 after being ratified by all five governments. [caption id="attachment_25706" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Aktau, Kazakhstan; image: TCA, Ola Fiedorczuk[/caption] The Tehran Convention “provides a platform to align our efforts, to unite science and policy, and to prioritize sustainable development across this unique region. As the interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention, UNEP is proud to support these vital efforts and remains firm in its commitment to providing technical expertise, fostering collaboration, and supporting innovative financing mechanisms to address this urgent challenge,” said Andersen, emphasizing that robust monitoring and predictive models are essential to understanding and managing the drivers of Caspian water level changes. “Science must inform every decision we take, whether on climate adaptation, biodiversity protection or pollution control,” Andersen stated, calling for regional cooperation to be strengthened. “The challenges the Caspian faces transcend borders. Solutions must do the same. Through trans-boundary collaboration, we can craft integrated solutions that safeguard ecosystems, support livelihoods, and promote equitable economic growth,” she stated. The Times of Central Asia earlier reported that the abundant floodwater in April-May 2024 raised Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea water level by over a meter. On July 1, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced that the water level in the northeastern part of the Caspian Sea had risen by 119 cm since the beginning of 2024. The COP29 summit has been widely criticized for its "theatrics," "slow progress," and handing out the "red carpet" treatment to fossil fuel bosses.

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Kazakhstan to Plant Forests to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions

On November 18, the British company SEFE Marketing & Trading Ltd. and Kazakhstan’s SAFC LLP signed an emission removal purchase agreement, marking the launch of the country’s first forest climate project. The project aims to plant 3.3 million trees across 1,500 hectares in the Almaty region. According to forecasts, the initiative will achieve an average annual reduction of 26 tons of CO₂ per hectare. Over the 30-year project period, this is expected to remove 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Additionally, the project is designed to promote agroforestry, ecotourism, and job creation in the region. During a meeting with one of SEFE's Vice-Presidents, Alexander Demidov, and SAFC's CEO Yuri Kim, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting environmental initiatives. “We strive to create favorable conditions for attracting foreign investment in environmental projects. The government supports projects aimed at restoring ecosystems, reducing carbon footprint, and developing a green economy,” he stated. Kim added: “This project was supported by the President of Kazakhstan and the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, and now we are starting its practical implementation. By combining the competencies of SEFE and SAFC, we will demonstrate Kazakhstan's broad capabilities for attracting foreign investment.” According to Atameken, the project not only lays the groundwork for others to follow suit but also leads the way for new investment opportunities in carbon farming. This approach marks a new stage in diversifying Kazakhstan’s economy, creating potential revenue streams from agricultural production and greenhouse gas emission trading. Kazakhstan’s forest climate initiative demonstrates the country’s commitment to sustainability while attracting foreign investment to bolster its green economy.

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Climate Crisis in Central Asia: Kyrgyz Geologist Spells Out Threat of Disappearing Glaciers

Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov has warned at the COP29 climate summit in Baku that Kyrgyzstan’s glaciers have shrunk by 16% over the past 70 years, a trend that could accelerate if immediate action is not taken. Glaciers are a crucial source of drinking water for Kyrgyzstan and the broader Central Asian region. Japarov emphasized that the continued reduction in glacier size will lead to water scarcity and bring severe social, economic, and environmental consequences. “Our region is among the most vulnerable to global warming. By 2100, we may lose more than half of all glaciers,” he said, stressing the need for regional cooperation on green projects to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Kyrgyz glaciologists at the Institute of Geology have been monitoring the region’s glaciers since the early 1940s. Senior researcher Ilya Mezgin explained the alarming rate of glacier loss. “If you look at maps from 1943, two-kilometer glaciers were visible on the Chatkal Ridge in western Kyrgyzstan. Today, they’ve disappeared entirely from satellite images,” Mezgin told The Times of Central Asia. The melting has worsened over time. In 1985, Kyrgyzstan had 8,200 glaciers. That number has since dropped to just 6,500. Glaciers at lower altitudes are melting the fastest, while larger glaciers are expected to last until 2100. Mezgin noted that western glaciers in the Talas region are particularly at risk of disappearing. The mountains of the Tian Shan are composed in the main of crystalline and sedimentary rocks of the Paleozoic Era (i.e., about 540–250 million years ago). growth of the Tian Shan continued until 250 million years ago, when a large continental plate, known as Tarim, collided with Asia. The State Agency for Geology of Kyrgyzstan has suggested that glaciers can both retreat and regrow over time. However, the current trend is one of significant retreat.