BISHKEK (TCA) — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on 19 April held an environmental workshop in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul region for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to share information about successful advisory projects supported by the Bank and stimulate further activity in this area. This is in response to the needs and concerns expressed by the Issyk-Kul government and local resorts to reduce costs and preserve the ecological situation in the region.
Lake Issyk-Kul is the most popular tourist destination in Kyrgyzstan and bustles with hotels and resorts, B&Bs, restaurants, cafes, sports and other leisure facilities supporting the hospitality industry. Keeping the area clean and environmentally friendly is essential to preserving its beauty and uniqueness and, with appropriate investment, the area has the potential for further expansion as an attractive holiday resort. At present, however, Lake Issyk-Kul faces environmental risks because of the obsolete, Soviet-era wastewater treatment facilities still present in most of its resorts.
Organised by the EBRD in cooperation with the local administration, the workshop presented and discussed EBRD mechanisms to support environmental modernisation. One such mechanism is the Kyrgyz Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (KyrSEFF), which offers loans and grants for improvement of energy efficiency of residential buildings and industrial enterprises.
The EBRD also helps SMEs work with local consultants on a wide range of advisory projects on a cost-sharing basis, from marketing to strategy, financial management and beyond. A consulting project in environmental management assists an enterprise to reduce energy costs.
The interactive half-day workshop also included a trade fair of the best available technologies from advanced wastewater equipment providers, and one-to-one consultations with interested companies.
The EBRD has already been supporting the development of this tourist attraction by financing a programme of improvements at one of the Issyk-Kul resorts, Ak-Bermet. The resort modernised its wastewater treatment facility, reduced energy consumption, built a swimming pool, improved the resort’s beach area and redesigned the grounds, all of which will make Ak-Bermet more environmentally friendly and more appealing to tourists.
The EBRD has been helping small and medium-sized businesses in the Kyrgyz Republic access external advice since 2005. This has been made possible thanks to donor funding from the Government of Switzerland as a core-funder, and co-financed by Japan and the United States, as well as from the EBRD’s Shareholder Special Fund.
